Ford Patent Reveals A Front Tailgate Trunk With A Fold Down TV

Ford Fathom patent drawings outline a fold-out front work surface and rear TV concept, while leaving their production future wide open.

Photo by: USPTO

By: Brian Potter

Sep 24, at 4:15am ET

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Ford Global Technologies filed US Patent No. 12,741,514 on September 22, 2026.
The patent treats the front trunk like a second tailgate, opening into a large flat work surface.
Cargo drawings show a fold-down television that stows flat when the compartment is closed.

Ford Global Technologies filed US Patent No. 12,741,514 on September 22, 2026, and it describes something no current pickup offers. It is a front cargo hold that opens into a flat work surface, complete with a television that folds down when the compartment shuts.

The filing does not name the Fathom, Ford's electric pickup expected to start under $30,000. But it uses an electrified truck as its example, and that is enough to connect the dots for a company betting big on this segment.

Gallery: Ford Fathom Front Cargo Storage Patent Designs

Source: USPTO

What The Front Cargo Area Shows

The USPTO patent, titled "Vehicle Cargo Space Access Providing Method," treats the front trunk like a second tailgate rather than a sealed box. It opens into a large, flat surface meant for loading gear or setting up a work station.

One detail stands out. The top surface of the hood area can be swapped for metal or polymer panels. That would let owners pick a tougher surface for job-site use, or a lighter one for weekend trips, without redesigning the truck.

Ford Fathom Front Cargo Storage Patent Designs

Photo by: USPTO

The document also outlines a self-positioning system. This suggests Ford is thinking about how a truck loaded for work also needs to move itself, since the patent describes sensors checking for clearance before the vehicle shifts to a second parking spot for easier access.

None of this confirms production hardware. Ford's patent language covers "an electrified vehicle" in general terms, and companies routinely file broad patents that never reach a dealer lot, so the front cargo concept stays theoretical for now.

Ford Fathom Front Cargo Storage Patent Designs

Photo by: USPTO

The Fold-Down Television Idea

The rear cargo drawings in the same patent show a second access point with a lower section built to work as a horizontal surface. That is a separate concept from the front trunk, but the filing groups both under one document.

The television detail is what is driving the coverage. The screen folds flat when the compartment is closed and drops down for use, an arrangement suited to tailgate parties and campsites.

Running a TV off a truck's battery is not new, but the Fathom's price target puts this premium feature on a budget vehicle. A large pack could power a screen for hours without touching the truck's range for the next day's drive.

What do you think?

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Comments

The Fathom already signals how tightly Ford is managing costs on this project, which makes a swappable hood surface and a built-in TV harder to confirm as standard equipment rather than patent-office ambition.

Motor1's Take: The drawings look like Ford trying to bundle job-site practicality and weekend entertainment into one truck. If anything reaches showrooms, expect the work-focused front setup to arrive first and the tailgate TV to stay a lower-volume, higher-margin extra.