Ford Patent Suggests "Pet Mode" May Be A Future Feature

It appears Ford filed a patent for "Pet Mode" ahead of the launch of Tesla's Dog Mode.

By: Steven Loveday

Feb 17, 2022 at 12:47pm ET

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According to a US patent document discovered by a member of the Lightning Owner's forum, Ford filed a patent for a "Pet Mode" feature back in 2018. The feature appears to be much like Tesla's Dog Mode, which arrived via an over-the-air software update in 2019.

The Lightning Owner's forum shared an email with us pointing to a forum post that describes a system "for creating a pet-friendly automotive environment." We had recently seen a few rumors bouncing around social media that Ford filed such a patent, but there were few details.

Essentially, Pet Mode would be able to be customized by each individual user. Setting options would include specific heating and cooling temperatures, lowering the windows slightly, folding down the rear seats, and activating audio presets.

Interestingly, the Ford patent also mentions the use of a vehicle's key fob to activate the Pet Mode feature. To take it a step further and add a little fun, the key fob button for Pet Mode would be a dog's paw print. While this is neat, what about cat owners? Perhaps there will be a feline option, and Tesla should add Cat Mode.

Silliness aside, we're excited that there's a possibility Ford may move forward with such a feature, and we think all cars should offer something like this. Moreover, features like Tesla's camera-based Sentry Mode security system and TeslaCam built-in dashcam should also become available in future vehicles.

Lightning Owner's forum notes:

"Whether this system is imminent for Ford's lineup of vehicles, or will be reserved just for its EVs, we'll just have to sit and stay wait and see ..."

You can find more information by visiting the link to the Lightning Owner's forum below. In addition, you can click here to see the patent document for yourself.

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