End of my dream

[JaMa]

I would not say it "blows." I've used it plenty in the PNW and haven't been stranded. Does EA have issues at times? Sure. Does Tesla? Yes. Does EA have *more* issues than Tesla right now? Yes. Are they generally catastrophic? No.

Yeah certainly true - as stated your mileage may vary. Here in Texas, CCS is a tough proposition. If I look at a map of any area of Texas (aside from Austin obviously) - there are like NO EA stations, or there are lower speed chargers that - on a 135kwh battery - are basically useless for 'quick charging' on a road trip. Admittedly, Tesla is HQ here and has worked HARD to get the stations up to spec and because we have the HQ nearby the general attention we've got compared to others is much much higher. So, comparing them is admittedly unfair.

Admittedly, I hate taking road trips in my Tesla as well. Its just a pain - if its more than 200 miles, I am generally flying these days. I am just not a patient soul, so I prefer not to mess with it.

IMHO the real answer in the short term is planning. Charge at home as much as you can, if you have to use EA or another network - leave yourself a buffer in terms of range, and hope that in the near future Tesla opens their network to everyone.

Thanks to all the smart-(&^%^%) who said I should cancel my order. No. When it comes if I hate it, youll be the first to know. In the meantime look forward to plenty more from me on here

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[the long way downunder]

Rivian has a huge problem (easily solved) with the way the software can "brick" the R1 for no good reason. There needs to be two things:
(1) a hardware override for the driver to compel the vehicle to dismiss errors and warnings
(2) remote software control for tech support to override vehicle errors and warnings

If you're out of cellular coverage or there's an emergency, you need a way to just compel the vehicle to get going and let the driver take responsibility for the malfunctioning frunk latch or whatever.

If there's no drama and it's just a charging problem or a glitch in some sensor deciding the vehicle is immobilized, tech support needs access and control to work with the driver and deal with the situation, get the vehicle moving and not immediately resort to a tow truck and all the hassles.

 

[EricT]

When we fly in General Aviation (GA: small personal planes), we ALWAYS have to plan for fuel stops; (falling out of the sky is not an option), it's just part of the trip planning. Sometimes that involves calling ahead to make sure that those fuel pumps are operating and have gas. Sometimes it means taking a break before we really need it to overfly areas where we don't have resources.

Does it require more planning? Might we have a bit of limitation to our plans? Sure. Does it diminish the "fun-ness" of the trip? Not at all. Remember (as already said) we're at the frontier of this adventure and are ground breakers as it were.

Of course with Tesla opening up their charging network, and with Rivian's moving forward with THEIR RAN (1 in CO and 2 in CA, planned 600 by the end of of the year if I remember correctly), It's just going to get better.

Also, remember; we're not burning (as much) fossil fuels, and you're in an investment for your kids. That might be a valuable lesson for them (we have some limitations to our "freedoms") but point out WHY ("so we can do this more in the future").

Can you tell I'm a teacher? Have fun.

 

[intimidator]

Apparently OP has not owned a boat.

Ha Ha Ha...... you got that right!

(I get the frustration though. Our country's EV charging network is junk...if you don't have a Tesla. Electrify America seems to be awful. Can you imagine if 40% of the time you pulled into a Sunoco or Exxon station, their pumps didn't work?)

 

[intimidator]

The charging frustration is real. If not for my home charger I would have sold my Rivian already...
I'm glad I ended up keeping mine and hope for the same for you. The hood issue on top of the possibility of being stranded with your family would be a little stressful. And kinda takes the fun out of the situation.

We have learned that we need to research chargers along our path using more than one app. I've even called ahead to make sure there aren't any reported issues. Being an early adopter has it's downsides, especially if the family isn't on board with the possibilities of real life challenges

Hope you are able to hang in there

Would the charging experience been any better with a Ford Lightning?

I assume not, since they both have similar range.

Our Department of Electric Car Advancement in Washington DC needs to work on building out a RELIABLE Charging network. Oh, we don't have such a department you say? Hmmm. Let's get rid of the Department of Energy then, and reuse the office space for this new DECA.

 

[jjswan33]

Would the charging experience been any better with a Ford Lightning?

I assume not, since they both have similar range.

Our Department of Electric Car Advancement in Washington DC needs to work on building out a RELIABLE Charging network. Oh, we don't have such a department you say? Hmmm. Let's get rid of the Department of Energy then, and reuse the office space for this new DECA.

That depends on what the issue OP was having was, being a hard reset fixed it I suspect the Lightning would have fared better.

Also what is your experience with the CCS charging network. You claim that the CCS charging network is junk and throw out we can expect 40% of stations might be down. That has not been my experience at all. I suspect overall <1% of EA stations are completely offline nationwide.

