Rivian NACS Adapters begin arriving!

[onesoil]

Mines slated to be here Monday

What’s your VIN and delivery date? I’m just curious because my dad has a VIN 58xx, June 2022 delivery R1T and never received the first email, but when I called Rivian CS for him they said he was supposed to get the first batch of opt-in emails, but that he was one of a group of people that didn’t receive the initial email due to some glitch. They told me that he should keep an eye out for the next email—a delivery notification email (they manually corrected the mistake).

I have a recently purchased VIN 102xx Demo truck, but this same person told me that it went off delivery date, not VIN. I ordered an A2Z adapter on 4/9 (no word that it’s shipped yet) since I figured I’d be way at the end of the list based on what the CS person told me… but tonight I got the opt-in email from Rivian for my truck. I’m now pretty sure it’s strictly VIN based since order/delivery date should be irrelevant with a recently purchased Demo truck ??‍

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[RivianGuyG]

I just order mine for piece on mind during the spring/summer road trips.
My trip plans are counting on RAN, EVgo and EA but will keep SC in the back pocket if needed.

I am actually planning a trip to both Big Bear and Pismo Beach (just for the sand dunes). Worst case I have to use a 110 in big bear

 

[devildog125]

What’s your VIN and delivery date? I’m just curious because my dad has a VIN 58xx, June 2022 delivery R1T and never received the first email, but when I called Rivian CS for him they said he was supposed to get the first batch of opt-in emails, but that he was one of a group of people that didn’t receive the initial email due to some glitch. They told me that he should keep an eye out for the next email—a delivery notification email (they manually corrected the mistake).

I have a recently purchased VIN 102xx Demo truck, but this same person told me that it went off delivery date, not VIN. I ordered an A2Z adapter on 4/9 (no word that it’s shipped yet) since I figured I’d be way at the end of the list based on what the CS person told me… but tonight I got the opt-in email from Rivian for my truck. I’m now pretty sure it’s strictly VIN based since order/delivery date should be irrelevant with a recently purchased Demo truck ??‍

I picked up my Launch Edition a few months ago used. My VIN is XX550 so its a super early build.

 

[RivianGuyG]

What’s your VIN and delivery date? I’m just curious because my dad has a VIN 58xx, June 2022 delivery R1T and never received the first email, but when I called Rivian CS for him they said he was supposed to get the first batch of opt-in emails, but that he was one of a group of people that didn’t receive the initial email due to some glitch. They told me that he should keep an eye out for the next email—a delivery notification email (they manually corrected the mistake).

I have a recently purchased VIN 102xx Demo truck, but this same person told me that it went off delivery date, not VIN. I ordered an A2Z adapter on 4/9 (no word that it’s shipped yet) since I figured I’d be way at the end of the list based on what the CS person told me… but tonight I got the opt-in email from Rivian for my truck. I’m now pretty sure it’s strictly VIN based since order/delivery date should be irrelevant with a recently purchased Demo truck ??‍

I received both OPT-IN emails R1S XX27XXX VIn, hopefully sooner than later.

 

[Rivtony]

What’s your VIN and delivery date? I’m just curious because my dad has a VIN 58xx, June 2022 delivery R1T and never received the first email, but when I called Rivian CS for him they said he was supposed to get the first batch of opt-in emails, but that he was one of a group of people that didn’t receive the initial email due to some glitch. They told me that he should keep an eye out for the next email—a delivery notification email (they manually corrected the mistake).

I have a recently purchased VIN 102xx Demo truck, but this same person told me that it went off delivery date, not VIN. I ordered an A2Z adapter on 4/9 (no word that it’s shipped yet) since I figured I’d be way at the end of the list based on what the CS person told me… but tonight I got the opt-in email from Rivian for my truck. I’m now pretty sure it’s strictly VIN based since order/delivery date should be irrelevant with a recently purchased Demo truck ??‍

I took delivery on 3/30/24 and received the opt-in on 4/4

 

[RWerksman]

I took delivery on 5/12/22 and I'm about to upgrade to a Max pack R1T. I hope my name is called prior to that.

 

[onesoil]

I am actually planning a trip to both Big Bear and Pismo Beach (just for the sand dunes). Worst case I have to use a 110 in big bear

I feel your pain. I’m going to Cape Cod in two weeks and supercharging would (will ??) make my trip down from VT way smoother (having done this trip, EA is terrible on most of the options on the way).

I really hope either my A2Z makes it, or (less likely), my dad’s Rivian issued Tesla adapter so I can borrow it.

Can anyone with an A2Z adapter chime in about how fast shipping took once your charger was marked as shipped? Where do they ship out of?

