- Rivian models will be able to use the Tesla Supercharger network starting today.
- Rivian will ship owners of the R1S SUV and R1T truck free adapters for the Tesla NACS charger next month.
- New Rivians will be fitted with the NACS port from the factory starting in 2025.
Over the past year, the automotive industry has almost collectively accepted that Tesla’s proprietary NACS charging outlet—and subsequently its expansive Supercharger network—is the best solution to the public charging conundrum. As of today, Rivian drivers now have access to over 15,000 Superchargers across North America, and a free adapter is on the way.
Along with nearly every other automaker, Rivian announced plans to transition to the Tesla-style port and create an adapter for owners of existing Rivians with the CCS port. The company today said that owners will begin receiving their complimentary NACS adapter next month. The adapter is only compatible with V3 chargers, which run at 250 kilowatts. According to Rivian, Tesla determined that V2 chargers, which are capable of feeding electricity to the car at 150 kW, aren’t compatible with vehicles using these adapters.
Compatible Superchargers are also now visible in Rivian’s navigation system, which will show both charger speeds and availability. A “plug and charge” feature has automatic billing, so you simply pull up to the charger and plug it in, with the charge going to the payment method you have connected to your account on the Rivian application. This negates the need to download a separate app and set up a separate account.
We were able to get access to a NACS adapter and tested out the charging experience in our long-term Rivian R1T at our local Supercharger network. We found the experience quick and painless. We first selected the Supercharger on the navigation page on the 15.6-inch touchscreen. Once we arrived, we simply parked, plugged in, and sat back and relaxed. One note for Rivian owners: If you don’t see Superchargers appearing on your vehicle’s map, just deselect “adapter required” in the “Hide” tab.
New R1S SUVs and R1T trucks will begin emerging from the factory with the NACS charge port sometime in 2025. But until then, current Rivian owners will easily be able to use the Tesla Supercharger network via the free adapters, opening up a plethora of new charging locations.
Caleb Miller began blogging about cars at 13 years old, and he realized his dream of writing for a car magazine after graduating from Carnegie Mellon University and joining the Car and Driver team. He loves quirky and obscure autos, aiming to one day own something bizarre like a Nissan S-Cargo, and is an avid motorsports fan.