Rivian said from the get-go that it wanted to keep the world adventurous forever while also focusing on sustainability and enabling people to move around without straining their local environments. However, what the Irvine-based brand didn't anticipate was that its customers would go even further with the green-oriented living aura. It's not easy, but it's worth it to transform a battery-powered pickup truck into an amazing shop on wheels.
Pickup trucks were always supposed to be workhorses. But as more people bought vehicles with a higher driving position and used them for off-road adventures or overlanding, automakers adapted. They started making these rides a bit more premium, a bit more powerful, and a bit more of everything. That's why today we have things like the Ford F-150 Raptor R, the Ram 1500 TRX, or, believe it or not, the Tesla Cybertruck on the road.
Today, pickup trucks, whether all-electric, hybrid, or conventionally powered, are an integral part of the American automotive culture. Some even use them to commute.
However, Rivian wanted to make this vehicle even more suited to the modern human's mobility needs. It may not have a very long bed (54 inches with the tailgate up) to carry big sheets of plywood, but it is ingenious in many other ways. In quad-motor form, it develops 835 hp. But for people who don't want to spend too much on tires, there's also the dual-motor 533-hp powertrain.
The air suspension system with no sway bar is similar to that found on the McLaren 720S. The same setup allows the driver and their passengers to enjoy a self-leveling feature that makes camping everywhere a breeze.
Rivian also planned to offer a camp kitchen neatly tucked away in the gear tunnel that would enable R1T owners to cook almost everything they wanted, wherever they wanted. It never did, but other owners figured out how to design one that would fit perfectly in that space.
At this point, all you would have to do is throw a good tent on top of the EV, and you'd be very close to creating a great temporary home on wheels.
Besides all that, the automaker recently introduced a special promo that saw inventory 2023 model year units being available for lease at an amazing price that included the EV tax credit.
But just like the third-party camp kitchen manufacturer, other inspired and open-minded Rivian R1T owners focused on using their electric pickup trucks in more ways than one. In this case, someone decided to use the EV for their business.
Photo: Brian Quan on YouTube
Unlike what tradespeople usually do with their workhorses, this person chose to transform their practical ride into a coffee shop that can easily be deployed anywhere the pickup truck can go. And that's despite the vehicle not having a bidirectional charging adapter. It can transform itself into a big AC generator, but not without the right accessory. Still, there are 12V and 110V outlets that can be used to power fancy coffee makers or coolers.
Given that the R1T can automatically level itself out, using it to sell people all sorts of hot or cold beverages won't ever be an issue. Even better, only a couple of owners have had issues with the air suspension up until now.
You could soon see more R1Ts like the one below at Cars & Coffee events. After all, who wouldn't want to drink a great cup of coffee while admiring various cool vehicles, right? The Compass Yellow (now a discontinued color) R1T features an espresso machine, a grinder, nitro coffee on tap, and even a custom pour setup.
If the owner uses the start-up's DC pedestals to replenish the pickup truck's high-voltage energy storage unit, you might even enjoy a "green" drink because the automaker invested in renewable energy generation. The high-power Rivian Adventure Network (RAN) runs on renewable power.
Now watch how Nolan Hirte of Australian-based Proud Mary Coffee transformed their all-electric Rivian R1T into a pop-up coffee shop, and allow yourself to be inspired. Who knows what side hustle idea you could come up with!
Finally, the EV currently is in Austin, Texas, if you want to see it in person. Yes, Rivian knows that it exists.
What a great week, Austin! But we can't wait to get on the road again. We loved seeing so many of you at the @LuckReunion as well as the @YETICoolers ATX Music Showcase. Special thanks to Proud Mary Coffee for bringing their custom R1T espresso bar. Next stop: Florida. See you… pic.twitter.com/fH6U9UIqLj
Car shows on TV and his father's Fiat Tempra may have been Florin's early influences, but nowadays he favors different things, like the power of an F-150 Raptor. He'll never be able to ignore the shape of a Ferrari though, especially a yellow one. Full profile
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