From its segment-exclusive aluminum body and seemingly timeless design to its EcoBoost engines and various features that make work and play more convenient, there is no denying that the 2015 Ford F-150 is one innovative pickup truck. Those innovations, along with heaps of new features and technologies, are what make the F-150 the most patented truck in the history of the Ford Motor Company.

“The all-new F-150 is loaded with innovation,” said Alana Strager, Ford program analyst charged with tracking new innovations for the 2015 truck. “Ford engineers filed more than 100 new patents for technologies on this truck as they have worked to redefine the light-duty pickup for the next generation.”

The various innovations that led The Blue Oval to file the 100+ patents and patent applications cover every part of the truck, including the body, exterior, interior, chassis, design, electrical and engine, as well as the manufacturing process.

Examples of the new technologies and features include:

• LED side-mirror spotlights allow customers to illuminate the side of the vehicle for tasks from setting up a campsite to changing a tire
• Remote tailgate release automatically lowers the tailgate with the push of a button on the key fob – a first for a pickup truck
• Smart trailer tow features that make towing easier
• Ford’s pioneering tailgate step has been completely reengineered so it fully integrates into the tailgate, making it virtually invisible when not in use. The tailgate drops down into position in one easy motion. The grab handle is now housed inside the tailgate, which keeps the inner surface of the tailgate uniformly flat
• BoxLink cargo management system includes lockable, die-cast aluminum tie-down cleats, and provides a unique interface to the box for improved flexibility and organization, as well as additional locations for tie-downs. Available segment-first cargo ramps can be stowed on the sides of the pickup box via the BoxLink system and mounted quickly on the tailgate to enable easy loading of ATVs, motorcycles or mowers

In addition, the 2015 F-150 will offer other smart features that have never before been offered on a Ford pickup, including:

• 360-degree camera view
• Integrated loading ramps stowed in the pickup bed
• 400-watt power outlets inside the cab
• LED headlights

Ford has also developed a new method of handling aluminum that nearly doubles the strength of the metal, which should quell concerns that aluminum is not tough enough for truck use.