Gage Kime
The Honda Grill Gate includes a grille that opens, providing quick access to a secure storage area in the frunk, and a Guard that affords users keep a personal space and dividers to organize their goods. Additionally, the Guard can be used as a stepping stool.
The Gait is opened by pulling on the LED Honda logo in the front of the car on the grille. The gait opens similar to a tailgate, dropping forward and laying flat to allow for the use of the storage inside.
The Grille Gait once lowered, allows for easy access into a smaller personal storage compartment. The gait then can be used as a temporary seat or table, and allows for easy loading, being able to place items on the table and slide them in rather than reaching.
The back side of the Grille Gait is fitted with a large recession for small objects to not roll off as well as two spots for cups. The inside of the Grille Guard has an area fitted with interior carpeting for personal storage and a groove to be able to grasp and alter the orientation of the guard.
The guard creates a space in the frunk that allows for personal storage or delicate items in the middle. The walls around allow for more security with stored items to sort and prevent from unwanted movement.
The guard can be lifted using the pull belt in the back and turned upside down to be reoriented in the flush position to allow for the max storage area. The pattern of the frunk bed aligns with the bottom of the guard.
The guard can be removed entirely to give access to the frunk well where additional storage can be utilized and covered back up by the guard. The lower storage can be used for temperature sensitive items and can be drained at the bottom.
The guard can be removed entirely and flipped to be used as a stepping stool for more accessibility. The indented walls create leg shapes when flipped over for a more secure step on uneven ground, and with the pattern of the frunk bed on the back, it creates more grip for standing on.
Grille Gait & Guard: An accessible and versatile feature in the Honda Ridgeline EV front trunk
In today's electric vehicles (EVs), the front trunk space (frunk) remains underutilized and lacks the features necessary for vehicle owners to make use of the volume during their day-to-day tasks. As a result, EV owners see the frunk as unimportant rather than a central and valuable feature of their vehicles.
The Honda Grill Gate & Guard improves frunk functionality and accessibility for Ridgeline EV owners. It includes a novel vehicle grille that opens independently from the hood, providing quick access to a secure, personal storage area in the frunk, and serving as a temporary seat or table. A rigid Guard structure affords users dividers to organize their goods and an insulated well for temperature sensitive items. Additionally, the Guard can be used as a stepping stool, providing easier access to otherwise hard-to-reach areas of the Ridgeline frunk.
By transforming the frunk into a more accessible, organized, and multi-functional space, the Honda Grill Gate & Guard redefines how EV owners engage with their vehicle’s front storage. By allowing front access via the independent grille, it improves ease of use while adding value through its secondary functions as a seat and table, paired with the guard that further optimize space for diverse user needs. This solution transforms the frunk from an overlooked storage area into a central, functional feature of the Ridgeline EV.
Gage Kime is a senior studying Industrial Design at The Ohio State University. Gage is sure he found the right career path for him as he loves the creative process and enjoys tackling design challenges, because it makes every project an exciting experience. He has a strong passion for automotive design and is always being inspired by the way form and function come together in vehicles. Gage spends much of his time outside of studio watching automotive content and challenging himself in the gym.
