A third row of seats is a common feature on minivans and SUVs today, but we've yet to see a three-row pickup truck being put into production.
It could happen as early as next year, though. Ram Trucks may become the first automaker to build a three-row pickup if the 1500 Revolution BEV Concept unveiled earlier this month at CES 2023 retains the third-row jump seats on its way to production.
Described by Stellantis design chief Ralph Gilles as a "totality of so many ideas," the electric pickup truck study introduced an unusual feature: a third row with removable jump seats.
Ram designers were able to add a third row of seats thanks to the four inches (101 millimeter) longer cabin made possible by the STLA Frame architecture designed for full-size, body-on-frame EVs.
Gilles told Automotive News the jump seats would be ideal for occasional use when giving friends a lift. "The bonus third row is something they came up with for people that want an EV, but they want a truck — for those times they're picking up the friends, or people at the airport," he said.
Gallery: Ram 1500 Revolution BEV Concept
The jump seats could also push rivals to extract more passenger space as well from their trucks if the public decides that's a good idea.
The design team's goal was to make the truck more useful and user-friendly than current pickups. That was accomplished by moving forward the interior packaging compared with the current ICE-powered Ram 1500.
This allowed designers to "push and pull" elements and move things around the electric Ram truck study's cabin. For example, the seats and console can be repositioned via the Ram Track, a rail attachment system that provides greater cabin flexibility.
But the two jump seats on the third row are clearly the cabin's party piece. While not as comfortable as the front and rear seats, they still offer some softness thanks to a synthetic "scuba" material applied on the upper portion. The middle portion is a mesh material similar to what one may found on an office chair, made mostly of recycled plastic bottles.
The clever thing about the jump seats is they can fold back – and can even be removed – when not in use, freeing up extra in-cabin storage space. According to a post on the FCA Corp Blog, Ryan Nagode, chief designer of Ram truck/commercial interior studios, took inspiration for the third-row seats from folding stadium seats.
"The appearance matched so well with the ideas we had come up with, so it seemed obvious to marry these two concepts together," he said. When removed, the jump seats can be placed on or within the bed of the truck for tailgating or hanging out with friends, as well as on any type of bench or bleacher seating found at sporting events.
So what do you think, should Ram offer the third-row jump seats on its upcoming 1500 Revolution BEV production model?
