Rivian plans EV charging network with stations at remote, outdoorsy locations

Rivian wants owners of its upcoming R1T truck and R1S SUV to take them into the great outdoors. Taking owners where regular cars can't go is part of a truck's or SUV's raison d'etre, but the great outdoors usually have pretty poor electricity grids. Rivian hopes to address that problem with a network of charging stations located at far-flung destinations for all sorts of outdoor recreation.

In an interview with our friends at TechCrunch, Rivian founder and CEO RJ Scaringe revealed plans for these stations, which will collectively be called the Rivian Adventure Network. Scaringe hopes they'll draw people to places they might not otherwise venture. The network will also help alleviate range anxiety, especially since they will feature DC fast charging, and allow customers to drive long distances with confidence.

Besides offering customers more charging points, Rivian wants more control over its charging infrastructure. The ones developed by other automakers and third-party companies offer varying levels of user experience, and Rivian doesn't want to be dependent on that. Unlike Tesla, which employs a proprietary system, Rivian uses CCS, one of the two most popular EV charging port standards. Theoretically, that means drivers of other electric cars could use these stations, but whether Rivian will allow that is unknown.

Jeep, for its part, has said they plan to build a network of solar-powered chargers to support its Wrangler 4xe. Plans are limited to California and Utah, including at the midway point on the Rubicon Trail.

The first Rivians are scheduled to be delivered in summer 2021. Scaringe told TechCrunch that "dozens" would be built in 2021. He also said that by 2023 or 2024 Rivian will have "dense coverage" in the U.S. We reached out to Rivian directly for more information, but a representative only gave us the following statement: "The Rivian Adventure Network will launch in 2021, and we’ll be getting into a bunch more detail this coming Spring." So stay tuned.

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