Ford Patents Refueling Mode That Shuts the Engine Off at the Pump

Ford has filed a patent for a system that would automatically kill the engine when a vehicle is parked at a fuel pump. The concept takes the familiar auto stop-start behavior — the feature that already cuts power at red lights — and extends it to the gas station, where the car would detect that it has pulled up to a pump and shut itself down without driver input.

The patent filing, reported by The Truth About Cars, frames the idea as a natural next step for stop-start technology. Rather than relying on the driver to turn the key or press a button, the vehicle would recognize a refueling scenario on its own and handle the shutdown.

Ford has not announced whether the feature will reach production, and patents frequently describe concepts that never make it to showrooms. Still, the filing shows automakers are looking for ways to automate routine engine management beyond the traffic-light scenarios that have defined stop-start systems so far.