Photo: Rivian / USPTO, SummitWanderer via Reddit
Rivian filed to patent a "Vehicle Entertainment Apparatus" for its adventure vehicles, which looks exactly like the mobile projector for the Gear Tunnel it brought to the Overland Expo two years ago. Judging by people's reaction to the Gear Tunnel projector, the EV startup might be better off spending the money to bring back the camp kitchen.
Rivian has been praised for its electric vehicles, especially as they are geared toward adventure addicts. The R1T pickup truck comes with clever features that are unique on the market. The most innovative is the Gear Tunnel, a compartment behind the cabin that can be used to store stuff or install specialized equipment. The most famous was the Camp Kitchen, which slides out from the Gear Tunnel to deploy in seconds.
The camp kitchen ($6,000) was overpriced for what it offered, but the hallmark feature put the Rivian R1T on the radar for people who love to go camping. Considering the pickup truck launched after the pandemic, these features were utterly popular with customers. However, Rivian decided to kill it without offering an explanation. Officially, the EV startup removed it to design a better variant, although this never happened.
As of now, the Gear Tunnel is just a fancy name for another storage compartment in the R1T, although third-party companies offer aftermarket "camp kitchens" at more affordable prices. Still, Rivian is not done with the Gear Tunnel yet, as a recently filed patent application shows. The EV company wants you to bring the cinema experience to the off-road trail with a mobile projector designed specifically for the R1T's Gear Tunnel.
The system includes everything needed for an open-air cinema, from the projector itself to the roll-up screen and the wireless speakers. Rivian made things utterly complicated, with tiny motors to remotely open the drawer and actuate the display surface and other components. The patent application is very detailed, with no less than 36 drawings and diagrams, as if Rivian is already preparing to enter the projector into production.
Not that it couldn't. The EV startup already has a working prototype, which it exhibited in 2021 during the Overland Expo. Still, the reception wasn't what Rivian had hoped, with many people expressing their bewilderment at what they saw as an overengineered, unnecessary accessory. After all, there are high-quality projectors that are much smaller and don't need the whole gear tunnel to store.
On the other hand, Rivian could use the Gear Tunnel for more useful things instead of a projector and a screen. A foldable solar panel would be a good idea, providing power in remote locations. At the very least, Rivian should consider bringing back the Camp Kitchen, or at least the Gear Shuttle, the sliding system that supports various accessories, including the kitchen.
The camp kitchen ($6,000) was overpriced for what it offered, but the hallmark feature put the Rivian R1T on the radar for people who love to go camping. Considering the pickup truck launched after the pandemic, these features were utterly popular with customers. However, Rivian decided to kill it without offering an explanation. Officially, the EV startup removed it to design a better variant, although this never happened.
As of now, the Gear Tunnel is just a fancy name for another storage compartment in the R1T, although third-party companies offer aftermarket "camp kitchens" at more affordable prices. Still, Rivian is not done with the Gear Tunnel yet, as a recently filed patent application shows. The EV company wants you to bring the cinema experience to the off-road trail with a mobile projector designed specifically for the R1T's Gear Tunnel.
The system includes everything needed for an open-air cinema, from the projector itself to the roll-up screen and the wireless speakers. Rivian made things utterly complicated, with tiny motors to remotely open the drawer and actuate the display surface and other components. The patent application is very detailed, with no less than 36 drawings and diagrams, as if Rivian is already preparing to enter the projector into production.
Not that it couldn't. The EV startup already has a working prototype, which it exhibited in 2021 during the Overland Expo. Still, the reception wasn't what Rivian had hoped, with many people expressing their bewilderment at what they saw as an overengineered, unnecessary accessory. After all, there are high-quality projectors that are much smaller and don't need the whole gear tunnel to store.
On the other hand, Rivian could use the Gear Tunnel for more useful things instead of a projector and a screen. A foldable solar panel would be a good idea, providing power in remote locations. At the very least, Rivian should consider bringing back the Camp Kitchen, or at least the Gear Shuttle, the sliding system that supports various accessories, including the kitchen.
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