A drive system includes a first rotary component configured to be rotated by an actuator, a second rotary component selectively coupled to the first component, and a third rotary component selectively coupled to the first component. A coupling arrangement is configured to, in a first range of angular positions of the first component, couple the first and second components and decouple the first and third components and configured to, in a second range of angular positions of the first component that does not overlap with the first range, couple the first and third components and decouple the first and second components.

A tonneau cover comprising: (a) a plurality of panels including at least a first panel and a second panel; and (b) one or more hinges located between and connecting the plurality of panels, at least one of the one or more hinges being a standing hinge located between the first panel and the second panel; wherein the standing hinge includes one or more rotary stands; and wherein the tonneau cover has a closed position where all of the plurality of panels are coplanar and extend within a plane, and when the first panel is rotated about the standing hinge, the one or more rotary stands lift the first panel and the second panel a distance above the plane.

A power tailgate detection system is provided including a vehicle, a sensing system, and a control unit. The vehicle includes a bumper and a tailgate moveable between a closed position and an open position. The sensing system is disposed on an exterior surface of the tailgate and includes at least one emitter and at least one receiver. The emitter is positioned to emit radiation in a direction parallel to the exterior surface of the tailgate. The receiver is positioned to receive the radiation emitted by the emitter. The control unit is configured to control operation of the tailgate between to prohibit movement of the tailgate toward the open position when an object interferes with the radiation.

A structure for assisting with opening and closing of a lower door includes a lower door having an upper end configured to be rotated open with respect to a bottom surface of a vehicle body, and a rotary unit configured to be fixed to the bottom surface of the vehicle body and configured to rotate in opposite directions to assist with opening and closing of the lower door.

A multi-gate and multi-positional tailgate including a main gate, an intermediate gate pivotably mounted to the main gate, and a drop gate pivotably mounted to the intermediate gate. The intermediate gate has multiple locked positions and has a 270-degree range of motion relative to the main gate. The drop gate has multiple locked positions and has a 90-degree range of motion relative to the intermediate gate.

A truck is provided that includes a bed section located rear of a cab section. The bed section is bounded on each side by opposing first and second upward-extending sidewalls, respectively. The truck also includes a truck bed cover that sits over the bed section on at least the first and second upward-extending sidewalls, and includes a door portion to create selective accessibility to the bed section of the pickup truck. The door portion is movable with respect to the first and second upward-extending sidewalls between open and closed positons via an automatic bed cover drive assembly that moves the door portion between open and closed positons according to a plurality of velocities within a predetermined variance.

An occupant step apparatus and method for a vehicle, includes a powered occupant step, a kick sensor mounted to the occupant step, and a controller having processing circuitry. The processing circuitry detects a kick gesture signal from the kick sensor, controls operation of the powered occupant step to move the occupant step, and upon detection of a step gesture signal from the kick sensor while the occupant step is being operated, halts operation of the occupant step.

A vehicle including a vehicle cargo area includes a hinge pin in a wall of the vehicle cargo area, a cargo cover defining first and second slots, a single-piece clip which includes a first fixing feature positioned in the first slot, and a second fixing feature positioned in the second slot. The clip defines a channel receiving the hinge pin

A drive arrangement for adjusting a flap of a motor vehicle about a body including a motor, a drivetrain, and a freewheel mechanism. The drivetrain is disposed between the motor and the flap. The freewheel mechanism provided with a drive component including a transmitting element, and a driven component provided with a receiving element coupled to the transmitting element. During motoric movement of the flap between the closed and the open position over at least a portion of the pivot angle, the motor actuates the drive component and displaces the transmitting element, from a neutral position, conjointly with the receiving element along a displacement path.

A tailgate deactivation system. A switch includes two terminals configured to be electrically coupled to a tailgate power circuit that supplies power to at least a portion of a tailgate of a vehicle, and an actuator configured to electrically couple the two terminals in an on state to allow power to flow in the tailgate power circuit, and to electrically decouple the two terminals in an off state to inhibit power from flowing in the tailgate power circuit.