“It started from a sort of Shark Tank-style idea pool,” said Roger Olle of GMC engineering. “We were tasked by our chief engineers to come up with an innovative way to address a customer need. Based on the clinics that we ran, we knew that the customer wanted help getting in and out of the vehicle more easily.”
Management seemed to love the idea, but the GMC MultiPro tailgate didn’t begin with the setup that debuted on the 2019 Sierra 1500.
“What we started with was a split tailgate, completely in half. And then it evolved into what you see today, with the extra step coming down,” said Olle.
The setup the team settled on features six different configurations, and in the process offers easier access into the 2019 GMC Sierra 1500 truck bed, second-tier loading, and load-stop stabilization solutions. The MultiPro tailgate also doubles as a standing workstation. From what Olle and company claim, the design is optimized and more useful than other solutions.
“We did look at a bunch of different options… we didn’t want to do a barn door because you can’t package it well with a step,” he said. “We wanted the step to be the first priority, and we wanted to ensure it would perform the same as a standard tailgate. We didn’t want to sacrifice anything in terms of functionality.”
Olle says that the MultiPro tailgate is the most extensively tested tailgate GM has ever developed. Moreover, it’s opened the door for what’s possible when it comes to recreational activities.
“Another whole ‘Shark Tank’ session on bed accessories… we have accessory lighting that we’ve added to the steps that illuminates with the cargo lighting, we have bluetooth speakers coming out that can be inside of the gate, we have T-bar slots that are going in as another accessory.”
The GMC team hinted that there are more bed accessories to come, but remained hushed on further details. But if you were hoping for a bed-mounted deer-blind, unfortunately that’s not happening. It’s still illegal to hunt deer from the comfort of one’s pickup truck.
[nggallery id=991]
Comments
“Shark tank”? It’s called a Think Tank, or internal focus group!
It’s been an standard operational procedure for smart businesses for quite some time!
Smart business strategy? Make it better than anything else available!
I think they mean focus groups were used to help determine direction. Then a Shark Tank style pitch approach was used for engineers to ‘sell’ each of their ideas
chevy has focus groups.
cadillac has clinics.
I expect the carbon bed to be the norm if it all works out before long.
It is stronger more durable and I just read the tech data it takes a min to mold the parts. This will make it very easy to keep cost down once volumes rise.
For now it will be a marketing point for GMC but I would not be surprised to see it at Chevy and even on the mid size trucks.
I like the tire notches at the front for motorcycles. There are more things that can be molded in or made optional.
The tail gate will be on most truck or at least an option on all truck. Good ideas need to be used.
Do you think this tailgate will be copied by other manufacturers? If so why would this be allowed?
This is why I think companies should not be able to steal ideas from other companies!
You may see variations of the concept but nothing identical due to patents.
You can cover direct designs but not a general idea.
If 5nat were the case then you would only have one truck company or one tailgate now.
Heck the step idea was at Ford First with your thinking GM could not do their version.
To get ahead you just need to make it better and GM did.
Has no real use. Advertised as a “step” then they find other, so called uses for it. To gimmicky for me. The people buying this will climb into the bed twice year. Automakers are looking for any means possible to justify these outrageous vehicle prices. Wait until rocks, dirt, salt, sand and other road debris gets into this thing