Rivian Adventure Network OPEN: First Charge in Our Non-Rivian EV

[@ronnelson06824]

It would’ve been incredibly lucky for me to be able to access the Rivian chargers in Brattleboro, Vermont yesterday, I was slightly stranded. I called Rivian and they said that I could not charge there. There was also 10 empty Tesla superchargers in Brattleboro off I 91 but alas, Hyundai has not given me or sold me the adapter or finished working with muskrat boy to get me up and running…..yet. Soon I hope and pray. Great video and great chargers and great speed. We 800 V and 350 KW architecture will get here. Thanks

[@plugandplayEV]

Good example of where gen 1 RAN access would have built some goodwill towards Rivian, thanks. Was the Flo 100kW across the road occupied? Those are typically rock solid for me but I know they typically only deploy 1 or 2 dispensers, so it's not always easy to snag one.

[@TechKingGame]

Really like this dispenser design. The UI is beautiful.

[@plugandplayEV]

I adore most aspects of this brand's design. The only thing it's lacking is cable management, but the simplicity is also elegant so I understand the decision.

[@lkuhn65]

The UI design of the dispenser is consistent with the Rivian app and Rivian in-vehicle display. Nice touch.

[@thenetworkarchitectchannel]

Well, that escalated quickly. 2025 is gonna be a banner yr. So glad there was one that could get on tape & thx so much for bringing what to expect to the rest of us.

[@plugandplayEV]

Right back atcha! ⚡

[@plugandplayEV]

UPDATE: An additional gen 1.5 RAN location opened in Gardiner, Montana shortly after this video was published, bringing the total count open to non-Rivians up to seven stations in six states. This is a particularly valuable location as it makes for a handy midpoint between I-90 in Montana and Yellowstone National Park in northern Utah. Normal, IL station is also open (12/20/24).

[@anthonyc8499]

@@plugandplayEV Gardiner is critical if you’re coming/going thru the parks north entrance. Now if only there was something similar in West Yellowstone…

[@plugandplayEV]

@anthonyc8499 I seem to recall a CPE250 in that town but nothing else before RAN... just another destination that I failed to explore on the road West 🤦 Gonna need a whole summer next time we try it.

[@user-oo3uj5ku9r]

Thanks for taking us along !

[@plugandplayEV]

My pleasure. Thanks for watching!

[@miami3863]

This is great! And I say that as a Rivian owner, I love using the RAN chargers and the design is top notch (in typical Rivian fashion).

[@plugandplayEV]

As a non-Rivian owner, I say "agreed and take my money!"

[@kiminbend]

As a Rivian owner as well, the RANs are awesome. Since I charge at home, I seldom use our local RAN's, but anyone traveling on HWY 97 in Oregon will find them handy, with a new RAN being planned off HWY 20 in Tumalo.

[@hlothr]

I have a Rivian and Ioniq 5. I think it is smart for Rivian to make sure their hardware works reliably for other vehicles prior to opening up to everyone. They don’t have a massive number of stations (about 100). So I think it makes sense to be patient and try to get it right. I don’t think they want to give people a bad impression of the brand by having a bad charging experience because they rushed it.

[@plugandplayEV]

I'm sympathetic to that approach and do appreciate Rivian being thoughtful on that way. With more than a year since RAN was expected to open, though, I think they could have done the required testing to iron out most of the potential problems. I think the goodwill generated across 100+ sites now would outweigh any isolated negative experiences.

[@dianewallace6064]

We have an R1T and Ioniq6.

[@Rx100Vx]

Awesome video

[@plugandplayEV]

Thanks for watching ⚡

[@anthonyc8499]

Whoa! Unexpected content day! So cool to see this. Way to go, Steve!

[@plugandplayEV]

Thanks, turned it around quicker than I expected as well! ⚡

[@ScottThomasPhoto]

Another great location for access to the Adirondacks region. Still need something in the Tupper Lake area which is in between Lake Placid and Watertown. Not disappointed, any additional EV charging stations is appreciated.

[@plugandplayEV]

I was pleasantly surprised to see that both Lake Placid and Saranac Lake added public DCFC this year. Tupper Lake would finish that inner Adirondack town route off nicely.

[@frenchy1224]

I live in Albany, NY and I was shocked when you said Queensbury, NY! Hahaha That's a nice addition to make it easier getting up north. The ADKs, Six Flags, or even Canada.

