Future Ford Vehicles Could Get Seats With Sliding Drawers, Steps

Ford Motor Company has filed a patent for seats with sliding drawers and steps that may be used in future Ford vehicles, Ford Authority has learned.

The patent was filed on July 11^th, 2023, published on January 16^th, 2025, and assigned serial number 0018870.

The Ford Authority Take

Quite a few Ford vehicles already come equipped with storage areas underneath the seats – such as the rear seats in pickups – but that hasn’t stopped The Blue Oval from filing a number of patents aimed at making that particular area even more useful. In fact, Ford has filed patents for ideas including seats with inflatable blankets, pass through interior storage, and a convertible center seat in recent months, to name just a few. Now, this newly published patent keeps that trend going with a rather interesting new idea for seats with sliding drawers and steps that may be used in future Ford vehicles, too.

In addition to providing extra space to store things like tools and other gear, this particular patent would also add some other nifty features, such as steps that extend from the sides – making it easier to hop up and reach things located on the roof, perhaps, as we can see in some of these patent drawings. Those steps could also double as additional storage areas that are divided into cubbies, helping to make it easier to store goods in a more organized manner.

Truthfully, this seems like a relatively simple and yet potentially incredibly useful idea, and perhaps even one that wouldn’t cost much money to develop. In a world where truck manufacturers are constantly innovating in an attempt to stay ahead of the pack – or catch up, as is the case with Ford’s rivals – this could be the next killer feature to land in a production vehicle at some point in the near future.