Just hours after Ford (F) announced its electric Mustang Mach-E and F-150 Lightning vehicles in the United States and Canada are getting access to Tesla's (TSLA) Superchargers immediately, another automaker is sharing specifics about access to the network.
Rivian (RIVN) , which, like Ford, previously announced plans to join Tesla's charging network, is finally giving a firm timeframe for vehicle owners to look forward to. Folks with a Rivian R1S or R1T will receive an update in March that adds Supercharging spots to its trip planning functionality in the vehicle and in the companion mobile app.
Soon after, the company will begin shipping the required adapter to vehicle owners. Rivian vehicles feature the CCS, so the adapter will be to NACS (the North American Charging Standard) to let the vehicles use a Supercharger. Rivian has also announced that the R1S and R1T from 2024 will feature the NACS sport; it remains to be seen if the forthcoming R2 will have CCS or NACS — that will be cleared up on Mar. 7, 2024.
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Ford is offering eligible customers the chance to get the adapter for free through June 30, 2024, after which it'll cost $230. The automaker plans for all vehicles by 2025 to natively feature the NACS plug.
Supercharger access is coming to Rivian – that’s 15,000 more fast chargers for Rivian owners across North America. In March we’ll be adding Supercharger sites to our vehicle and app trip planner with adapter shipments to owners starting soon after. Start planning your road trips!
— Rivian (@Rivian) February 29, 2024
Rivian had previously confirmed it would be switching to the Tesla connector when the decision to adopt the Tesla Supercharging Network was announced. When the support launches in March 2024, Rivian vehicles can stop at nearly 15,000 Tesla Supercharging spots.
For Rivian owners, this is excellent news, as you'll have more chargers available on routes across the United States and Canada. For Tesla owners, it could result in longer wait times for a charger at a Supercharging station and an issue with fitting all the vehicles properly in parking spots. All Teslas feature a charging port on the vehicle's rear driver side, but that's not a standard spot across the electric vehicle market.
Rivian
The R1S and R1T sport two charging ports — one on the front driver side and one on the front passenger side. This would result in Rivians needing to pull straight into a spot while Tesla needs to be backed in to reach the charging cord. It might also be time for Tesla to consider lengthening the charging cords at its stations, considering the planned influx of different vehicle types.
As of now, Ford has adopted the network and the standard first, with Rivian coming in second. Other automakers, including BMW, Honda, General Motors, and Volkswagen, have also announced partnerships with Tesla, but we're still awaiting details on the rollout.
Rivian's update on supporting Tesla's Supercharger network comes a few days after the automaker updated its iOS app with support for Live Activities. This feature allows Rivian owners to track vehicle charging from the lock screen or at the Dynamic Island on an iPhone 14 Pro, 14 Pro Max, 15, 15 Plus, 15 Pro, or 15 Pro Max.
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