- EV startup Rivian has announced it will roll out 600 charging stations across the United States and Canada by the end of 2023 just for Rivian R1S and R1T owners.
- The "Adventure Network" will feature about 3500 DC fast chargers spread across those 600 stations, compared to more than 16,000 chargers at 1000 North American Supercharger stations in Tesla's growing worldwide network.
- Rivian is also installing more than 10,000 individual Level 2 chargers around the country that won't be tied to a Rivian network and can be used by any EV with the J1772 plug.
Electric-vehicle startup Rivian announced this week that it is rolling out a North American "Adventure Network." The charging network will be for the exclusive use of owners of its upcoming R1S and R1T EVs. In structure and in planned scope, it looks similar to Tesla's Supercharger network.
Rivian promises 600 charging stations by the end of 2023 that will contain a total of more than 3500 individual 200-kW DC fast chargers—compared with the Superchargers' current maximum of 250 kW. Rivian says users can add 140 miles of range to their Rivian EVs in 20 minutes, while Tesla's Superchargers are claimed to give back up to 200 miles in 15 minutes.
The chargers are plug-and-charge automatic units, will be powered by wind and solar when possible, and can be located on road trips using the vehicle's navigation system. The company didn't release information on how much Rivian owners will have to pay to use the network.
Rivian is also planning to install thousands of Waypoints, or public chargers that any EV can use. The first are coming this summer when the company installs two of the chargers in each of Colorado's 42 state parks. These Level 2 chargers will have a slower, 11.5-kW charging speed that can add 25 miles of range in an hour, Rivian said. The state of Colorado is getting the chargers for free from Rivian, which will also pay to maintain them for five years. A Rivian spokesperson cited by the Colorado Sun said the question of what users will pay, if anything, to use the chargers is still under discussion.
Rivian is also planning to sell home wall chargers to customers, as does Tesla. The Rivian Wall Charger will have the same 11.5-kW speed as Rivian's Waypoints and will have Wi-Fi connectivity for over-the-air updates.
Rivian's R1T pickup is expected to reach customers starting later this year, with the R1S SUV to follow. The company has said that the R1T will be all-wheel drive, make 754 horsepower, and offer up to 400 miles of range.
Laura Sky Brown has been involved in automotive media for a very long time, and she sees it as her calling to guard the legacy and help ensure the continued high quality of Car and Driver. She was one of the first staffers at Automobile Magazine in the '80s and has worked for many other car magazines and websites as a writer, editor, and copy editor ever since. It has been her privilege to edit many of the greats of automotive journalism over the years, including the ones who currently write for C/D.
