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Ford patent breathes EV life into B-pillar keypad

For those who don't own a Ford, yes, it's still quite the popular piece of tech.

Andrew Krok Reviews Editor / Cars
Cars are Andrew's jam, as is strawberry. After spending years as a regular ol' car fanatic, he started working his way through the echelons of the automotive industry, starting out as social-media director of a small European-focused garage outside of Chicago. From there, he moved to the editorial side, penning several written features in Total 911 Magazine before becoming a full-time auto writer, first for a local Chicago outlet and then for CNET Cars.
Andrew Krok
2 min read

Ford has a special sort of love for the keypad it includes on most cars' B-pillars, and owners love it, too. It may soon pick up some additional skills, if one patent is an indicator.

One of Ford's most recently published patents imagines a B-pillar keypad on an electric vehicle. Not only is the keypad capable of locking and unlocking the vehicle -- same as all other keypads -- it serves the additional purpose of telling the owner how much charge remains in the car's battery.

Ford B-Pillar Keypad Patent
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Ford B-Pillar Keypad Patent

Yay! More flashy things to command my attention!

FreePatentsOnline

It could work in different ways, too. There could be a battery indicator below a traditional keypad arrangement, or the whole B-pillar's worth of keypad could become one giant battery indicator, perhaps while a vehicle is charging. Alternatively, it could disappear, because who wants a bunch of drunk teenagers attempting to brute force your car's code at night?

While the keypad might seem like some silly relic of the 1990s, before keyless entry became the wildly popular vehicle option it is today, it still has a use (and a serious fanbase). It's not always convenient to carry a key -- if you're out for a run, or taking a hike up a local mountain, for instance -- so being able to lock your key in the car is a smarter idea than, say, just hiding it on top of the tire and hoping for the best.

Despite this feature being used on the regular, and despite how long it's been around, it's never seemed to be a security issue for Ford owners. After all, a smash-and-grab is going to happen no matter what, and it would be mighty stupid to specifically target Ford Motor Company vehicles on the off chance that a key is already inside the car.