The F-Series trucks have been around for 80 years and became America’s favorite pickup truck. Now in its 14th generation, Ford continues to offer new technologies and comfort features that competing trucks do not. The latest innovation brings new patented seats that allow customers to take a comfortable nap inside the new F-150.
Most of us have been in a situation where we had to sleep inside a vehicle at least once and it is not particularly comfortable.
Whether we are talking about a car or a truck, the seats are just not designed for this purpose. Some are so bad that even using a portable mattress does not improve the experience.
Fortunately, Ford engineers have finally thought of a solution to this problem after spending countless months studying how truck owners use their interiors. They ended up creating the most versatile front seats to ever feature on a pickup truck.
As part of the development process for the all-new F-150, a dedicated comfort assessment team contacted owners of previous models and gathered feedback about the comfort level of their trucks, taking hundreds of hours of video and photos of vehicles’ pain points and how customers work around them.
They found that most of them take naps in their trucks frequently. Whether this happens on the worksite or on the road, people improvise ways to feel more comfortable, and most of the time that is hard to achieve.
To fix this, engineers decided to create the most comfortable seats possible, drawing inspiration from executive plane seats and adjustable beds.
Photo: Ford Motor Co.
Numerous mockups were created by using hot glue, foam core, and pins that were attached to regular seat frames. After they found the most promising design, a fully functional prototype was built to refine the motion and comfort of the final product.
The result is an innovative seat that is designed for maximum comfort when driving or when customers need to take a rest.
The all-new patented seats can fold to nearly 180 degrees, and half of the seat’s bottom can be lifted 3.5 inches to create a flat surface that supports the lower back. The upper seatback can also be adjusted for better neck support creating the perfect surface for that all-important nap.
Photo: Ford Motor Co.
They do not feature any additional motors or complicated electrical systems as functionality relies on owners moving seatback using the power recline function.
“It’s simple, it’s effective, and we believe our customers will love how much more productive they can be just by getting a little more rest during downtime”, said Ben Kulhawik, seat design and release engineer.
The class-executive seats will be available on the King Ranch, Platinum, and Limited trim lines of the 2021 Ford F-150 trucks.
The F-Series has been the best-selling truck/pickup in the U.S. for 43 years and has set new standards in versatility and comfort. The new model comes with plenty of innovations like 100,000 miles of hands-free driving through the Active Drive Assist technology, or the onboard Pro Power inverter system with up to four 120-volt, 20-amp outlets. The new model also offers maximum towing, payload, torque and horsepower that is expected to outperform all other full-size light duty pickups.
Vlad's first car was custom coach built: an exotic he made out of wood, cardboard and a borrowed steering wheel at the age of five. Combining his previous experience in writing and car dealership years, his articles focus in depth on special cars of past and present times. Full profile
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