Tesla’s Charging Reign Expands as Rivian Plugs In
In a significant move, Rivian, the American electric vehicle manufacturer, has joined the ranks of Ford and General Motors in adopting Tesla’s charging standard known as the North American Charging Standard (NACS). This key decision comes on the heels of similar announcements from other leading automotive players.
Existing Rivian vehicles are set to receive a NACS adapter and future vehicles, including the current R1T and R1S models, will be fitted with the NACS charge port as standard gear. This means Rivian’s customer base will soon be able to take advantage of Tesla’s extensive Supercharger network.
Rivian’s CEO and founder, RJ Scaringe, expressed the company’s enthusiasm about collaborating with Tesla. “The adoption of the North American Charging Standard will enable our existing and future customers to leverage Tesla’s expansive Supercharger network while we continue to build out our Rivian Adventure Network,” Scaringe said.
Rivian isn’t stepping back from developing its own charging infrastructure, though. The company plans to continue the expansion of the Rivian Adventure Network, a network of DC fast chargers set up along popular routes and highways. It remains to be seen whether these stations will also incorporate NACS chargers.
Tesla’s charging standard is rapidly gaining ground in the American electric vehicle industry, with Rivian, Ford, and General Motors adopting the technology. Yet, international automakers have not yet pledged allegiance to Tesla’s charging standard.
Rivian’s decision to use the NACS underlines the importance of a unified charging standard for the growing electric vehicle sector. As electric vehicle adoption accelerates, the ability to use a widespread, efficient charging network could be a major factor driving customer choice in the market.
