Here’s a slick feature of the new Rivian EV pickup truck we weren’t expecting. Rivian offers a built-in kitchen that includes the sink. It’s not cheap, but it turns your pickup into a mini-camp kitchen in an instant. Also, it is completely self-contained and includes an electric stovetop, electric kettle, and a small sink hooked to a five-gallon water supply. It is the coolest feature we’ve seen for a pickup since stake pockets in bed rails. 

The downside to the option is the price which is $5,000

The downside to the option is the price which is $5,000. Yeah, we know. You could just haul your Coleman stove and stuff in the bed or back seat and you won’t spend a dime. But this is so slick that we can imagine campers ordering it in droves. It slides into and out of the compartment between the bed and cabin. Besides the above-mentioned features, there is also storage space for pots, pans, and almost anything else you’ll need to make and serve dinner. 

So, there is no setting up and taking down whatever it takes to make a meal. It’s like presto, instant mini-kitchen. And there is nothing else like this available for any other pickup, so this is a convenient and practical novelty. Plus, there is no hauling around a trailer for access to a kitchenette. 

This compartment access goes back to coupes and roadsters from the 1920s and 1930s. High-end manufacturers like Packard and Duesenberg placed a compartment between the truck and seat to stow golf clubs. Since the cars were built for the rich it was expected that some might want such a convenient option. Unfortunately, the Depression killed off many golfing excursions and the option found fewer takers. 

Built-in conveniences like this micro-kitchen are traffic drivers

As manufacturers move into electrified pickups built-in conveniences like this micro-kitchen are traffic drivers, even if it doesn’t sell like hotcakes. And much like the golf compartments of yore, the customers for a Rivian are partially paying for the added caché that comes with exclusivity. 

Tying into the environmental aspects of EV adoption the countertop of the mini-kitchen is made from recycled materials. All of these little touches add to the woke mindset of environmental consciousness. You’ve got to give Rivian credit. They took an idea that designers have worked into concepts and proposals for decades and actually put it into production. 

Self-contained vehicles have been the pursuit of design students and manufacturers for years. It’s like the head-up displays that have been an accessory for a few years. The idea goes back to before WWII but it took 50 years for it to finally happen. If this becomes popular expect the built-in mini-kitchen to be offered by many manufacturers within the next few years.