The Maasai Wilderness Conservation Trust has taken a unique approach to sustainable off-roading in Africa by modifying an electric utility vehicle to serve as a zero-emissions, open-air safari vehicle. The organization converted a Rivian R1T by removing its roof and adding a windowless lofted unit to accommodate two extra rows of seating, bringing the total to eight seats. The vehicle was also converted to right-hand drive, making it the only Rivian vehicle with this feature.
The modified truck features a brush guard up front and a spare tire mounted to the tailgate. Although the extra seats remove the bed’s functionality, the R1T still maintains its rear doors, despite being fastened to half a B-pillar. The vehicle may not perform well in side-impact crash tests or have the best structural rigidity, but these concerns are of little importance given its specific use case.
The Massai Wilderness Conservation Trust intends to use the vehicle for various purposes, including quiet anti-poaching patrols, emissions-free transport for Maasai firefighters and critical rangers’ operations, and health and education programs. The organization’s goal is to not pollute the air in the immediate area where the vehicle is being used, and it achieves this through the use of solar power to charge the truck’s batteries.
Some may argue that electric vehicles are not truly zero-emissions due to the fossil fuels used in their manufacturing and charging. However, the use of solar power to charge the Rivian R1T nullifies these arguments, as it dismisses the notion that fossil fuels are providing the energy for charging the vehicle and that charging infrastructure and access to electricity is unsustainable in this environment.
Overall, the Maasai Wilderness Conservation Trust’s modification of the Rivian R1T is a novel and practical approach to sustainable off-roading in Africa. It demonstrates the potential for electric utility vehicles to be modified to meet specific needs and highlights the importance of renewable energy sources in achieving true sustainability.
