Rivian, the electric vehicle (EV) automaker and Tesla rival, is planning to open up its charging network to owners of other EV brands. The move follows in the footsteps of Tesla, which opened up its Supercharger network to other EVs earlier this year. The Rivian Adventure Network (RAN) currently has 30 DC fast charging sites in the US, all of which are exclusive to Rivian owners. However, in an interview with tech podcast WVFRM, CEO RJ Scaringe confirmed that the company will open up its charging network to other EVs, although he did not give a specific timeline for when this will happen.
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The announcement comes after Rivian CFO Claire McDonough said that the company plans to join the Federal Charging Fund to rapidly expand the number of chargers available. This requires chargers to be available to all EVs, indicating that the RAN will open up to other EVs later this year or early next year. According to Scaringe, the decision to change course was due to the state of existing public charging infrastructure, which has not kept up with the rate of EV adoption.
Scaringe also praised Tesla’s Supercharger network, which he called “clearly the best network that’s out there” due to its reliability. Rivian is aiming to achieve a 99% uptime for its network through monitoring and maintenance, and plans to install 3,500 DC fast chargers at 600 sites in Canada and the US. The company’s chargers currently provide over 200kW but will eventually be updated to provide 300kW+ in the future. Rivian is also building out a network of Level 2 chargers, known as Rivian Waypoints, that will be available to all EV owners.
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The decision to open up its charging network is a significant move for Rivian, as it seeks to compete with Tesla in the EV market. By providing access to its charging network to all EV owners, Rivian is making it easier for consumers to make the switch to electric, and is helping to address the issue of range anxiety that has been a major barrier to widespread EV adoption. With plans to rapidly expand its charging network, Rivian is positioning itself as a serious player in the EV market, and is likely to attract more customers as a result.
