No cables, no fumbling to keep a loaded tailgate steady — Hyundai may have just solved one of the most annoying quirks of pickup beds. A patent application from Hyundai Motor Company and Kia Corporation has surfaced in the US, replacing the usual support cables with a rigid strut that tucks away inside the tailgate itself. And this isn't just an idea filed away for later: the company has already confirmed plans to move into a larger pickup class before 2030.
Document No. 20260233788 was filed on February 7, 2025, and published on August 13, 2026. The logic behind it is simple and elegant: a separate tailgate section works together with a telescoping strut. First, the strut rotates roughly 90 degrees out of its hidden position. Then it extends. Once out, a fold-down panel locks onto it — and that's it, an extra loading surface with nothing dangling and nothing blocking access to the bed.
And this isn't Hyundai's first find of this kind. Back in early 2026, another filing surfaced — this one covering a midgate system with drainage, transforming the wall between the bed and the cabin. Different mechanisms, same goal: squeeze as much practicality as possible out of the cargo platform.
The link to the upcoming pickup is still speculation — but a rather telling one. Hyundai's official strategy does confirm a first midsize pickup for North America before 2030, and the company has said outright that the compact Santa Cruz's experience should help it step into a far bigger, more profitable segment. Presentation materials have already shown a body-on-frame architecture.
So the patent works better as a hint about the direction of development than as a confirmed spec sheet. The filing itself names no production model, no build date, and no promise the mechanism will ever be used. The next real checkpoint is the reveal of Hyundai's midsize pickup — only then will it become clear whether this unusual tailgate makes it off the drawing board and onto the line.
