Ford Motor Company has filed a patent for a trail control system that may be used in future electrified Ford vehicles, Ford Authority has learned.
The patent was filed on October 5th, 2023, published on April 10th, 2025, and assigned serial number 0115138.
The Ford Authority Take
Ford’s Trail Control debuted several years ago as something of an off-road type of cruise control, one designed to enable drivers to merely steer and pay attention to things other than trying to keep a constant, slow speed. That feature has since expanded to a number of vehicles, but could soon wind up in electrified Ford vehicles, judging by this new patent filing. It’s not terribly surprising given Ford’s mission to expand its hybrid lineup and even build extended-range electric vehicles in addition to EVs – some of which could be more off-road focused.
The concept for this type of off-road Trail Control is quite similar to the existing feature, but in this case, is specifically designed for climbing steep grades. The system would be able to send torque to each wheel in an effort to climb those types of obstacles, even if one or more wheels isn’t connected to the ground, which tends to happen a lot when off-roading. This way, the system could also turn off the one-pedal driving feature that many electrified vehicles come with, and instead focus on using torque for simply clearing obstacles.
“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.
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