Rivian has a little cinematic surprise hidden in its new rooftop “treehouse” tent, one of several accessories the automaker plans to sell alongside the next-generation R2 SUV and future R3 EVs.
The rooftop stage, which Rivian calls the treehouse, is equipped with a movie projector powered by Rivian, Brian Gase, Rivian’s senior director of prototypes and special projects, told TechCrunch during an event customers in Laguna Beach, California. The customer event took place on Thursday afternoon, several hours after Rivian founder and CEO RJ Scaringe unveiled the R2 all-electric SUV and the R3 and R3x hatchback sports utility vehicles.
The treehouse, as Rivian has dubbed it, is different from the white-labeled Yakima tent designed for the flagship R1T truck.
Image Credits: Rivian
This new tree house product is contained in a hard shell, which then opens onto a large tent on the top floor. Opposite the opening is a large window, where the screen that opens down is located, Gase said. The projector can be plugged into a power source from the vehicle, he added. The treehouse also has an internal fan and lighting.
Gase said the design of the treehouse will remain largely the same once it goes live. Right now, he said, the focus is on keeping the quality high without making it too expensive.
“It’s about the cost because you can look at it and say, ‘that’s awesome,’ but then you’re putting an expensive tent on a product that you’re trying to get to an entry-level price,” Gase said, referring to the R2, which is expected to it has a starting price of $45,000.
Image Credits: Kirsten Korosech
The treehouse-turned-cinema is just one of several adventure accessories unveiled Thursday alongside Rivian’s next generation of smaller, more affordable EVs. Rivian plans to sell a cargo box that mounts on a hitch in the back of the vehicle and can be combined with a new travel kitchen. The kitchen includes a water tank, a refrigerator and a set of cooking utensils.
On Thursday, Rivian unveiled the R2, a five-seat, all-electric midsize SUV that will have a range of more than 300 miles and a base price of $45,000. In a surprise move, Scaringe also revealed the smaller R3 and the R3x performance, a hatchback-style compact EV with sporty vibes. Rivian has not given a production schedule for the R3 vehicles.
The R2, which will now be built at the company’s Normal, Illinois plant, is expected to go into production in the first half of 2024. The company said it will save about $2.25 billion by moving production of the R2 from the plant it plans in Georgia at its existing plant in Normal.
