Ford comes up with a car with a bike inside...
FORD has filed a patent for a vehicle which features an electric motorcycle integrated into it.
Referred to as a ‘multimodal transportation apparatus’ in the application to the US Patent and Trademark Office, the vehicle has an electrically powered motorcycle located between the driver and passenger seats.
According to the application, the ‘centre console serves to support at least one body part of a rider of the motorcycle’. In other terms, the main dashboard section of the car doubles as a handlebar for the motorcycle.
The motorcycle can then be released from the main vehicle, allowing the rider to drive away.
Ford says that it has developed this technology to combat inner-city traffic. Drivers of these multimodal vehicles can use the car to cover the bulk of their journey, then ride the attached motorcycle when traffic becomes heavy, leaving them to cover ground in less time as a result of being able to ride through congestion.
The application also shows that the motorcycle would be accessed by lifting up the car’s bonnet and releasing the vehicle. Returning it to that position would be aided by ‘guide elements’ situated inside the car.
The American manufacturer also states that this system could be achieved by fitting the main vehicle with an engine located at the rear of the car, therefore freeing up space at the front.
One idea proposed was that the electric motor fitted to the motorcycle could be used to power the entire vehicle ‘in one operating state’.
For instance, in the same way that a hybrid vehicle can run on sole electric power for a set amount of miles, so this car could use the motorcycle’s powertrain to do the same.
Of course, there is no disclosed date as to when this technology could arrive on our roads – but it gives an insight into the potential future of transportation.
