Competition Copy-Cats

[jwanderson88]

Has anyone noticed that the competition is shamelessly copying Rivian styling? The R1S SUV has been very well received and now new vehicles in development by competing manufacturers are copying it, with a black roof and the same body-colored roof pillar design. I saw a rendering of a Toyota EV truck and it was amazingly Rivian-like from the front doors back. They say imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.

Sponsored

 

[Davethadog]

Rivian was not the first to do black roofs or pillars that are either body colored or white/back. This has been a trend in auto styling for a minute now.

 

[jwanderson88]

Maybe I wasn't paying attention. But you're seeing the thick, body-colored panel right behind the rear door and black roof and the slab sides and horizontal lights in back in most new SUV designs. Maybe Rivian didn't invent it, but it certainly popularized it.

 

[sub]

Maybe I wasn't paying attention. But you're seeing the thick, body-colored panel right behind the rear door and black roof and the slab sides and horizontal lights in back in most new SUV designs. Maybe Rivian didn't invent it, but it certainly popularized it.

You weren't paying attention.

Here is an example of the black roof+body color pillar design that was in production before the first Rivian renders were publicly shared. And by a company with much larger brand recognition and much larger production volume.

If anyone is copying anyone it is Rivian doing the copying.

 

[Thedude]

Sounds like you haven’t seen SUVs for the last twenty years.

 

[MountainBikeDude]

I would say the biggest one I've noticed is the front and rear light bars. Since the Rivian was revealed, light bars either front or rear, or both have been coming full force.

 

[Polar]

I would say the biggest one I've noticed is the front and rear light bars. Since the Rivian was revealed, light bars either front or rear, or both have been coming full force.

Dodge would like a word. ?

 

[Electrified Outdoors]

You better believe all the legacy automakers are reverse engineering, the R1S and the R1T. Honestly, I first see a future where the only differentiating factors will be software and the design of the body and interior. What Rivian is able to do with the software is absolutely amazing to me.

 

[kurtlikevonnegut]

Unrelated to the original point here, but I did notice in an article about the CT that they blatantly ripped off Rivian's cargo rack system with 4 mounting points (2 over the bed and 2 on the cab) with telescoping crossbars to be used on either mounting point. I'm unaware of any other truck that has used that type of system before Rivian did it.

I suppose immitation is the sincerest form of flattery.

 

[Monkey]

Unrelated to the original point here, but I did notice in an article about the CT that they blatantly ripped off Rivian's cargo rack system with 4 mounting points (2 over the bed and 2 on the cab) with telescoping crossbars to be used on either mounting point. I'm unaware of any other truck that has used that type of system before Rivian did it.

I suppose immitation is the sincerest form of flattery.

LOL... That cargo rack arrangement has been in use for a long time, long before Rivian was even an itch in RJ's pants. Any article claiming this was ripped off from Rivian is just poorly written/researched clickbait or AI generated crap. Reading most EV-centric articles and discussion online is pretty frustrating overall. It's almost like much of the EV crowd has never really worked with cars before... Even more so for trucks. Most full size trucks have 3 or even 4 mount points on bed side rails to allow for mounting different size racks or arranging crossbars with different spacing/ positioning. The R1T is actually quite limited in this regard due to the bed only being 4.5ft in length. Rivian uses crossbars and mounting hardware from Thule. ...Thule has made telescoping crossbars for decades. I've had Rhino Rack or Thule crossbars that mount over the cab of my F150 or Tacoma that can be popped off and placed over the bed, long before anyone even thought an EV truck was somewhere on the horizon.

I like what Rivian has done with their truck design overall, but the most unique aspect of of anything on the exterior is the headlights and, to some extent, the cantilever/ gooseneck hinge on the tailgate. The rest of it's just a compact pickup truck with contemporary styling and and cab/bed mounting points I would expect.

One thing Rivian is doing that you don't see from most other automakers is they're including the crossbars and such right in the main configurator.

 

[SDH]

Everyone copies everyone to the degree they can get away with it.

e.g. ever since the first Model S... big 'iPad-like' screens have become the standard? Much to my chagrin. Also, whatever happened to the tape deck!!

 

[UnsungZero_OldTimeAdMan]

Has anyone noticed that the competition is shamelessly copying Rivian styling? The R1S SUV has been very well received and now new vehicles in development by competing manufacturers are copying it, with a black roof and the same body-colored roof pillar design. I saw a rendering of a Toyota EV truck and it was amazingly Rivian-like from the front doors back. They say imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.

It's because of Rivian, and your association with the brand, that you've been made aware. Fact is all of these design cues predate the R1, in the auto industry. Very little is fully original. Everything is a derivative of something else.

 

[docpowell]

I would say the biggest one I've noticed is the front and rear light bars. Since the Rivian was revealed, light bars either front or rear, or both have been coming full force.

 

[MountainBikeDude]

Yeah, no I realized shortly after making the comment that dodge was all over it in 2016. Same thing with the Ford Taurus? of the 80's and it's fugly headlight strip.

Sponsored