Ford patents remote engine rpm control

Ford has filed a patent application for a system that remotely turns the engine.

Remote engine start has been around for some time, but a patent application published May 5 by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) describes revving the engine above idle rpm when the vehicle is stopped. According to the application, this is controlled by a device such as a smartphone.

The purpose of this is to produce sound. A large part of a performance car's appeal, Ford notes in the application, is the sound of its engine. The ability to rev the engine on command allows the owner to better enjoy the roar of the V-8 engine (Ford used a Mustang to illustrate this concept). In other words, it is essentially the opposite of the current Mustang's quiet exhaust mode.

This system can also open the exhaust valve or rev the engine to a specific RPM for a certain amount of time, depending on the application.

This is not just for internal combustion vehicles. Ford noted that electric vehicles do not have an engine sound, which could make them less attractive to enthusiasts. So, instead of revving the actual engine, the automaker said, the same system could be used to create a similar effect by playing the sound of the engine's revving through onboard speakers.

It is unclear if this system will ever reach production, as Ford tends to take a shotgun approach to patent applications. Ford has also recently filed patents for a vehicle-mounted sand ladder and a tank swivel feature that seems to compete with the trick swivel feature of the Rivian R1T and GMC Hummer EV. However, Ford has not mentioned any plans to use these patents on production vehicles.