Ex-Ford designer’s Rivian Roamer research is everywhere

While most EV startups try to break into the market with either mass-market models or high-end supercars, Rivian is taking a different approach with the R1S and R1T. Both vehicles are based on the same skateboard architecture and are focused on adventurers who want to enjoy the wilderness, with all the practicality that a vehicle in this segment offers.

Inspired by the R1T and R1S, former Ford and Pininfarina designer Adita Narayan has envisioned the ultimate Rivian expedition vehicle. It’s called the Roamer, but while the R1T is a pickup and the R1S is an SUV, the Roamer is a striking van, similar in size to its sister models, designed to tackle the most treacherous terrain.

Read: Rivian is cutting costs, but it’s still losing more than $32,000 on each electric car it makes

From the outside, the Roamer has a lot in common with the R1. The front end features Rivian’s characteristic oval headlights connected to a complex light bar made up of dozens of small LEDs. One of the most interesting aspects of the car’s design is that the windshield extends all the way to the headlights, meaning there is no traditional hood. The front overhang is also very short.

The most interesting design details are on the side of the Roamer. There are five large cutouts on the rear doors and thick C-pillars that you can slide your feet into and use as a ladder. This is very convenient for a car like the Roamer, which comes with a large roof tent that the ladder can easily access. Like the front, the rear is also familiar Rivian, although the light bar on the R1 and R2 models is now made up of dozens of small LEDs.

While we’d love to see Rivian build a van like this, it hasn’t announced any plans. The company recently launched updated R1T and R1S models and is working on cheaper, mass-market offerings, the R2 and R3.