Electric vehicle startup Rivian expects to connect its customers to Tesla Superchargers in the near future, with trip-planning support launching in March.
Starting this month, Rivian drivers will be able to view Supercharger stations along their route when using the company’s navigation platform, available within the vehicle or via the brand’s mobile application. In a social media post, the EV maker noted the move would make 15,000 additional charging outlets available to its customers, with “adapter shipments to owners starting soon after.”
The announcement arrived on the same day Ford revealed its customers would be the first to gain access to Tesla’s charging network. The Detroit automaker also revealed it will be distributing free adapters to its EV drivers until July, after which it will charge $230 per unit. Rivian has yet to confirm how much its own Supercharger connectors will cost when they are released.
Rivian was one of multiple automakers that committed to adopting Tesla’s North American Charging Standard (NACS) last year. Although originally developed privately for the Supercharger network, the Elon Musk-led brand advertised it would be willing to open the standard up to competitors, giving them access to its charging stations, provided they signed an agreement. Ford was the first to reach a deal with Tesla for the NACS, a decision that was quickly replicated by General Motors. The moves created a cascading effect across the industry that saw virtually every car manufacturer commit to supporting the standard in future models.
Tesla’s Supercharger network is the largest in the U.S. and the world, operating about 50,000 chargers in total. For comparison, the Rivian Adventure Network operates a combined 340 chargers at just 57 sites. With inadequate charging infrastructure often cited as a key obstacle to EV ownership, automakers are betting that adoption of the NACS will drive U.S. sales. In the short term, this strategy is likely to benefit consumers and manufacturers. However, neither Tesla nor any current charging solutions company will be capable of meeting projected EV demand in the future without drastically increasing the number of available stations.
