We’ve all been there before. Actually, most of us probably haven’t. So, let’s just say that driving a car, even something with four-wheel drive, isn’t always as easy as it looks on television. Ford is aware of this, which explains the patent recently found by CarBuzz.
Yanking out a Bronco buried to its axles in sand isn’t easy, but getting caught by the tide is way worse. This patent could prevent that from happening in the first place.
Beach Driving Can Be Tricky
2025 Ford Bronco Big Bend w/ Coastal Package Beige Side View Driving on the BeachFord
Here’s the thing about driving on sand. When it’s dry, it tends to squish and scatter at the mere thought of acceleration. When it’s wet, it packs like an interstate highway. And when it’s really wet, well – if you’ve seen any 1980s movie, you know what happens when someone steps into quicksand. Ford, ever the lifestyle company with its lineup of pickup trucks and SUVs, wants you to enjoy your time at the beach and not worry about losing your expensive SUV to the perils of the sea. Because apparently, tides are very unpredictable. But we digress.
Ford’s patent, simply called Vehicle Beach Mode, is actually rather straightforward. Using a bevy of sensors, cameras, GPS, and connected vehicle tech, the vehicle recognizes when it’s being driven in a “beach environment.” At that point, Beach Mode is engaged, but here’s the thing – it doesn’t necessarily help you drive over the sand. Rather, it observes the immediate area and advises you on the best route to avoid “interacting with the water.” You know, in case you can’t see the water. But again, we digress.
According to the patent description, Beach Mode can observe the area and detect the shoreline, regions where high tide comes in, and it can also access weather data to determine the timing of high and low tides. It can also read signage in the area to help ensure you don’t end up driving somewhere you’re not allowed to be, such as a specific area for people.
What Happens If You Ignore All The Warnings?
Ford Beach Mode PatentFord / US Patent & Trademark Office
This all might sound a bit too obvious, but how many times have you seen video of cars getting stuck or swept into the ocean because the tide came in? Ford’s patent aims to take the guesswork out of all that should you decide to park your SUV or truck right down by the water’s edge. Your Ford vehicle might just abandon you completely and save itself.
Wait, what? According to the patent description:
“When the probability of the vehicle interacting with water is greater than a threshold value (e.g., when the vehicle may be parked on the beach and the distance between the shoreline and the vehicle is less than 50 meters or 30 meters), the system may perform a remedial action to protect the vehicle from the water. For instance, the system may automatically relocate the vehicle from a current vehicle location to another location on the beach.”
So, not only does Beach Mode give drivers clear direction to the safest areas of the beach, it will move the vehicle automatically if you park it in a dumb spot and leave it there. If you get stuck, however, you’re on your own. Hey, this is Beach Mode, not Recovery Mode.
CarBuzz Insight – Why This Matters:
2025 Ford Bronco Big Bend w/ Coastal Package Beige Side View Doors Off on the BeachFord
We were a bit sarcastic at times, because how hard is it to really avoid driving into the ocean? And yet, we’ve all seen videos of cars sunk to their axles as tides wash in. The truth is, obvious as it may seem, there are a lot of people that make really dumb decisions while driving on a beach.
Current vehicle technology can certainly incorporate an autonomous mode that moves the vehicle to a spot where the driver should’ve parked in the first place. That seems to be the legitimately valuable portion of this patent idea – saving the vehicle when the owner is nowhere to be found.
Patent filings do not guarantee the use of such technology in future vehicles and are often used exclusively as a means of protecting intellectual property. Such a filing cannot be construed as confirmation of production intent.
Source: US Patent & Trademark Office
