Ram’s upcoming V8-powered “muscle trucks” are going to be fast, but they could get even faster with one simple trick.
Ram’s parent company Stellantis has applied for a patent on an “Aerodynamic Movable Tonneau Cover” that could help performance trucks slice through the air for speed and all models improve their highway efficiency. The transformable cover can either lie flat on top of the bed, or lifted to an angle that brings its leading edge to the top of the cab’s roof.
“While some of these designs have increased the aerodynamic efficiency of the vehicle, opportunity exists
for a greater reduction in vehicle drag,” the patent explains. “A need in the art exists for a tonneau cover operable in a standard horizontal position as well as at an aerodynamically angled position.”
The patent describes several ways to construct it with sections that cover the gaps left in the sides with stacked panels, a flexible fabric pleated like an accordion and various other methods.
When deployed, a truck with the cover would look a lot like a Tesla Cybertruck, which has fixed sloping bedsides and a retractable tonneau cover.
This isn’t actually the first time Stellantis has filed for a patent on a similar idea. Last year, it submitted one on an “Angled Bed Cap For Truck” that featured rigid side panels that stored alongside the bed when the cover is sitting flat.
Ford has also been investigating the concept of a transformable truck with a patent for a “Vehicle Aerodynamic Altering System And Method” that has triangular bed sides that collapse and nest near the back of the truck’s cab to create lower bed top to reach over.
None of these patents have been officially confirmed for production, however, and may never be used on a consumer product, but a lot of truck engineers appear to be looking for new ways to cheat the wind without reducing the utility of their vehicles.
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