 

[douginder]

Hi guys, new to Rivian, just got mine a week ago. I just sold my 2013 Model S which I kept for about 9.5 years. Back in the early days, a road trip with a Tesla could possibly also create a scenario like this, although the supercharger network was not that bad in the beginning, there were some snafus. That proprietary network was so important to Tesla and they kept it perfectly up and running because they had real skin in the game. EA needs more competition in the Level 2+ charging infrastructure arena otherwise they will remain sluggish.

I would likely not do a road trip right now to some remote areas unless I was absolutely certain that I could find multiple chargers on the way. If I were to plan a road trip with a Rivian now, I would try to find hotels on the way that have Tesla destination chargers and carry a J1772 adapter like the Lectron or TeslaTap with me. Otherwise, yes you could be in a world of pain. Although for most of us, 300 mile range should provide plenty of chargers for most of our shorter road trips.

Innovation will come as more of these and other EVs are on the road in the next few years.

 

[Denver_Paulie]

Sorry to hear about your troubles, OP, and just ignore the "Rivian can do no wrong" crowd on here.

Chargers are unfortunately quite inconsistent and we've seen plenty of issues with R1Ts so far. The thing I'd tell someone considering a Rivian is to be prepared for significant issues with both charging and the car.

Currently the R1T is an adventure vehicle but the adventure (or misadventure) is in owning it. Did you get lucky and get one of the few without issues? Are the issues minor and you can live with them? Or do you now own a very expensive brick?

In your situation I'd highly recommend selling it for a nice profit and circling back in a couple of years to see where Rivian is at. Don't force yourself to like a vehicle just because people on a forum claim it's amazing.

Frank is totally right.

Not sure about the CCS charging infrastructure? Then, cancel your Rivian reservations people!!!!!

Let the people who are cool in being pioneers skip to the front of the line. I don't have the luxury of a "friends and family" option at Rivian, so I am playing the "cancel your reservation" card to skip ahead.

New to EVs? Own a tEsla? Delay the charging frustration and cancel your order!!! Save yourself the agony of having to post your pain on this forum and just cancel your Rivian order!!!

 

[mgc0216]

Let the people who are cool in being pioneers skip to the front of the line. I don't have the luxury of a "friends and family" option at Rivian, so I am playing the "cancel your reservation" card to skip ahead.

Have you considered starting a YouTube channel - I hear that can help move you to the front of the line.

 

[Rivianation]

This is a forum to support each other, not criticize or poke fun at for what some feel is trivial.The OP is obviously frustrated and has a valid complaint.

Hmm. If the OP's expectations are inflated why is that our bad for pointing it out. The other 95% of us who don't have our Rivian's yet will have a much more sorted out car when we finally get ours. He's at the front of the line so there are niggles to deal with. A bad hood sensor? Dump the car in a lake! Congrats to him on being first. Seeing some barely used Rivian's being sold for $120,000 means we can rest easy the OP will be just fine.

 

[Denver_Paulie]

Have you considered starting a YouTube channel - I hear that can help move you to the front of the line.

Yeah, I am too old, too ugly, and too opinionated for Youtube. Hence the "cancel your Rivian" tactic for the "CCS charging sucks" crowd.

Just trying to help them avoid a lot of frustration, misery, and blood pressure issues. Not to mention a potential domestic issue if you have have issues charging and a mate/partner is in the car. I learned my lesson twice, so I don't have to worry about that!!!

I will gladly take all the Rivian charging woes to move forward 6 months in the queue.

 

[DaveA]

Yeah certainly true - as stated your mileage may vary. Here in Texas, CCS is a tough proposition. If I look at a map of any area of Texas (aside from Austin obviously) - there are like NO EA stations, or there are lower speed chargers that - on a 135kwh battery - are basically useless for 'quick charging' on a road trip. Admittedly, Tesla is HQ here and has worked HARD to get the stations up to spec and because we have the HQ nearby the general attention we've got compared to others is much much higher. So, comparing them is admittedly unfair.

Admittedly, I hate taking road trips in my Tesla as well. Its just a pain - if its more than 200 miles, I am generally flying these days. I am just not a patient soul, so I prefer not to mess with it.

IMHO the real answer in the short term is planning. Charge at home as much as you can, if you have to use EA or another network - leave yourself a buffer in terms of range, and hope that in the near future Tesla opens their network to everyone.

Thanks to all the smart-(&^%^%) who said I should cancel my order. No. When it comes if I hate it, youll be the first to know. In the meantime look forward to plenty more from me on here

i mean....there are EA stations....lacking in panhandle and south texas, for sure though...

 

[kylealden]

The original post is pretty dramatic, but the CCS situation (especially Electrify America) is pretty dire. In the Northwest I feel OK about it because PlugShare is pretty dependable and there is usually a less-desirable fallback option (tons of 50kW chargers out there on PlugShare), but there are a bunch of compounding frurstrations:

• Chargers are fragmented so you need a crowd-sourced app like PlugShare to even see all the options
• Every network has it's own terrible app, requires an account, has some byzantine sign-up process, and is often wildly unintuitive to activate
• EA is flat-out terrible (40-60% failure rate in my experience)
• Rivian nav only knows about a subset of the chargers and sometimes makes weird recommendations (stop ten miles earlier to charge at a 50kW charger for 90 minutes instead of soldering on and charging at the 350kW charger for 30 minutes...)

