American electric vehicle startup Rivian is gearing up to open its charging network to competing brands with its new charger design.
Rivian Adventure Network expansion
Rivian announced Friday its plans to welcome other electric vehicle brands into its Rivian Adventure Network in North America. It introduced a new charger design to make the RAN available to all compatible models in 2024.
The new design features 400- and 800-volt packs. It also has CCS plugs and NACS support (initially via an adapter).
The chargers will also have a larger display and tap-to-pay function to deliver a seamless charging experience even without the Rivian mobile app.
“Rivian exists to address two specific needs, the electrification of our transportation system and supporting the transition of our power grid to carbon-free energy sources.
By broadening access to our Rivian Adventure Network—powered by 100% renewable energy—we are supporting both of these critical goals while also encouraging more people to embark on their next adventure in an EV.”
Paul Frey, Vice President of Battery, Charging, and Adventure Products at Rivian
Moving forward
Rivian plans to enable native NACS charging with a planned hardware upgrade.
The American electric automaker aims to build all RAN stations in the region with the next-gen charging equipment. It plans to equip all of the existing sites with the new hardware.
Rivian also confirmed its plans to prioritize pull-through charging stalls at new strategic sites to support towing EVs.
The new hardware design is expected to gain support from the US National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) program, as well as other state and utility programs for charging infrastructure expansion.
Rivian’s charging network growth
The Rivian Adventure Network has already deployed 400 DC fast chargers at 67 different locations across the United States.
Rivian indicated on its website that it aims to build more than 3,500 chargers at about 600 strategic sites.
Rivian’s introduction of a new charger design comes amid the wider adoption of Tesla’s NACS in the region. Rivian is among the OEMs to commit to NACS, with plans to equip its EVs with the new standard by 2025.
