Anyone know why Ford used the tailgate lights for backup lights?

[bmw325_num99]

Just wondering why Ford used the white lights in the middle of my Lariat/Zone Lighting tailgate as the backup lights instead of just leaving the white lights on the tail lights as the backup lights like most trucks are. Marketing/differentiation thing? Video below explaining my question.

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[Green1]

Marketing/differentiation thing?

You answered your own question. It's 100% aesthetics. They thought it looked cool.
On the lower trim levels, without the light bar across the tailgate, they do in fact leave those side white lights uncovered and use them as reverse lights. It's only in the higher trims that they cover them and add the ones on the tailgate.

 

[SmoothJ]

I thought it was a safety thing... if the gate is down, then you still have backup lights.

 

[Green1]

I thought it was a safety thing... if the gate is down, then you still have backup lights.

You're answering why they still have the side ones when they've moved them to the tailgate, you're not answering why they have the tailgate ones when they already have the side ones.

I always find this comical. There are many vehicles that have additional lights added to non-movable parts of the vehicle to satisfy the requirement of what happens if the moveable part is open, but no one ever thinks of it from the other standpoint of if they've had to put the light on the non-movable part of the vehicle, why bother with the one on the movable part at all.

The answer is always that this is 100% the vision of some designer. Now don't get me wrong, I actually like the way the light bar looks across the tailgate, and like what they've done with the truck design. But I still chuckle at the absurdity of duplicating the lights, and then covering up one set.

 

[Wjburgin]

I've had to adjust a few things with the way I use my truck b/c of the reverse lights being in the tailgate, but I like it better in everyday use. They seem brighter, spread the light further, and the zone lighting is helpful at night around the truck (when they put the controls for such back into the app!). I had been looking to add additional reverse lights on my older F150 so that I could see better backing to my trailer at night - this completely eliminates that need.

 

[EdRudy]

Maybe in case you remove the tailgate?

 

[bmw325_num99]

Maybe in case you remove the tailgate?

possibly, but then I would have thought backup lights would be more important than zone lighting AND the tail lights could still be used for both if the tailgate is removed with no shadows generated from the now-removed tail gate

 

[3rdgenfan]

They wanted a design difference from us poor's with the Pro/XLT and the folks with the Lariat/Platinum.

I then believe due to regulators they needed to keep the reverse lights in the tail lights as the reverse lights are on a movable/removable body panel. Kind of like the cars that have running/brake lights on the bumpers that only work if the hatch is opened.

 

[invertedspear]

There may be some benefit to preventing shadow by effectively putting a "ring light" around the back-up camera. Probably reduces shadows and results in a better image on the backup camera.

 

[bmw325_num99]

There may be some benefit to preventing shadow by effectively putting a "ring light" around the back-up camera. Probably reduces shadows and results in a better image on the backup camera.

Interesting idea, yeah, perhaps

 

[Green1]

Maybe in case you remove the tailgate?

You're answering why they still have the side ones when they've moved them to the tailgate, you're not answering why they have the tailgate ones when they already have the side ones.

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