Rivian Opens its Latest EV Charging Station to Other Brands

Rivian, a prominent player in the electric vehicle industry, has taken a significant step towards inclusivity. The company's latest EV charging station, the first to be open to other companies' vehicles, is now operational in California's Joshua Tree National Park.

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Rivian Adventure Network

The Rivian Adventure Network, which comprises 560 chargers at 92 sites across the country, has been exclusive to owners of the company's R1T and R1S vehicles. However, with billions of dollars in federal funding at stake, automakers are reassessing this exclusivity.

Federal Funding Requirements

One of the requirements for receiving federal funding for EV charging installation is that chargers need to be available to all EVs, not just a single brand. Tesla began opening its network to non-Tesla EVs in 2023 and open-sourced its charging plug, renaming it the North American Charging Standard (NACS).

Rivian's Charging Technology

Rivian's EV chargers use the standard CCS connector for DC fast charging. But the stations are still exclusive to Rivian vehicles thanks to proprietary software. With today's announcement, the company is beginning the process of unwinding that exclusivity.