American electric vehicle giant Tesla has started opening its Supercharger network to Rivian owners, just more than two weeks after Ford owners did.
Rivian EV owners can now enjoy Tesla’s Superchargers
Rivian released the software update 2024.07.02 last week, indicating the imminent access of its electric vehicles to Tesla’s Supercharger network.
On Monday, the American electric automaker formally announced on social media platform X that Rivian owners can now Supercharge at Tesla’s more than 15,000 stalls in the United States and Canada.
However, Rivian owners will initially require a NACS DC adapter to use Tesla Superchargers. The company plans to roll out free adapters this spring, with more priority to long-time owners.
“Fast charger access just doubled. Rivian vehicles can now tap into 15,000+ Tesla Superchargers — rapidly expanding the fast charging experience for our customers. Initially, a NACS DC adapter is needed for access, shipping free to owners starting this spring.”
Rivian
Excitingly, Rivian reiterated its plans to also offer its Rivian Adventure Network (RAN) to all electric automakers in the US starting this year, following the Musk-led company’s lead.
For context, Rivian currently operates more than 424 operational RAN stations across 70 sites in 22 states.
Tesla Supercharger network to accommodate more non-Tesla EVs
This significant advancement comes just a few weeks after Ford became the first OEM in the region to use Tesla Superchargers through NACS adoption.
Ford announced on social media platform X late last month that eligible Mustang Mach-E and F-150 Lightning owners in North America can reserve a free Fast Charging Adapter to gain compatibility with Tesla Superchargers before equipping its next-gen EVs with NACS port in 2025.
After Ford and Rivian, Tesla Supercharger access will start rolling out for electric vehicle models from General Motors (GM), Volvo, and Polestar, among others, in the coming weeks.
Tesla addresses customers’ concerns over the growing number of EVs at Supercharger stations
Numerous Tesla EV owners reportedly raised concerns about the influx of non-Tesla electric vehicles in Supercharger stations. In response, Tesla introduced “congestion fees” in November 2023 to ensure that EVs will continuously rotate in and out of the station.
Tesla will charge non-Tesla EV owners a fee when a Supercharger is busy, and the EV battery is above a certain state of charge (SoC). The company expects this strategy to ensure that EVs keep moving and avoid them from staying in a stall while other cars are in line. Tesla will charge $1/minute, and an EV charges past the 90% SoC at particular Supercharger stations in the US.
“This fee encourages drivers to charge only as much as is needed for their trip, rather than all the way to 100%. This increases the availability of Superchargers so that everyone has access when they need it.”
Tesla
In addition, Tesla also announced last month that it was launching one new Supercharger stall every hour. By February 2025, the current number of Tesla Supercharger stalls could increase from 15,000+ to about 23,000.
