Ford Motor Company has filed a patent for delivery vehicle drones that may be used in future Ford vehicles, Ford Authority has learned.
The patent was filed on August 17th, 2023, published on February 20th, 2025, and assigned serial number 0058714.
The Ford Authority Take
Ford has published a large number of patents pertaining specifically to ways that it might use drones, or unnamed aerial vehicles (AEVs) in the future. That list includes ideas for a drone elevator system, a drone launching and landing system, an in-vehicle drone container, a way to conduct drone flights over public roadways, an unmanned aerial vehicle integration system, and a drone-based car connectivity system. Now, we can add another to this ever-growing list – a patent for delivery vehicle drones that may be used in future Ford vehicles, too.
While the concept of using drones to deliver packages and other goods is nothing new, the system depicted here also utilizes an elevator unit, which could be used to group items together that are being delivered to similar areas – such as the same neighborhood. From there, the drone would be able to enter and exit the vehicle via an opening, removing and delivering those packages before returning to complete the same task, over and over again. As Ford notes in the patent filing, this concept is intended to be used specifically with last-mile delivery services, and could prove useful in that regard if it does in fact come to fruition – saving a lot of time and labor in the process.
“Submitting patent applications is a normal part of any strong business as the process protects new ideas and helps us build a robust portfolio of intellectual property,” Ford said in a statement. “The ideas described within a patent application should not be viewed as an indication of our business or product plans. No matter what the patent application outlines, we will always put the customer first in the decision-making behind the development and marketing of new products and services.”
Comment
With quality control issues permanent at Ford Motor Company under the poor leadership of Failure Farley, this idea will never become reality, quality control issues will put an end to it.