Dive Brief:
- Electric vehicle maker Rivian opened the first of its next-generation EV charging locations, which will be accessible to drivers of all compatible EVs, the company announced in a press release Dec. 5.
- The new Rivian Adventure Network chargers debuted at the company’s Joshua Tree Charging Outpost in California with additional charging locations planned in Texas, Colorado, Illinois, Montana, Pennsylvania, Michigan and New York.
- “Now, we’re excited to bring the Rivian Adventure Network–with its ease of use and exceptional reliability–to other EV drivers around North America,” Rivian founder and CEO RJ Scaringe said in the release.
Dive Insight:
Rivian’s next-generation chargers will offer rapid battery replenishment using a 900-volt electrical architecture and native combined charging system standard connectors. Drivers of other brands of EVs equipped with factory-equipped North American Charging Standard ports can plug in using a Rivian approved adapter.
The EV maker’s new chargers meet the requirements of the Department of Transportation’s National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Formula Program, which provides funding to states to deploy public charging infrastructure and establish a connected network for data collection and improving reliability, according to the release.
Each Rivian charger features a bigger display and tap-to-pay feature for initiating charging sessions with or without using Rivian’s mobile app. Support for EVs with factory-equipped NACS ports will be available after future hardware updates. Adventure Network charger functionality for current Rivian drivers remains the same.
Drivers will also be supported by 100% renewable energy matching when they charge their EVs at a Rivian Adventure Network site, according to the release.
The opening of Rivian's charging network to drivers of other EVs follows Tesla’s decision to open its Supercharger network to other automakers in early 2024 in a bid to improve public charging access and promote more widespread EV adoption. Tesla’s charging network is currently the largest in the U.S.
Rivian notified customers in June 2023 that it was collaborating with Tesla to provide access to the Supercharger network in North America. In February, Ford Motor Co. became the first major automaker to release a NACS adapter, allowing its EV customers to access Tesla Superchargers.
Like many other automakers that have released NACS adapters to access to Tesla Superchargers, including General Motors in September, Rivian will transition its R1T pickup and R1S SUV, which are currently equipped with native CCS ports, to the NACS design starting in 2025.
