Fighting through traffic is a drag. If only you could pop off a wheel from your car and ride it to freedom...

See also: The 5 coolest electric cars in the world

A Ford patent published on Dec. 15 (and uncovered by Patent Yogi) focuses on a contraption that would turn the rear wheel of what appears to be a Ford Focus into a rideable unicycle.

In traffic, you'd theoretically pull over into a parking lot, and an automatic hydraulic jack would lift the rear of the Ford off the ground, allowing you to disengage the rear wheel. The free wheel would work as a unicycle with an electric motor, seat and foot pegs; this would let you make the rest of your commute without a car. (And who would steal a car with only three wheels?)

Before you get too excited about owning a car with a unicycle rear wheel, remember: just because Ford has patented the technology doesn't mean it will ever be produced. Ford is just hedging its bet; if such a mobility feature proves viable, it wants to have the first word on its implementation.

It's an interesting idea. After all, mass market cars of the future will likely be powered electric motors embedded in the wheels. But such a contraption would expose the owner to the elements — and their clothes to roadway grime you pick up along the way.

Certainly, it's very Batman-y. But it's also pretty darn impractical.