It has one job: Beach. Ford has filed for a patent on a “Vehicle Beach Mode” that’s like a built-in lifeguard.
The system can determine if a vehicle has entered a shore area, then goes to work figuring out when the tide is coming in by researching online databases.
If it thinks it might get too close to the vehicle for comfort, it can alert the owner or even use autonomous technology to move it away from the oncoming waters. It can also recommend switching to four-wheel-drive modes and provide information about the local rules for driving on the beach.
Sketches included in the application indicate that it is intended for beachgoers, campers or food truck operators and illustrates its use with SUVs, vans and pickups.
Ford hasn’t announced plans to introduce the feature on any of its models, but it does offer a Bronco Coastal package through the Ford Garage parts portal that transforms the SUV into a beach machine with 17-inch silver wheels, silver fender flares, a silver grille, rainbow sides stripes and a sheer Bimini top that can be paired with a set of tube doors for open air motoring.
Even without any of this, all Broncos can wade through more than 30 inches of water before they run into trouble, while the Bronco Raptor can handle 37 inches on its jacked-up suspension and 37-inch tires.
