Ford filed a trademark with the United States Patent and Trademark Office for the name “Flexbed”.
Unfortunately, there aren’t many details, but the application does state that it will be for a “customizable and organizational system for cargo area of vehicles.”
Carbuzz, which discovered the application, suggests that it might not be Ford’s answer to with GM’s multi-function tailgate which splits and folds to turn itself into a step when down, as well as a workbench and other useful things. Instead, the Flexbed may offer some kind of dividers for the bed that could help owners organize their cargo more easily.
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With little else to go on, that’s a fair guess. Another Ford patent that found its way into the news in October was named “Electrified vehicles with a removable and interchangeable range-extending generators” and concerned a gasoline range extender in the bed of an electric pickup truck.
The range extender would look like a bed-mounted toolbox to any onlookers and would therefore not ruin the look of the truck or take up much room in the bed. The range extender could be used on work sites or far from the grid, giving an electric truck, most probably the EV version of the F-150, more flexibility.