Rivian has filed two patent functions for built-in lighting within the roof rails in its electrical pickup vans and SUVs.

The 2 functions present barely completely different variations of a lighting system that might be a part of the roof cross bars usually used to safe cargo. Accompanying drawings present pickup vans and SUVs resembling the present Rivian R1T and R1S, respectively.

The primary utility—printed by the US Patent and Trademark Workplace (USPTO) on Jan. 11, and filed on Sep. 12, 2022—have pretty standard wanting cross bars with lights that may mission in entrance of, alongside, and behind the car. Cross bars would have a built-in electrical connection that enables the car’s battery pack to energy the lights.

These lights can be utilized for quite a lot of functions, in response to Rivian. Lights on the again of the rearmost cross bar may function further brake lights, and lights on the ends of entrance or rear cross bars could possibly be used as flip indicators. Lights is also keyed to a car’s unlock sequence, much like the way in which headlights and taillights briefly illuminate on some automobiles once they’re unlocked.

The second utility, which has the identical publication and submitting dates as the primary, reveals a unique configuration for the lights. Right here, they take the type of spotlights that particularly illuminate the realm on the backside of an incline. Lights would activate robotically when the car reaches a sure downhill angle, serving to to offer higher visibility forward.

It is unclear if we’ll see both type of Rivian’s roof rail lighting system on a manufacturing car, however it would not be stunning to see a characteristic like this on a future replace of Rivian’s R1 fashions. The automaker additionally plans to unveil the extra reasonably priced R2 sequence this yr, though manufacturing is not scheduled to begin till 2026.