Rivian R1T Might Feature This Convenient And Efficient Way Of Charging EVs

One of the universal tasks of all electric vehicle owners is charging the electric vehicle's batteries. Electric vehicle makers made it a point to create a unique EV charging system like the lighted indicators for Tesla Model S, X, and Model 3. It seems that Rivian wants to do the same thing with its Rivian R1T truck if the recent patent filing is to go by.

Based on the patent, it appears that Rivian is considering new technology to make battery charging convenient and creative through battery charging indicators. The new patent is titled "Exterior Light and Charge Indicator." Based on the patent, it aims to allow electric vehicle owners to be able to determine the level of battery charge that their vehicle has even at a certain distance.

The patent's design reveals a system using bright LED bulbs that could be seen easily across a charging station or parking lot. These bright bulbs will be integrated into Rivian R1T as parts of its lighting system. "It would be advantageous to provide a user with an easy way to read a charge indicator of an electric vehicle. It would also be advantageous to provide a charge indicator that is visible a short or longer distance away from an electric vehicle. It would also be advantageous to utilize existing exterior lighting or lighting areas to provide a charge indicator," the patent notes.

Both Rivian R1T pickup truck and R1S SUV have a long light strip in the center along with a couple of spherical lights. This particular light strip, according to earlier reports, would serve as the primary battery charging indicator whenever the electric vehicle is connected to a charger. This is further explained in the recent patent filing.

"In some embodiments, the lighting control module is configured to cause the exterior light to emit light of a first color (e.g., white) during driving operation of the electric vehicle and emit light of a second color during charging, where the first color is different than the second color (e.g., blue). In some embodiments, the lighting control module is configured to cause the exterior light to emit light of a third color (e.g., green) when the vehicle battery is fully charged. In some embodiments, the lighting control module is configured to cause the exterior light to emit light of a fourth color (e.g., red) when there is a charging fault."

Most often, electric vehicle owners find it difficult to determine the status of their vehicles while their batteries are charging. This is particularly true during long drives when owners would park their electric vehicles at a public charging station. If an owner is resting, having a coffee, or eating lunch, for instance, it would be hard to know if the vehicle is really charging or if it is finished charging.
While there are mobile apps that show the status of a charging vehicle, it would be very convenient if the owner could see the status of their charging vehicle even at a certain distance. It seems that this is the major aim of the recent patent filing of Rivian. It is worth mentioning, however, that a patent filing does not guarantee that the feature will be in the vehicles soon. But, it is interesting to know that Rivian is actually looking into this kind of feature.