Image: Rivian
Summary:
Rivian is set to open its growing electric vehicle (EV) charging network to the public as early as next year, following Tesla’s lead in building a proprietary fast-charging infrastructure.
The Rivian Adventure Network currently has 30 sites, with hundreds more planned in the coming years, according to CEO RJ Scaringe, speaking with Automotive News.
The company aims to alleviate the shortage of reliable, fast-charging sites for EV owners in the United States, where there has been a significant underinvestment in charging infrastructure.
“In the United States, there’s been a massive underinvestment in charging infrastructure, and realizing that, we decided to build out our own infrastructure,” said Scaringe. “A year from now, the density of Rivian chargers will really help solve a lot of these core issues, and we’ll see third-party networks start to build up as well,” he added.
The Rivian CEO credit Tesla’s charging network for its uptime. “In terms of independent networks, there are only a couple out there — outside of Tesla — and they’re not very good,” said Scaringe.
Rivian plans to build a network of 600 charging stations within two years, starting on the east and west coasts before connecting across the US and Canada. The fast chargers can currently deliver more than 200 kilowatts, with plans to increase this to over 300 kW in the future.
The EV startup is also developing a network of slower Level 2 chargers, called “Waypoints,” designed for longer charging sessions at hotels, restaurants, and recreational spots.
The company’s significant investment in charging infrastructure comes as it has spent billions of dollars in recent years to start production of the R1T pickup, R1S crossover, and commercial vans for Amazon.
Rivian CFO Claire McDonough has suggested that the company could receive government funds to build part of its charging network starting in 2024, provided its chargers are open to the public.
