Rivian has already confirmed that its short-term goal is to set up more than 3,500 DC fast chargers at 600 stations across North America within the next two years. Rivian’s existing DC fast chargers are currently capable of delivering more than 200 kW of energy and have the potential to go up to 300 kW in the future. On Rivian’s current models — the R1T pickup truck and the R1S crossover — these chargers can add more than 140 miles of range with a short 20-minute charge.
Besides building a comprehensive, well-spread-out DC fast charging network, Rivian is also working on creating a network of level 2 chargers which will be slower than the main ones. These chargers — which Rivian refers to as Waypoint chargers — will be mostly positioned at locations where EV users typically spend longer durations, such as hotel parking lots where the cars may be left plugged in overnight.
There is no denying that Rivian’s fast charging network — even post-expansion — will be significantly smaller than that of Tesla. However, third-party EVs will find it easier to hook up to Rivian’s chargers, given that the company uses an industry-standard charging plug, unlike Tesla, which only recently made its plug an open standard.
