Rivian has filed a patent application for an in-bed storage system for its electric trucks.

In a patent application published by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) on April 6 (and originally filed Oct. 5, 2021) Rivian details storage bins built into the sides of a pickup's bed. The system is similar to the Ram Box system offered on Ram trucks for several years now and slated for the 2025 Ram 1500 REV, the brand's first all-electric model.

Rivian bed storage patent image

Ram Boxes are literal boxes built into the bed sides, but Rivian is going for something a bit more elaborate. The patent application describes entire outside bed panels that fold down, which, in one configuration, reveals multiple storage compartments. Accompanying drawings also show cutouts on either side of the bed for longer items, like an uncovered version of the Gear Tunnel storage compartment located behind the cab in Rivian R1T pickups.

This setup could be used for more than storage, the application suggests. The fold-out panels could serve as seating, just as tailgates do when camping or partying in a stadium parking lot. A fold-out table could also be included, Rivian suggests in the application, which seems like a good addition to the slide-out camp kitchen the company has shown for the R1T.

Rivian bed storage patent image

Rivian has floated a few other ideas for wringing more utility out of its electric trucks. Previous patent applications showed telescoping and folding tailgates, as well as a tailgate step. General Motors, meanwhile, recently filed a trademark application for a Multistow tailgate, hinting that it's planning to incorporate some storage into the tailgate as well. Ram seems content with its Ram Boxes, which were shown in pretty-much-unchanged form on the Ram 1500 REV at the 2023 New York auto show.

If Rivian decides to put its own bed storage system into production, it's unclear if it will be incorporated into the current R1T or next-generation vehicles based on the company's R2 platform, which is expected to launch in 2026.