Rivian has a little bit cinematic shock tucked in its new “treehouse” rooftop tent, one of many many equipment the automaker plans to promote alongside its next-generation R2 SUV and future R3 EVs.

The rooftop tent, which Rivian calls the treehouse, is provided with a film projector, which is run utilizing energy from the Rivian, Brian Gase, Rivian’s senior director of prototype and particular initiatives, informed TechCrunch throughout a buyer occasion in Laguna Seaside, California. The shopper occasion was held Thursday night, a number of hours after Rivian founder and CEO RJ Scaringe unveiled the all-electric R2 SUV and the sporty R3 and R3x hatchback autos.

The treehouse, as Rivian has branded it, is completely different from the white-labeled Yakima tent designed for its flagship R1T truck.

Picture Credit: Rivian

This new treehouse product is contained in a hardshell, which then opens up into a big rooftop tent. Reverse the opening is a big window, the place the roll-down display screen is positioned, Gase stated. The projector will be linked to an influence supply from the automobile, he added. The treehouse additionally comes with an inside fan and lighting.

Gase stated the treehouse design will largely stay the identical as soon as it goes on sale. Proper now, he stated, the main target is about maintaining the standard excessive with out making it too costly.

“It’s about the price as a result of you’ll be able to have a look at it and say ‘that’s superior,’ however then you definitely’re placing an costly tent on a product that you simply’re making an attempt to get to an introductory degree worth,” Gase stated, referring to the R2, which is anticipated to have a beginning worth of $45,000.

Picture Credit: Kirsten Korosec

The treehouse-that-turns-into-a-movie-theater is only one of a number of adventure-minded equipment revealed Thursday alongside Rivian’s next-generation of smaller extra reasonably priced EVs. Rivian plans to promote a cargo field that mounts to a hitch on the again of the automobile and that may be paired with a brand new journey kitchen. The kitchen features a water tank, cooler and cookware set.

On Thursday, Rivian revealed the R2, a five-seat, all-electric midsized SUV that can have greater than 300 miles of vary and a base worth of $45,000. In a shock twist, Scaringe additionally unveiled the smaller R3 and the R3x efficiency, a compact hatchback-style EV with sporty vibes. Rivian hasn’t given a manufacturing timeline for the R3 autos.

The R2, which is able to now be made on the firm’s Regular, Illinois manufacturing unit, is anticipated to enter manufacturing within the first half of 2024. The corporate stated it’ll save about $2.25 billion by shifting manufacturing of the R2 from its deliberate Georgia manufacturing unit to its current manufacturing unit in Regular.