(Ford)
Ford is going all-in on SUVs in the U.S., and now it’s figured out a way to give them even more utility.
A recently-published patent application describes a design for a passenger car with a motorcycle built into it.
(Ford)
The “multimodal transportation apparatus” features an electric motorcycle that enters the car through a mandible-like space between the front wheels, which are powered by electric hub motors and don’t require an axle between them.
(Ford)
Drawings accompanying the application show the vehicle with its hood open and the motorcycle parked between the front seats, where its seat and touchscreen-equipped instrument panel double as the center console and center stack of the car.
The description says this would allow a driver to park the car outside of a crowded city center and then use the motorcycle to reach a final destination within it.
(Ford)
It’s a wild idea that likely won’t ever see the light of day, but does seem closer to reality than the round, autonomous car depicted in another Ford patent application that surfaced a few weeks ago.