GM’s New Tailgate Patent Makes Loading Easier (If It’s Strong Enough)

General Motors loves to reinvent the pickup bed. It began with the 2019 GMC Sierra 1500 and its MultiPro tailgate, which offers several different functions that range from a bed-extending load stop to a standing desk surface – the feature has since spread to the Silverado lineup, as well as the Sierra EV and Silverado EV. However, no matter how advanced GM’s truck apertures have gotten, they still rely on some very old-school tech: the somewhat intrusive cable stays that keep the tailgate from snapping off when carrying a heavy load. That might change if the company can put its latest patent into production.

The Supports And Hinge Are Incorporated Together

First reported by the innovation sleuths at CarMoses, the new GM filing appeared at the German Patent and Trade Mark Office. According to the document describing the tailgate, the hinge is reinforced to support the weight of the lowered tailgate and any load it might bear, such as a person climbing into the bed. Such load-bearing tasks have typically been the work of cables, rods, or chains, but GM thinks it can accomplish the task internally.

Furthermore, the hinge theoretically incorporates a positioning cam and locking pawl that would fix it in place at any spot in its travel, meaning the tailgate could be used as a multi-level cargo support for longer stuff that doesn’t fit in the bed. A button release on the side of the tailgate would free it to be lowered or raised as needed. The locking hinge might also serve as a theft deterrent – pilfered tailgates are among the most common insurance claims for truck owners.

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Strength And Weight May Pose A Problem

A cableless tailgate will ease loading and unloading by allowing truck owners to approach the truck from the side, but as with many other American innovations, the strengthened hinge will have to contend with a weight problem. The MultiPro alone weighs 51 pounds more than a conventional Sierra 1500 tailgate, and it has a rated limit of 375 pounds. The patented hinge design will therefore need to support 450 pounds or more in order to keep the same capability as the existing Chevrolet and GMC units – especially considering the heavy loads and rough off-road terrain they may be called upon to vanquish.

The feature might also add to GM’s rather significant EV weight problem. The reinforced hinge will almost assuredly be heavier than a simpler design, meaning the already-hefty GMC Hummer EV SUT could add a few more pounds to the 9,046 number it registers on the scales. And that’s before considering the seemingly simple challenge of ensuring the tailgate stays latched. With that much weight to secure when closed, the mechanism might wear out a bit, which could lead to another recall on GM truck tailgates.

Editorially, we might be inclined to call the cableless tailgate an unnecessary boondoggle. But many said that about the MultiPro, your author included, and it has proved to be a very clever innovation with some genuine real-world use, so maybe we’ll eat our words about this patent as well.

Source: CarMoses