A EV truck with a TV built into a front trunk for tailgating? Ford wants to patent the idea

Date:
Thu, 24 Sep 2026 21:00:00 +0000

Description:
Ford's patent for what looks very like the Ford Fathom shows a multi-use
front trunk including the option to house a TV

FULL STORY ======================================================================Copy link Facebook X Whatsapp Reddit Pinterest Flipboard Threads Email Share this article 0 Join the conversation Follow us Add us as a preferred source on Google Newsletter Subscribe to our newsletter A Ford patent shows multi-use front trunk including a TV-housing option Images look very like the Ford Fathom, which is coming in 2027 Ford's EV pickup will start at $28,350
(around 20,970 / AU$39,540) Ford's upcoming Fathom electric truck could have
a very unusual addition: a small front trunk that could house a TV, for the ultimate tailgating upgrade.

As Electrek reports, Ford has filed a patent with several diagrams showing a fold-out, tailgate-style area in the front of an unnamed vehicle that's believed to be the Fathom.

The design takes advantage of EVs' lack of a traditional engine compartment, which means you can have storage space at the front of the car or truck. It appears to offer a large, flat space like you'd find in a pickup such as Ford F-150 Lightning, plus a fold-out tailgate that can be used for multiple purposes, including holding a TV, presumably to be powered by the battery while you sit in camp chairs with a six-pack. Latest Videos From TechRadar Watch full video here: (Image credit: Ford / USPTO) What the patents say
about Ford's Fathom's frunk The design looks well-suited to tailgate parties, and for camping trips and anywhere else a TV might be watched so for example if you were selling products at a market you could use the back of the Fathom to carry your goods and your stall and your tailgate TV to show the promo video.

And you shouldn't need to worry about the TV draining your battery: the
Fathom is expected to have a large battery for over 300 miles of range, so a TV isn't going to make a big dent in that capacity. You may like The Tesla Roadsters October reveal looks like another piece of pantomime Battery swapping for EV trucks to go mainstream as Octopus teams with CATL to service 300,000+ electric trucks across Europe I replaced Ford's hands-free driving subscription with a $1,000 open-source gadget

The TV isn't the only interesting idea here. The patent suggests that the top of the hood could be swappable, enabling you to replace it so you can put things on it such as food or tools without spoiling your vehicle's finish. Presumably the design would also include a storage space for those swappable bits rather having you leave them lying loose around on the frunk's floor.

As for the rest of the upcoming EV, Ford has been drip-feeding details for months now: it's a midsize pickup with more passenger room than a Toyota
RAV4, it's launching in early 2027 and it'll have a surprisingly low starting price of $28,350. It comes with Apple Maps integration, CarPlay and Android Auto. Get daily insight, inspiration and deals in your inbox Sign up for breaking news, reviews, opinion, top tech deals, and more. Contact me with news and offers from other Future brands Receive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsors By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

What we don't know yet is what it really looks like: as you can see from the image at the top of the article, the images Ford have released so far are camouflaged. But from what we've seen of the shape it looks suitably tough, and it's priced very aggressively. Ford promises that the camo will come off in 2027. Follow TechRadar on Google News and add us as a preferred source to get our expert news, reviews, and opinion in your feeds.



======================================================================
Link to news story: https://www.techradar.com/vehicle-tech/hybrid-electric-vehicles/fords-upcoming -fathom-ev-truck-could-have-a-tailgating-friendly-frunk-shelf-so-you-can-put-a n-actual-tv-on-there-to-watch-sports-outdoors-at-least-fords-applied-for-a-pat ent-on-the-idea


--- Mystic BBS v1.12 A49 (Linux/64)
* Origin: tqwNet Technology News (1337:1/100)