Photo: Chrysler via US Patent Office
Pickup fans, rejoice! A handful o patent drawings filed by the Chrysler Group hint that the next-generation Ram truck will utilize a radical two-way split tailgate design.
According to the United States Patent Office, the patent was filed Februrary 20th, 2013, and bears the name of five different inventors. Reffered as patent #8,740,279, this "Multi-Functional Tailgate" shows a split tailgate which can be laid down like a traditional pickup tailgate or can be opened wide like a door.
However, each of the halves that make up the tailgate can also be operated individually depending on the type of cargo or loading operating given. But this is not that revolutionary of a design. If you know your trucks well, then you might've thought about the Honda Ridgeline. The Japanese pickup is fitted with a traditional single-piece tailgate, but it's double-hinged so it can be operated like a normal tailgate or swung out to the side.
However, the Ram "Multi-Functional Tailgate" patent drawings hint that the two pieces making up the ground-breaking design aren't opened by muscle power. As outlandish and geeky as it seems, the individual halves are theoretically operated via touchpads. That's pretty cool in theory, but whether it'll be better than traditional muscle power, only time will tell. A pretty short one of that, to be frank.
During the Fiat-Chrysler Automobiles investor meeting at the beginning of May, Ram Trucks CEO Reid Bigland announced that a minor update for the Light Duty pickup is slated for 2015, while an all-new model of the iconic truck will follow sometime in 2017.
However, each of the halves that make up the tailgate can also be operated individually depending on the type of cargo or loading operating given. But this is not that revolutionary of a design. If you know your trucks well, then you might've thought about the Honda Ridgeline. The Japanese pickup is fitted with a traditional single-piece tailgate, but it's double-hinged so it can be operated like a normal tailgate or swung out to the side.
However, the Ram "Multi-Functional Tailgate" patent drawings hint that the two pieces making up the ground-breaking design aren't opened by muscle power. As outlandish and geeky as it seems, the individual halves are theoretically operated via touchpads. That's pretty cool in theory, but whether it'll be better than traditional muscle power, only time will tell. A pretty short one of that, to be frank.
During the Fiat-Chrysler Automobiles investor meeting at the beginning of May, Ram Trucks CEO Reid Bigland announced that a minor update for the Light Duty pickup is slated for 2015, while an all-new model of the iconic truck will follow sometime in 2017.
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