The industry was abuzz when Dodge first unveiled its all-electric Ram 1500 Revolution concept at CES in 2023, featuring a 500 mile range, a configurable cabin and – believe it or not – a third row. And while the eventual production version that Dodge rolled out was still an exciting offering, observers bemoaned the fact that many of these exciting features had been eliminated.
But maybe not forever.
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Recent reports point to the fact that Dodge has quietly filed a patent that may indicate a future for the third row that led GearJunkie to call the future of this model a “pickup truck van,” in reference to the blending of different styles.
The patent is described as being “a jump seat configured to be attached to and detached from a rear wall of the passenger cabin.” The idea came to Ram/SRT’s chief designer for interiors Ryan Nagode, reportedly when he saw parents lugging around collapsible stadium seats to use at their kids sporting events. This led Nagode to tell Popular Science that the idea of modern jump seats in a pickup was “not far-fetched.”
Pop Sci adds that this concept could be accelerated due to the practicality provided by an electric: when you remove many internal combustion components like the engine and transmission, you free up space for more cargo and passengers. They say removing the transmission tunnel enables a pass-through cargo area where the jump seats could be utilized.
Dodge brand owner Stellantis’ CEO Carlos Tavares backs up this vision, telling Motor Trend last year that everything on the CES concept vehicle would come to the vehicle “at different steps of the lifecycle management or for the next generation.”
And it seems Dodge has good reason for pursuing this right away: they cite data that suggests 15% of pickup buyers attest to their interest in extra seating and, as demand for minivans continues to decline, the time may be right … right now.
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