Rivian has just opened three fast-charging stations in Colorado and California, reserved for its customers for now.
It has already been ten years since Tesla opened its first Supercharger, then dedicated to the rapid charging of vehicles in its range and until very recently reserved for its customers. Since then, the network has greatly expanded, currently comprising more than 35,000 terminals spread throughout the world, including soon 1,500 in France alone this summer.
But if the firm was previously the only one to offer its own network, this is no longer the case. And for good reason, Rivian has just announced in a press release the opening of its very first charging stations in the United States, in places that are surprising to say the least. But not as much as Tesla’s plan to open a Supercharger with an outdoor cinema.
Three operational stations
On its site, the American manufacturer, which currently markets two models, namely the R1T (which we were able to discover at Goodwood last week) and R1S, indeed announces the launch of its own network. Named Rivian Adventure Network, this was originally to be composed of more than 3,500 fast charging points, distributed in more than 600 stations by the end of next year. A date that should ultimately be postponed, due to numerous difficulties for the brand, particularly in terms of deliveries and financial difficulties.
However, that didn’t stop him from opening his first three stations in California and Colorado. Several types of terminals are then offered to the brand’s customers, who can thus take advantage ofDC power up to 200 kW, allowing to recover 225 kilometers of autonomy in 20 minutes. 11.5 kW alternating current terminals are also available. Each station offers an accessible socket for vehicles equipped with a trailer and is powered by 100% renewable energy.
Unusual places
Unlike most players in the sector who prefer large cities, Rivian has chosen to set up its charging stations in more unusual places, close to national parks such as Yosemite or Death Valley. Trent Warnke, Rivian’s Director of Energy and Charging Solutions points out that “in addition to scenic or off-the-beaten-path destinations, our fast-charging deployment is designed to ensure travelers have places to recharge along major transportation corridors coast-to-coast“.
Note that all charging stations are powered by electricity from renewable sources. If the fast terminals are currently only reserved for Rivian customers, those of 11.5 kW are on the other hand open to all, as is the case recently for Tesla Superchargers.
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