Foldable bed ramps would fit in GM pickup bed walls and still allow for a shallow loading angle.
General Motors has designed foldable bed ramps that could make loading motorcycles, ATVs, or lawnmowers into the beds of pickup trucks more convenient.
Ramps allow wheeled vehicles to be driven or pushed into a truck's bed, but there's a tradeoff between a high-angled ramp that can fit in the bed, but makes loading more difficult, and a low-angled ramp that may be difficult to store. GM explained that in a patent application published by the United States Patent and Trademark Office on Jan. 18 and originally filed on July 13, 2022.GM's proposed solution is to make the ramps foldable.
As described in the patent application, each ramp consists of two sections hinged in the middle, with structural supports so it can handle sufficient weight. When fully deployed, they attach to the tailgate. When they're no longer needed, the ramps fold in half, allowing them to be stored on the bed walls.GM isn't the only truck maker working on elaborate bed ramps. Ford patent filings from 2023 mention a ramp that would be part of.
The GM design is much simpler, as it doesn't require any changes to the bed itself—so while no automaker patent is guaranteed to reach production, it may have a better chance than Ford's complex solution.First drive review: 2021 Lamborghini Huracan STO raises the pulse and the bar for track performance
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