Though it’s only been producing consumer vehicles for three years, Rivian’s doe-eyed full-size R1T pickup and R1S sport utility vehicle are distinct and recognizable enough to feel familiar. Yet, as a recent visit to the electric carmaker’s Irvine design headquarters reveals, the innovative startup has, in many ways, relied on experimentation, or even accidents, to define its aesthetic sensibility, a factor that will play out as it prepares to launch its mid-size R2 SUV and sub-compact R3 hatchback.
