The EV manufacturer just opened its first chargers in the Adventure Network.
Rivian has been in the headlines for all the wrong reasons of late. The EV startup has had some serious production delays and a factory fire, and major stakeholder Ford has been reducing its stake in the company. Despite these setbacks, Rivian is still producing, and updating its R1T truck and R1S SUV, and is now getting ready for its biggest party trick yet: it's starting to switch on its fast-charging EV stations in its Adventure Network. We first reported on Rivian's grand plan back in 2020 when the company had promised 3,500 fast chargers at over 600 remote sites by the end of 2023, and now it has officially opened its first Level 3 DC fast-charging site in Salida, Colorado.
It is still early days for Rivian's ambitious project, and the new Salida charging station consists of only four 200-kilowatt-hour chargers. These quick charging stations are able to add up to 140 miles of range to the R1T and R1S in only 20 minutes, and the charging station features a pull-through site for Rivian vehicles pulling trailers. Rivian says that the next charging stations to go online will be located in Inyokern and Bishop, California on June 28 and June 29 respectively. These are prime locations for those visiting popular tourist locations in nearby Death Valley National Park and Yosemite National Park.
For those who like to travel even further off the beaten path, Rivian is planning a string of Level 2 AC chargers it has named "Waypoints" that will be dotted along popular trails in national parks and even hiking and mountain biking trails.
While DC fast charging will be exclusively available to Rivian owners, a simple J1772 plug will allow all other EV drivers to use Rivian Level 2 AC chargers. Level 2 AC chargers charge at a rate of 11.5 kW, which should add around 25 miles of range to a Rivian vehicle every hour. Rivian's approach is a smart one, if not novel, but if it wants any real piece of the nationwide EV charging network industry, it will have to hurry to reach its goal of installing 10,000 chargers by the end of 2023.
Acura
Alfa Romeo
Aston Martin
Audi
Bentley
BMW
Bollinger
BrightDrop
Bugatti
Buick
Cadillac
Caterham
Chevrolet
Chrysler
Dodge
Ferrari
Fiat
Fisker
Ford
Genesis
GMC
Gordon Murray Automotive
Hennessey
Honda
Hyundai
Infiniti
Jaguar
Jeep
Karma
Kia
Koenigsegg
Lamborghini
Land Rover
Lexus
Lincoln
Lordstown
Lotus
Lucid Motors
Maserati
Mazda
McLaren
Mercedes-Benz
Mini
Mitsubishi
Nissan
Pagani
Polestar
Porsche
Ram
Rimac
Rivian
Rolls-Royce
Spyker
Subaru
Tesla
Toyota
VinFast
Volkswagen
Volvo
Join The Discussion