Ford's patent even shows a tent on the open hatch.
The gist of the patent, a fascinating read, says that"a vehicle assembly includes, among other things, a cab back panel assembly pivotably coupled to a cab of a vehicle, and a sill assembly that includes a portion of a securing system. The sill assembly is pivotably coupled to the vehicle." This"cab back panel assembly" separates the cab space from the cargo space.
The upper section , pivots at the roof. When the cab back panel assembly lifts, kind of resembling the hatch of an SUV, it also bends at that mid-pivot point so as to not impede with a fifth wheel connection or cargo. We're pretty into the hatch idea, but the focus of the patent is the bed-mounted sill part where the closed hatch latches. When not in use, this sill pivots into the bed to keep the bed floor flush. This could be advantageous when it comes to certain types of cargo.
When the hatch is open, the cargo and cabin areas become one. What's the advantage? It would be quite airy, that's for sure. Maybe a hatch-up, tailgate-down party? Ford hints at one open-hatch idea: adding a custom-formed tent to transform the cab and bed into a camping space. Thanks to fold-flat heated or cooled seats that would form a bed, the cab would naturally become the sleeping area.
There's no guarantee Ford will use this feature or something like it on a future EV pickup, but a patent suggests the idea got pretty far, and Ford at least doesn't want any other company doing it.
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