A newly surfaced patent software hints that Ford is engaged on a brand new drift mode for each internal-combustion engine automobiles and EVs.
The appliance was filed all the way in which again in September 2020 however printed by the US Patent and Trademark Workplace (USPTO) this week. It describes utilizing a automotive’s friction brakes to lock the rear wheels to induce a drift. In drift mode, the wheels can be decoupled from the driveline by way of clutches to permit them to spin freely, with torque utilized by way of an actuator to maintain them spinning.
Ford drift mode patent picture
Ford claims this method may very well be utilized to internal-combustion autos, EVs, or hybrids. The automaker made the same declare in a drift mode patent software that surfaced in 2022. That software additionally mentioned utilizing the friction brakes to lock up the rear wheels to begin a drift.
Each iterations are very totally different from Ford’s earlier drift mode. The final Ford Focus RS was in a position to make use of its all-wheel-drive system to ship extra torque to the rear wheels—significantly the surface rear wheel—to assist induce a slide. The 2024 Ford Mustang additionally launched an digital drift brake designed as a neater and simpler various to pulling a automotive’s hand brake to begin drifting.
Ford drift mode patent picture
Some BMW M and Mercedes-AMG fashions, in addition to the present Volkswagen Golf R, additionally function drift modes. However these depend on sending extra torque to the rear wheels, not locking them up.
A patent submitting just isn’t affirmation of manufacturing plans, however Ford has been keen to indicate the sportier facet of EVs with one-off builds just like the seven-motor Mustang Mach-E 1400. A drift mode will surely assist get that message throughout. The 2024 Mustang Mach-E Rally additionally includes a RallySport drive mode that permits extra sideways motion, though it is aimed primarily at gravel roads.
