Pickup trucks are bigger now than they’ve ever been, and it appears Ram wants to make the most of their size, planning to give them a third row of seats. Trucks have already become the go-to replacement for sedans and SUVs for many, and if a truck is launched with three rows of seats, they could start replacing minivans, too.
Ram has been toying with this idea for quite some time. In 2023, the Ram 1500 Revolution BEV Concept was introduced with a tiny pair of third-row seats that could fold out from the rear wall of the cab. It seemed as though this third row would find its way into production but the road-going Ram 1500 REV presented shortly after lacked these seats. They now appear to be back on the agenda.
Read: Ram 1500 REV Had To Be Redesigned To Look More Like The Concept, Says Ralph Gilles
Recent patent filings with the United States Patent and Trademark Office, uncovered by CarBuzz, reveal the carmaker could be serious about making these seats a production reality. The seats presented in the patents appear virtually identical to those of the concept and are shown with padded backrests on the rear wall.
The seats are very compact, as they were on the concept and, by the looks of the patents, very versatile. The patent notes the backrest and folding seat can be quickly and easily removed from the rear wall to provide additional cargo room. When removed from the inside of the truck, the seats could be instead mounted to the tailgate or fastened to other flat surfaces on the exterior of a vehicle.
As always, it’s important to mention that just because a carmaker has patented an interesting new feature, it doesn’t mean it’ll reach production. However, given that Ram has already showcased the folding third-row pickup seats on a concept, and patented them, it does appear eager to bring them to the market.
They could be some ways off, however. The Ram 1500 REV, which should start reaching customers later this year, has its second row of seats mounted at the rear bulkhead, like pretty much all other pickup trucks, meaning there’s no room to mount the third row. Adding a third row of seats probably means that Ram will likely have to extend the truck’s cab or shift the second row forward.
