This month, the U.S. Patent Office published an application filed by several Michigan-based FCA, Stellantis, and Ram developers. Patent number US-20240217404-A1 is titled “Vehicle Removeable Jump Seat.” It contains several renderings of a pickup truck with a foldable, removable third row of seats.
The seats attach to the rear wall of the passenger cabin behind the second row. The seat bottoms fold down for occupant use and tuck back up when not in use. Additionally, the patent application shows that these seats detach from the cabin frame and move out of the truck independently of each other.
One image shows the seats positioned for occupant use on the truck’s open tailgate. The setup looks perfect for camping or tailgating.
The Ram 1500 typically accommodates five passengers. If you get a front bench seat, you can technically fit six people, although five is the most common configuration. Considering the popular three-row SUVs on the market, I’m surprised at the lack of higher-capacity trucks. At the moment, there aren’t any seven-passenger pickups on the American market.
Insiders ponder where the jump seat will fit into Ram’s upcoming production. The Ram 1500 Revolution EV truck concept unveiled last year included plans for rear jump seats. However, the Ram 1500 REV, the automaker’s first fully electric light-duty pickup, should hit roads late this year and doesn’t seem to use them. Considering the jump seat patent just published on July 4, 2024, we can assume it’s still early days for a third row to make it to buyers.
