Hyundai Has a Clever Way to Add Power to a Two-Way Tailgate

• A new patent application, spotted by CarBuzz, builds on previous Hyundai/Kia filings that describe a powered dual-axis tailgate.
• The mechanism can open and close the tailgate conventionally and sideways, and it uses just one drive motor to make it happen.
• Along with a hardtop that enables a one-person roof assembly, this tailgate innovation could end up on Hyundai’s upcoming body-on-frame mid-size truck or a possible related SUV.

Multifunction and split tailgates are definitely a thing now, and there’s probably no going back. Many truckmakers offer some sort of door-within-a-door or built-in-step arrangement that adds utility to what was previously just a hinged wall that kept stuff in the bed. A new Hyundai/Kia concept could take that to the next level by applying power to a two-way tailgate.

USPTO

A recently published U.S. patent application covering a previously disclosed design builds on previous filings that describe a split tailgate that opens two ways: the conventional way, swinging the whole unit down with hinge action at the bottom, or sideways opening, with a vertical hinge allowing a portion of the tailgate to swing out, providing belly-up-to-the-bed access. That much we’ve seen before.

The distinguishing feature is that this split tailgate can open and close in either direction, and do so with power from a single drive motor. All two-way tailgates currently offered by Ford, Honda, and Ram require manual operation for side-opening, and only Ford’s offers powered raising and lowering. Not only does the Hyundai/Kia idea remove that unnecessary application of work, but it does so with clever simplicity.

USPTO

Think of the mechanism as a little transmission that sends one drive motor’s power to either of two outputs. One operates the bottom hinge to raise or lower the entire tailgate. The other operates a spindle that pushes or pulls a lever to swing one section sideways. A second motor operates the clutch mechanism that selects between them. So there are two motors, but only one does the work of moving the tailgate.

Sure, you could figure out a way to package two drive motors into such a tailgate or its surroundings, but that’s unnecessary complexity and likely more weight. The latest patent describes control logic that should avoid any expensive crashes. Before beginning either opening sequence, the controller checks that both tailgate latches are engaged and the vehicle is stopped. It then selects the appropriate drive path, releases the corresponding latch, and powers the gate open.

USPTO

One notable design difference seen in the application’s drawings is that the vertical hinge lives at the seam between the tailgate’s two sections, not on the truck bed as in Honda’s and Ram’s production implementations, and the side-opening portion latches to the truck’s box. Ford also uses a mid-tailgate vertical hinge, but its panel within a panel is surrounded by more tailgate on either side.

If something like this were to make production, it would most likely turn up on the mid-size body-on-frame pickup Hyundai has promised. We’ve also seen a patent for a hardtop for the related SUV that would allow for one-person roof assembly. There’s nothing that says both innovations couldn’t end up on both of the new off-roaders, but of course there’s no guarantee of either.

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Ever since David was a wee Car and Driver intern, he has kept a spreadsheet listing all the vehicles he’s driven and tested. David really likes spreadsheets. He can parallel-park a school bus and once drove a Lincoln Town Car 63 mph in reverse. After taking a break from journalism to work on autonomous vehicles, he’s back writing for this and other automotive publications. When David’s not searching for the perfect used car, you can find him sampling the latest in gimmicky, limited-edition foodstuffs.

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