Ford's tailgate canopy means the party is always in the back
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Ford wants to light up your next tailgate party.
The automaker has submitted a patent application for a design that attaches illuminated sheets to the open lift gate of an SUV.
First featured on AllFordMustangs.com, the application describes a vehicle with a track integrated into the lift gate that can be use used to hang a hospital bed-style curtain from, in order to create a private space, or to connect the end of an overhead canopy supported on the other side by extendable poles.
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Along with being waterproof, the sheets are made from a phosphorescent material that can be illuminated by lighting elements that are embedded in the lift gate, or built into a storage compartment where the sheets can be excited before being installed and left to simply glow in the dark.
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Similar products are available as aftermarket accessories, but there isn’t quite anything like it currently available as original equipment, and the phosphorescence is an original twist.
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The application isn’t confirmation that Ford is planning to put it into production, but since it is in the midst of shifting to a nearly all-utility vehicle lineup, it would make a pretty good fit for the brand.
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