Ford recently filed for a patent that features a motorcycle integrated into what looks to be a Focus or Escort wagon. The company is calling it a “multimodal transportation apparatus,” sort of like what Honda did back in the ’80s with the integrated Motocompo foldable two-wheeler. Unlike the Motocompo, Ford’s bike emerges from the front of the car, a la the Batmobile, to ride to whatever location comes next.
Of course, just because Ford filed for a patent doesn’t mean this is happening. The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office publishes all applications 18 months after submission.
The patent notes that the motorcycle is “equipped with, and can be autonomously driven, by an electric motor.” And it will be fixed securely to the passenger car, and the connection “can be established and released by a user in a reversible manner.” The bike and passenger car can also be used independently of each other.
The battery of the bike will be wired into the main vehicle, which in this example is also a battery- or hybrid-electric, and will be charged by the same system that charges the car.
The infotainment system is part of the bike, which will rest between the driver and passenger seat, and will be available to the motorcycle rider after the two have been detached.
There’s a lot more minutiae in the fine print, attached below, so check that out when you have time. And speaking of time, we’re imagining parking the car in the enormous college parking lot, then taking the bike right to the class door. Or, now that we think about it, find a free spot on the street, and then putz the rest of the way.
Source: Autoweek
