American electric vehicle startup Rivian is striving to address the most frustrating aspect of public charging: unreliability. Its latest software update introduced new helpful features, including reliability scoring.
Rivian makes public charging easier
Rivian’s 2024.11.01 software update offers owners better insights into which public electric vehicle chargers to try or avoid, as per the press release.
The American electric automaker decided to leverage its electric vehicle fleet to accumulate data on broken and unreliable public chargers, which the company’s software algorithm downranks.
Rivian’s new reliability scoring feature, which it calls “industry first,” is now available on all R1S electric SUVs and R1T electric trucks, providing its owners with the list of the most reliable public fast chargers near them.
“A confident charging experience is the cornerstone of a Rivian road trip, so we believe in empowering drivers with essential information long before they pull up and plug in.”
Rivian
How does the charger reliability scoring work?
Rivian owners can now access key data such as the charger’s average top speed, payment, and overall session success when they plug into a public fast charger regardless of network, including Tesla’s Superchargers.
The company utilizes these factors to rank their reliability from A (highest) to F (lowest). Its navigation also employs the ideal driving route on long-distance trips based on the owners’ preferred arrival time and charging networks.
The app will prioritize the fast-charging sites with higher scores to enable more enjoyable and convenient travel. It will route Rivian drivers to A and B designated sites whenever possible. If there are no available A and B sites, the app will lead drivers to the remaining best options.
How to check the charging reliability score?
Rivian owners can check the reliability score of a particular public charging site by tapping the icon from the map on the car’s center display, the Rivian app, or in the trip planner.
Any of these options will show Rivian drivers the charging network along with its maximum sharing speed and real-time data on charger availability. Another tap in the arrow icon near the network name shows the following data: site details, average top charging speed, operation hours, and pricing.
Rivian has yet to assign a reliability score to some fast-charging sites. The company aims to evaluate and score all charging sites that Rivian owners can access.