[@plugandplayEV]

Yeah, it's a nice route developing up that way now. If you head up as far as ADK, check out the North Hudson Supercharger/EVolve NY site at Frontier Town. I knew it was growing but they're adding a full canopy for the pull through stalls as well now. Should be quite the charging hub come spring/summer 2025 travel! 👀

[@frenchy1224]

@@plugandplayEV Oh perfect!!

[@dianewallace6064]

1:45 I LOVE to hear Jiselle, my Ioniq6 say "Charging Started".

[@newscoulomb3705]

Thanks, Steve! Maybe I need to make the 600-mile drive to Joshua Tree. 😀

[@plugandplayEV]

I mean, I'm sure there are other attractions to enjoy when making that trip! But the Gardiner, MT RAN 1.5 is now open as well, en route to Yellowstone... in for a penny, in for a pound 🛣️⚡

[@newscoulomb3705]

@@plugandplayEV Go Northeast, young man!

[@plugandplayEV]

Always do... eventually!

[@mewtwo255200]

Do it

[@emrimbiemri3211]

Rivian hit the ground running this year. They started a charging network and have been opening new stations every 3-4 days (100 stations to date). I think they are speeding up the roll out too. :)

[@plugandplayEV]

Nice to get past the 100 milestone this week. Hope the progress continues well into the New Year so that I can have a new favorite charging network :-)

[@dianewallace6064]

Thank you for this content. I will be happy to charge my Ioniq6 at the Rivian Action Network ASAP. I live in North Carolina and travel in WV, VA, and PA, so I'll be patient.

[@plugandplayEV]

If I recall correctly, you have a Rivian in the household as well? Don't know if you ever road trip them both at the same time, but the option to stop/charge at the same locations would be convenient, if so. Thanks for the thought + support.

[@dianewallace6064]

@@plugandplayEV Good memory, yes, we have an R1T which we have driven from Winston-Salem, North Carolina to New Jersey and used the Tesla Superchargers. We have driven to South Carolina and to the Beach in North Carolina using Shell ReCharge, EA, Mercedes and RAN chargers.

[@tpalmer3206]

So Steve, trying to upstage the Ionna opening in Apex?😂 This is a great video, nice shots of the charger itself. I’m heading to the Tucson area tomorrow, wanted to try the Gila Bend charging station but I’ve been told by Rivian that it’s not open to my Bolt yet. So it goes, I’ve other options.

[@tpalmer3206]

Addendum: I’m a big fan of Rivian and I think the slow rollout makes sense even though I won’t be able to utilize it as of now. Maybe they don’t want to stress the network? Off topic, is that a new map interface in your I5? It looks different and cleaner.

[@plugandplayEV]

This is all I got! But it perhaps emphasizes how much we have to look forward to next year... we could add another 5-10 names to the list of charging vendors to watch (as we did with last night's show, I suppose!)

[@plugandplayEV]

And yes, I think it's fair to play it safe but I also understand why folks are disappointed. The locations of some early RAN stations would be nice to access. Still, if they shift the retrofits at the pace they're opening 1.5 locations, we might still have those options by the time summer rolls around. No need map that I'm aware of, no. The next gen Hyundai infotainment looks quite a bit sharper, but it's not anything I'll be privy to based on Hyundai's OTA update track record.

[@daves1646]

Great travel nexus location near Saratoga Springs, on edge of Adirondacks, just south of Lake Champlain. Easy access to Thruway too. AND, as you said - pull through charging, if needed. Thanks Steve!!

[@JSOowens]

Thanks for a great video! Very disappointed RAN won’t allow access via the app to all chargers on the network.

[@plugandplayEV]

Hoping that changes gradually but yes, it does seem like a missed opportunity to make a larger impact through charging.

[@usaverageguy]

My Ioniq-5 still has a year of free charging at EA. But I watch these videos to learn where I might charge in the future. Cost is my main variable in choosing which charger to use.

[@plugandplayEV]

Same boat here, except we're done with that in March '25. Pricing is a factor, but I also want a charging spot with amenities that match the reason for my stop. So I might pay a bit more for a travel plaza/hop off Interstate charge one moment, while looking for a cheaper or lower power option when we intend to stop and eat, or linger for some other reason.

[@Nicholas-f5]

It's as much or more than gas but competition will help, some have lounges with free coffee too

[@plugandplayEV]

Offsetting DC fast charging with lower-priced home and destination AC charging is the way to keep EV fueling costs lower than gas. DC charging at market prices will almost always be the most expensive option.

