Rivian Files Patent for Unique Spare Tire Design With Accessories

Rivian has filed a patent for a full-size spare wheel mount designed to accommodate additional components that can enhance the capabilities of the all-electric R1S SUV.

The spare mount has the wheel oriented so the cavity is facing outward, allowing Rivian to throw in cylindrical containers dedicated to specific purposes. The patent list makes mention of the space being utilized for a “first aid kit, waste can, water container, cooler, vacuum canister, compressed air system, toolbox, electrical appliance, electrical cord wound on a reel, a camera, or other types of containers.”

Read more
Ford Applies To Patent Stand-Up Driving System

Sit down, buckle up, and be quiet. I heard those words many times from my parents and have likely said them countless times to my own kids, but a recent patent from Ford may change how people ride in their vehicles – at least off-road.

Read more
Honda Patents Seats With Shock Absorption

Modern car seats are notoriously uncomfortable. We can blame manufacturers for cutting costs while seeking to standardize snazzier equipment elsewhere. Buyers often don’t consider the importance of seat comfort, especially when they’re only spending 10 minutes on a test drive. However, worsening road conditions have made us long for prior decades when car companies went overboard with the springs and foam. 

The industry knows this and the phenomenon may even help explain the popularity of crossover vehicles, which often have softer suspensions than their sedan counterparts. But Honda is working on something that would bring the buffering inside the cabin. 

Read more
Report: Hyundai Patents Dual-Joystick Controls

While the Hyundai Ioniq 6 has retained quite a bit from its conceptual precursor, some of the most interesting aspects of the Prophecy EV failed to carry over. The production Ioniq 6 looks less like the Phantom Corsair the concept had been channeling and more like a remastered Citroën DS – which isn’t necessarily a bad thing.

Gone are the pixel tail lights, the flowing, seamless bodywork, and abundant minimalism that made the concept feel like a modern interpretation of the futuristic notions swirling prior to World War II. Also absent are the twin joysticks Hyundai envisioned the model using as its primary controls. However, the manufacturer may not be through with those just yet, since there’s apparently a U.S. patent filing for them.

Read more
Driving Dystopia: Ford Patent Would Have Vehicles Repossess Themselves

The number of U.S. vehicle owners who are more than 59 days behind in their auto loan payments was 26.7 percent higher at the end of 2022 than they were at the end of 2021. This is due to a myriad of factors. Car payments have gotten larger, loan terms have increased, inflation has devalued the currency, and subprime borrowers are finding themselves on the wrong end of a widening wealth gap. 

While automotive repossessions declined during the pandemic, mainly due to lenders offering amnesty periods, they’ve likewise spiked through the end of 2022. This trend is assumed to continue, setting up a lot of business for repo men. However, Ford Motor Co. has patented a system that would effectively make vehicles unresponsive to drivers that have missed a few payments. Meanwhile, automobiles boasting the latest advanced driving technologies could allegedly repossess themselves. 

Read more
GM Patents Autonomous Driving Instructor

General Motors has filed a patent for a driver-training system that utilizes a vehicle’s onboard sensing equipment to determine how well a novice motorist is handling themselves behind the wheel.

The objective is to offer driver education without the help of a flesh-and-blood instructor being present. Instead, the autonomous vehicle limits the amount of control offered to the student while constantly monitoring their progress. If they score well enough, additional freedom is awarded to the driver and the process begins again — this time with the vehicle looking to evaluate more advanced maneuvers while still keeping tabs on the basics. It’s quite a bit different than the standard practice of having someone sit beside you to take stock of your budding driving skills. But GM thinks it might have future applications and probably wants to lock it in with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) before anybody else does.

Read more
Honda Trademarks ADX Name for Acura Brand

Honda has filed to trademark ADX with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), presumably so it can use the name for an upcoming luxury model. While Honda has previously sold vehicles with alphanumeric monikers ending in the letter X, that’s literally Acura’s entire lineup and it’s supposed to be delivering a few new models to round out its rather limited selection.

Read more
Smells Like Special Edition: Ford Files Trademark for 'Black Diamond'

Ford has filed a trademark application to register “Black Diamond” with the United States Patent and Trademark Office. General Motors previously manufactured models using the name to denote limited edition models, such as the CTS-V Black Diamond Edition, which incorporated an especially sparkly paint color.

While the same could be true for Ford, there’s another possibility. The term is frequently used to denote a particularly rough patch of mountain trail or extreme ski run. The Blue Oval could adapt it for use on specialty off-road vehicles.

Read more
Ford Patents Hybridized V8, Could Offer Glimpse Into Future Product

Ford is currently on the road to electrification. Right now, the manufacturer is working on an electric crossover based on the Mustang and a new hybrid powertrain. But it hasn’t been particularly forthcoming when it comes to sharing its industry secrets with the public.

Fortunately, an application filed with the United States Patent and Trademark Office could give us a glimpse into what Ford’s cooking up. While technically filed in July of 2018, the document was officially published just last week and quickly located by the patent-sniffing dogs from our sister site, AutoGuide, showcasing a “twin motor drive system” for hybrid vehicles. The accompanying diagram clearly shows the system mated to a V8, but the filing seems to suggest that the setup could operate with any engine that’s mounted longitudinally.

Read more
Ford Files Trademark Applications for 'Transit Courier' and 'Courier' in U.S.

Have you ever sat in a Ford Transit Connect and said to yourself, “Gosh, I like this, but it’s just so darn big!“? Well, if Ford’s latest trademark filings are any indication, the Blue Oval might soon have exactly what you’re looking for.

According to the United States Patent and Trademark Office, Ford filed trademark applications for two names — “Transit Courier” and “Courier” — on July 22, 2016, hinting at possible Fiesta-based, B-segment vans for North America.

Read more
  • MaintenanceCosts It's not a Benz or a Jag / it's a 5-0 with a rag /And I don't wanna brag / but I could never be stag
  • 3-On-The-Tree Son has a 2016 Mustang GT 5.0 and I have a 2009 C6 Corvette LS3 6spd. And on paper they are pretty close.
  • 3-On-The-Tree Same as the Land Cruiser, emissions. I have a 1985 FJ60 Land Cruiser and it’s a beast off-roading.
  • CanadaCraig I would like for this anniversary special to be a bare-bones Plain-Jane model offered in Dynasty Green and Vintage Burgundy.
  • ToolGuy Ford is good at drifting all right... 😉