Washington, D.C. – Ford has submitted a new patent to the U.S. Patent Office, with documents suggesting the automaker has a tailgate with three separate sections—the middle one opening in a side-hinge style—up its sleeve.
In the patent documents shared by CarBuzz, Ford’s unnamed tailgate design is divided into three sections horizontally. The middle section functions as a side-hinged swing door for easier access to the bed. The drawings also feature a built-in step that folds from the load sill just below the tailgate.
In August 2020 rumours began circulating that Ford was working on a multifunctional tailgate, with reports claiming that the automaker had conjured ideas that outperformed Ram and Chevrolet’s triple-split tailgate designs.
Ram’s 1500 Multifunction Tailgate offers a similar principle to Ford’s new blueprints, although its design only has a swing door on one side. Chevy’s MultiFlex tailgate uses the top half of the gate to fold down and open into a step.