[@COSolar6419]

A brand new RAN location in Del Norte Colorado is open to all CCS EVs or others with an appropriate adapter. However the locations that are less than two years old are not (yet). I use home charging most of the time so it is not critical.

[@plugandplayEV]

These new gen 1.5 stations just pushed RAN past 100 today, which is good to see. I'm also hoping the Flagler CO station is open to all soon, as alongside the upgraded EA station it will hopefully become a good advert for EV travel.

[@cjrciadt]

Just installed in Del Norte Co, will try it in my Ioniq soon.

[@plugandplayEV]

Nice, safe travels with that one. Hoping they also add Flagler, CO soon. That one will make the I-70 Diner a bit of an EV hub.

[@emrimbiemri3211]

@@plugandplayEV Flager CO is open.

[@E_Schepp]

More chargers available to everyone is always great news! Are you expecting that Rivian will open up the "Rivian Waypoints Network" also soon to none Rivian's?

[@plugandplayEV]

For sure. Waypoints AC charging spots have been open to all models since launch in 2021, to the best of my recollection. I've certainly used them in Michigan with no problems.

[@teullet1]

The RAN in my town Hailey Idaho, permit got approved a year ago and nothing yet

[@MikeStamm1058]

I am very disappointed they haven't opened up the other sites. In Arizona I frequent Flagstaff which is about a 7,000 elevation gain and 150 miles. In the winter I roll in with about 5-10% state of charge. They have two Tesla supercharger stations in Flagstaff (one opened about a year ago with brand new gen 3 stations) the others are older gen 2 chargers and a Rivian station. Both Tesla and Rivian refuse to open the Flagstaff locations to other EVs so it forces everyone else to go to the EA station with Legacy ABB chargers. It's awful every time I have gone at least 2 of the 4 aren't working. In addition I would like to go to Organ Pipe National Monument. Once again both Tesla (although legacy gen 2 chargers) and Rivian have chargers in Gila Bend but refuse to open them. This makes this trip for me virtually impossible. I could likely do it and cut it super close but it's just not worth the risk.

[@plugandplayEV]

That's one of the reasons I was more interested in RAN opening up than Superchargers. In addition to full 1000V capabilities, some of their locations are uniquely useful for travel, as with the example you pointed out. Hoping it won't take too long to get those early stations upgraded so the whole network is available.

[@laloajuria4678]

they need to open up everything. theres not enough demand anyways and revenue is good.....

[@plugandplayEV]

It's always sad to see an empty RAN station in the same vicinity as a full Electrify America station, for sure.

[@diesela3]

Honestly I think Rivian is leaving money on the table by not opening up all their sites.

[@plugandplayEV]

I agree. Not that DCFC is a great business to be in just for selling energy, but the associated benefits of advertising to non-Rivian drivers and potentially getting them into membership plans would make a full open worth any logistical hitches, to my mind.

[@diesela3]

@@plugandplayEV It would definitely help drive brand awareness and the best part is they would likely make a small profit while doing that. Yes obviously charging isn't a huge cash cow due to the cost of building these sites. However, for the existing locations I think it's definitely a smart move to open them all up.

[@newscoulomb3705]

I'm definitely a bit disappointed, as I've mentioned. When I saw the announcement, I was looking at a number of well-placed sites along various routes that I occasionally travel. If they had a plan for upgrading the existing sites to be open to non-Rivian EV owners, I'd be a little more excited. Maybe I'm getting old and cranky, but I'm starting to develop a zero-tolerance attitude toward gatekeeping EV chargers. Whether it's trying to force people to use accounts and apps to activate or simply restricting access to a limited number of sites, I'm done with it.

[@plugandplayEV]

I think the plan is to retrofit gen 1 locations, I just don't know how many or on what timeframe. My original justification for thinking they would open the network eventually is that RAN locations would sit idle with only a small number of Rivians traversing the roads, leaving a large investment with little use. That still holds true for me now and I don't expect congestion to be an issue for them any time soon... perhaps this is just a shakedown phase to highlight any interop issues and kick start a wider upgrade program next year 🤔🤞

[@JSOowens]

@so why do you think they need to upgrade the chargers? Clearly you can control the charger with an app. They could even activate Plug & Charge for other EV’s. But they really don’t need the credit card reader and the screen do they? So why not open all of them up for people willing to deal with the app? I’m very disappointed that the RAN announcement is not at all tracking with reality - so far anyway.