Of these, the Rivian nav is actually the smallest offender in my mind. The total charger chaos is the biggest problem. I honestly think PlugShare needs to offer an API that can integrate with all these in-car solutions and offer a richer charger map.

RAN build-out, and the Supercharger network opening up, are probably the two best hopes on the horizon, but they will slightly compound the fragmentation problem. But increasing density will take pressure off of all these factors and the networks are at least growing fast.

When we fly in General Aviation (GA: small personal planes), we ALWAYS have to plan for fuel stops; (falling out of the sky is not an option), it's just part of the trip planning. Sometimes that involves calling ahead to make sure that those fuel pumps are operating and have gas. Sometimes it means taking a break before we really need it to overfly areas where we don't have resources.

Does it require more planning? Might we have a bit of limitation to our plans? Sure. Does it diminish the "fun-ness" of the trip? Not at all. Remember (as already said) we're at the frontier of this adventure and are ground breakers as it were.

This is exactly how I explain it to people who are skeptics. Everyone has different capacity for pre-planning. Most trips in an EV are possible and in relatively built-out regions, are relatively low-headache - but you do have to do a little homework. For some people, that's not a big deal - you plan it out, you familiarize yourself with backup options, and you head out. Others want to drive until the red light comes on and then look for a gas station. Know which one you are and you know if you're ready for an EV yet. (I'm also a GA pilot so maybe it's why EVs never really bothered me ?)

Ha Ha Ha...... you got that right!

(I get the frustration though. Our country's EV charging network is junk...if you don't have a Tesla. Electrify America seems to be awful. Can you imagine if 40% of the time you pulled into a Sunoco or Exxon station, their pumps didn't work?)

Coming back from Oregon yesterday, I stopped to charge at the 350kW EA station in Ellensburg. 10/10 on PlugShare.

When I got there, two of the four chargers were occupied by Mach E's. The other two were errored out. When one car left, I pulled in and the charger had errored out and wouldn't connect. I had to wait for the second Mach E to leave (and chase off an e-tron that tried to steal my spot in line) before finally plugging in at the fourth stall, which worked but disconnected every 5-10 minutes. I tried calling EA but never got past the hold music before I finally got things sorted out.

This stuff is flat out inexcusable and is going to chase a lot of people away from EVs. Given how much of EA's buildout has been settlement-forced penance for their VW crimes, it's almost enough to wonder if they're not violating some term of their settlement. If not, they're certainly thumbing their nose at the spirit of it.

RAN can't come fast enough, but we also probably need federally mandated standards for plug-and-charge and some kind of universal centralized metadata store with location/speed/availability data. A man can dream, anyway.

(There are bright spots. A new 350kW EVgo station by my office charges a low per-minute fee and reliably holds >210kW all the way up to 50% in my R1T, as long as it's not too hot out. If I unplug around 50%, it's significantly cheaper per-kW than even my home utility rates, and has been 100% reliable. Not too shabby.)

 

[jjswan33]

The original post is pretty dramatic, but the CCS situation (especially Electrify America) is pretty dire. In the Northwest I feel OK about it because PlugShare is pretty dependable and there is usually a less-desirable fallback option (tons of 50kW chargers out there on PlugShare), but there are a bunch of compounding frurstrations:

• Chargers are fragmented so you need a crowd-sourced app like PlugShare to even see all the options
• Every network has it's own terrible app, requires an account, has some byzantine sign-up process, and is often wildly unintuitive to activate
• EA is flat-out terrible (40-60% failure rate in my experience)
• Rivian nav only knows about a subset of the chargers and sometimes makes weird recommendations (stop ten miles earlier to charge at a 50kW charger for 90 minutes instead of soldering on and charging at the 350kW charger for 30 minutes...)

Coming back from Oregon yesterday, I stopped to charge at the 350kW EA station in Ellensburg. 10/10 on PlugShare.

When I got there, two of the four chargers were occupied by Mach E's. The other two were errored out. When one car left, I pulled in and the charger had errored out and wouldn't connect. I had to wait for the second Mach E to leave (and chase off an e-tron that tried to steal my spot in line) before finally plugging in at the fourth stall, which worked but disconnected every 5-10 minutes. I tried calling EA but never got past the hold music before I finally got things sorted out.

I agree with 3/4 of your points but I am really surprised/curious about your 40-60% failure rate on EA, that has not been my experience at all.

If the Mach-E was charging fine and it still errored out on the Rivian that suggests (to me at least) a Rivian problem, along with your last point that I whole heartedly agree, trust but verify what the Rivian NAV is suggesting.

What does errored out mean? What was the error.

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