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Stellantis has filed a patent utility for a retractable tailgate aspect step to make accessing the beds of pickup vans simpler.
Filed with the USA Patent and Trademark Workplace (USPTO), the appliance exhibits a mechanism that slides out and down from the tailgate. When deployed, it hangs down simply forward of the rear bumper on one aspect of the tailgate. An hooked up step can be utilized to get to the mattress.
Stellantis retractable tailgate aspect step patent picture
As Stellantis notes within the utility, the elevated peak of pickup beds makes getting stuff out and in of them troublesome, which is the place a step would possibly turn out to be useful. As a result of it is constructed into the tailgate, this aspect step is much less cumbersome and complex to make use of than a standalone ladder, the automaker notes within the utility.
Stellantis is not the primary automaker to give you this concept, nevertheless. Ford has provided retractable steps on its F-Sequence pickups for a while, though they deploy from the again of an open tailgate, not the perimeters. Common Motors affords a less complicated resolution within the type of molded-in steps on the rear-bumper sides of its Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra vans, with a extra elaborate model as a part of Chevy’s Multi-Flex and GMC’s MultiPro tailgates.
Stellantis retractable tailgate aspect step patent picture
Rivian earlier this 12 months filed a patent utility for a tailgate step of its personal. The EV truck maker’s design has the middle part of the tailgate drop all the way down to create a step. Rivian hasn’t mentioned plans for a manufacturing model, nevertheless.
Stellantis’ Ram division presently lacks an equal characteristic, so maybe that is how the automaker plans to realize parity with its Detroit rivals (and doubtlessly Rivian) within the tailgate-step class. As with all patent purposes, nevertheless, Stellantis hasn’t confirmed plans to supply the tailgate aspect step on a manufacturing car. It could simply wish to reserve the idea for doable future use.
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