Ford developing second midgate pass-through design

Ford has submitted another patent application for a pickup truck midgate, with more variations on the design of a feature normally associated with rival General Motors.

The first patent application appeared earlier this year, showing a design similar to what GM has used previously. This second patent—published by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) on Sept. 17 but originally filed in 2020—shows two alternatives that are a bit more elaborate.

In one version, the panel separating the bed from the cab flips up, creating a space that allows longer items to extend from the bed into the cab in typical midgate fashion. However, the panel also mounts flush with the bed rails to create a flat work surface complete with power outlets.

Ford also dreamed up a gullwing-like arrangement where both the rear wall of the cab and the rear window flip upwards, forming a canopy over the bed. Or the entire truck could then be encased in a tent for camping, with both the cab and bed serving as enclosed living space, Ford suggests.

Either setup would be very different from the midgates offered so far by GM, which introduced the idea in the early 2000s on the Chevrolet Avalanche and Cadillac Escalade EXT—two vehicles that attempted to split the difference between pickups and SUVs with their midgates. GM brought it back for electric pickups, including the Chevy Silverado EV and GMC Sierra EV.

Ford’s own next-generation electric truck has been delayed, ostensibly so the automaker can focus on hybrids and cheaper EVs, but when it debuts it may feature a midgate on another model, at least if the latest patent is anything to go by.