Rivian provides plug & charge to EA and IONNA charging networks - article

[Tooney]

https://stories.rivian.com/charging-updates-holiday-travel
With the next software update, we’re adding real time charger availability and speeds into Rivian’s navigation and mobile app, plus Plug & Charge for two popular networks: Electrify America and IONNA. You’ll be able to see more information about a stop and then seamlessly charge and pay at Electrify America’s more than 5,000 chargers and growing, as well as all IONNA Rechargeries.

Our charging network is designed to bring you peace of mind. Rivian drivers have access to more than 50,000 DC fast charging stations in North America, covering central travel corridors in major cities to the borders of remote national parks, making exploration and cross-country road trips possible. The Rivian Adventure Network is our own growing network of fast, reliable chargers, powered by 100% renewable energy and located around popular destinations and adventure routes to better support drivers in their adventures. And Rivian drivers also have access to the Tesla Supercharger Network.

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[Tucson_Jim]

I had my first Rivian charger experience last week in Wickenburg, AZ. Previously, going to Vegas, had to hoof it all the way to Kingman. Very pleasant Kingman location right across the street from the public library (clean rest rooms) in the downtown area. Painless plug - pay and charge experience.

While there, I met the Rivian field engineer who is responsible for this part of the network. He told me about their Kingman location and I went there next. Same great experience and a nice alternative to EA's location/congestion.

Rivian's app is limited to their vehicles when it comes to range and trip planning, but is useful for locating other Rivian charging sites. I found another in Vegas where the EA chargers are always busy. This one is at the extreme SW corner of the Town Center shopping complex. Once again, nobody else there and a great charging experience.

Most of these locations had variable rates with a "peak" time period starting at 8AM.

One glitch in their mapping - returning home, the app directed me to a "Rivian" site in Glendale, AZ. Turned out to be Tesla chargers. Despite the Tesla app saying it was compatible with non-Tesla vehicles and my use of the Porsche adapter, I received a "Connection lost" message on three separate charging towers. My limited Tesla experience to date has been hit and miss.

 

[Jonathan S.]

Earlier this week I decided to charge along the way to NH since I had picked up my Taycan from the body shop too late to charge to 100% before my departure time.

So I checked out the Rivian station in Brattleboro VT that opened within the last year or so to all marques.

Amazingly, this DCFC is located immediately off of an interstate exit.
Just like a gas station - wow, what a new idea for CCS1 DCFC!
And the location even is a gas station, in the back of a parking lot. So convenience store amenities and restrooms (although of course I improvised for the latter amidst the electrical equipment).

To authorize the session, I opened Apple Wallet on my phone, held up against the charger, then double-clicked on a credit card.
Just like paying for something at even, say, some small-scale merchant or cafe - wow, what a new idea for a CCS1 DCFC with nearly a million dollars in invested capital!

Speed, I was at too high a SoC to assess. But I noticed a warning about 480v, so probably max for us in the 130s like TSCN, our the claimed 200kW max would hit our i4 charging curve for all but a few kW for a few minutes.

Cord, on the short side, and the wrong side for us. I’m using the wrong charger for my parking spot. But the sixth charger is standalone and accessible from any orientation.
The fifth charger would be accessible for us by parallel parking.
For the first four chargers, if only one were available, backing in *might* work. Another alternative would be parking in the “wrong” section and pulling the cable straight across the divider.

Meanwhile, the NEVI station further north, built, owned, and operated by a company whose CEO is my wife’s brother, and the only NEVI station across the four states of CT, MA, VT, and NH, still seems to be struggling with its federally mandated 97% uptime requirement (except in the sense that all the chargers are presumably still standing upright).

 

[Jonathan S.]

This past Thursday I charged at the Rivian station in West Lebanon NH.
As with the Brattleboro VT station, of the six chargers, five were in a row, then the sixth was off on its own for trailers etc (and was indeed in use by a Rivian with a trailer).

Authorization was super quick via Apple Wallet, and the final cost of $23.95 was ... declined by USAA?
I'm rather baffled how that was declined, as well as how the charging session still was completed just fine.

I went from 46% to 96% in the time it took to buy $164.52 worth of groceries at the supermarket in the same parking lot.
(Same cc via Apple Wallet worked just fine, adding to the mystery of how it was ultimately declined at Rivian.)
Since that might not be considered a standard unit of measurement, here is what I recorded in screen shots from the Porsche app:

• 149kW @ 56%
• 95.6kW @ 80%
• 80.7kW @ 90%
• 46.0kW @ 96%

Air temp was probably high 30sF.
Battery temp was ~90F IIRC.

 

[Jonathan S.]

Here is how I parked - I haven’t tested yet whether I can use the intended spot for each charger by backing in:

 

[Jonathan S.]

Thanksgiving dinner did not live up to its potential, as everyone obeyed the No Politics Rule, most notably my Trump-voting in-laws and their Mamdani-voting granddaughter.

However, I was asked if I had charged at any Rivian stations? Why yes, I have, both Brattleboro VT and West Lebanon NH.
“Those Rivian chargers stations are the best!” was the enthusiastic confirmation from my questioner.
And who was this person? My wife’s brother who is the CFO of the company that built and owns the failed NEVI station!

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