Future Ford Pickups Could Get Power Tailgate With ID System

Ford Motor Company has filed a patent for a power tailgate with an ID system that may be used in future Ford pickups, Ford Authority has learned.

The patent was filed on April 25^th, 2021, published on September 12^th, 2023, and assigned serial number 11753860.

The Ford Authority Take

Back in June, Ford filed a patent for powered doors with an ID system, which would be able to open and close based on a user’s location and/or their identification. This way, when a user walks up to the vehicle with their mobile device – such as a smartphone, specifically – in hand, the doors of the vehicle would automatically open when they’re within a certain predetermined distance. Additionally, the all-new 2024 Ford Mustang comes equipped with Exit Warning, which alerts the driver when a pedestrian, bicyclist, or scooter rider is approaching their vehicle before they open the door, helping to prevent a potential collision and possible injury.

Now, this newly filed patent presents us with a similar idea, this time for a power tailgate with an ID system that may be used in future Ford pickups. The concept here is quite similar to what we’ve seen previously, but in this case, it aims to prevent the tailgate from opening and striking something that it shouldn’t.

Rather than a simple sensor that detects an object in its way, this patent outlines an idea for a smarter tailgate – one that could actually identify what object is located behind it, then act accordingly. For example, if that object is a person, pet, or structure, the tailgate could automatically choose not to open, but if it’s something like a pile of leaves or a wheelbarrow loaded with bricks that one needs to load in to the bed of the pickup, the system would be able to figure that out, too.

It’s a pretty interesting idea for certain, and one that could very well wind up being used in future Ford pickups, particularly given how much tech automakers are pouring into tailgates and beds these days.

We’ll have more on this and all Ford patents soon, so be sure and subscribe to Ford Authority for the latest Ford trademark news, Ford business news, and comprehensive Ford news coverage.