Rivian is no stranger to building out a charger network. It's been talking about it for quite a while now and has even done some in South America as part of its partnership with the Long Way Up documentary starring Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman. Now, in addition to the planned network of DC fast chargers along freeways, it's working on another network that's more core to its brand.
By that, I mean it's got plans to build out a network of chargers at more out-of-the-way destinations like trailheads, kayaking spots or popular climbing destinations, according to a report published Tuesday by TechCrunch. This makes sense because Rivian has adventure near and dear to its heart, and it's hoping its customers are cut from the same cloth.
An interesting part of Rivian's charging plans is its commitment to using in-house designed chargers, much like Tesla with its Supercharger network. The Rivian unit is expected to be able to DC fast-charge approximately 140 miles in 20 minutes, which is pretty impressive.
One area where Rivian's plans differ from Tesla's is in its decision to use a standard CCS charge connector, rather than a proprietary plug on the R1T and R1S. This means that owners can not only use the Rivian Adventure Network, but they can also use chargers from networks like Electrify America, EVGo, Chargepoint and others without needing to fumble around with adapters.
It's not clear whether non-Rivian vehicles will be able to use the Rivian network, even if their charge connectors match. If Rivian does decide to keep its network closed, then it would likely require some kind of built-in software validation to turn on the juice.
Rivian's CEO RJ Scaringe told TechCrunch in an interview that he plans to have full, dense coverage of the US for the Rivian Adventure Network by 2023 or 2024. That's pretty ambitious when you consider that Tesla's Supercharger network expansion is an ever-expanding project that's been going on for years already.
The Rivian R1T and R1S are set to reach customers in the summer of 2021, so Rivian has some time to get its network expansion well and truly underway.