 

[Dave Cundiff]

Executive Summary: The NACS DC adapter manual assumes more knowledge than some owners will have. Some of the resulting misunderstandings may cause preventable problems, and impair adapter safety and function, in ways that are described below (along with recommendations for improvement).

*** Explanation ***

I used the QR code in the selected photo to find the manual. Most of the active forum participants will understand the instructions fully. However, I predict these problems in actual use with real customers.

*** 1 ***

On Page 5 and Page 8, the manual instructs, "Use the NACS DC adapter with DC fast chargers only. Don't attempt to use the adapter with an AC charger." Many owners will not be sure which NACS chargers are AC and which are DC. Furthermore, we will see more and more public use of a wider variety of NACS chargers, many of them with different appearances from the "Tesla Supercharger" and "Tesla Destination" models.

RECOMMENDATION: Add graphics that allow users to discern which kind of NACS charger they are looking at, and an instruction on how to figure it out if they're not sure.

*** 2 ***

On Page 6, the manual instructs, "Protect the NACS DC adapter from moisture, water, and foreign objects at all times."

RECOMMENDATION: No specific recommendation for the manual -- but this instruction suggests that a protective carrying case would be a wise investment. Rivian shouldn't slow down the fulfillment process, but I would pay $10-20 plus shipping for a well-constructed storage/carrying case for the official adapter.

*** 3 ***

On Page 9, the manual instructs, "When charging is complete, press the button on the top of the adapter to release the latch, and remove the plug with adapter from the vehicle." Two qualifiers are listed immediately below this sentence: "DANGER. Don't attempt to unplug the adapter without first ending the charge session. Don't try to remove the charge plug from the adapter while it's plugged into the vehicle."

TWO PROBLEMS HERE:
(1) The first phrase doesn't clarify what the author means by "when charging is complete." Is charging complete (a) when I decide the vehicle has been charged enough; or (b) when either I or the vehicle has actively ended the charging session? The next sentence, "Don't attempt to unplug the adapter without first ending the charge session," implies correctly that the correct answer is (b) -- but it uses different language than the first sentence, so some people will find it hard to interpret.
(2) The second sentence is the first in the sequence, but it is the second on the page. Readers who act on the first sentence before reading the second may not know that they missed something until they've already missed it.

RECOMMENDATION: Rearrange the primary sentence at the top of page 9 to read something like: "When charging is complete, first make sure that the flow of electricity has stopped and that the vehicle is no longer charging. Then press the button on the top of the adapter to release the latch, and remove the plug with adapter from the vehicle." No changes needed to the two bullets under "DANGER".

*** Why be so picky? ***

For those who think this level of detail is too picky, or beneath them, please recall Herman Wouk's brilliant observation in The Caine Mutiny, describing one aspect of the strategies that won World War II:

“The Navy is a master plan designed by geniuses for execution by idiots. If you are not an idiot, but find yourself in the Navy, you can only operate well by pretending to be one. All the shortcuts and economies and common-sense changes that your native intelligence suggests to you are mistakes. Learn to quash them. Constantly ask yourself, 'How would I do this if I were a fool?' Throttle down your mind to a crawl. Then you will never go wrong.”
-- https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/428350-the-navy-is-a-master-plan-designed-by-geniuses-for . (Sorry, I couldn't figure out how to adjust Goodreads' font size.)

My observation, which I think was also in The Caine Mutiny, is that when there are even more people of average or below-average intelligence involved in a system, the "geniuses" who design the system must be even more careful to anticipate all the ways in which their instructions might be misunderstood. When giving safety-related instructions to a large audience, you have to write very, very clearly!

*** Following through? ***

With a few changes, the NACS DC adapter manual can contribute to a safer and more functional experience for Rivian owners at every degree of sophistication -- if they read it.

Thanks for reading! Anyone know how to submit these observations and recommendations to the right person/team at Rivian?

 

[DeanB1452]

I feel your pain. I’m going to Cape Cod in two weeks and supercharging would (will ??) make my trip down from VT way smoother (having done this trip, EA is terrible on most of the options on the way).

I really hope either my A2Z makes it, or (less likely), my dad’s Rivian issued Tesla adapter so I can borrow it.

Can anyone with an A2Z adapter chime in about how fast shipping took once your charger was marked as shipped? Where do they ship out of?

Last month, I took a 4,800 mile trip from San Jose to Texas to see the eclipse, then up through Monument Valley, Moab, SLC, and Great Basin NP. I was keeping my fingers crossed that adapters would get to us before the start of my trip on April 4th. Hope dwindled and my chances of ordering an A2Z adapter had passed. I lucked out and threw it out on FaceBook that I was looking at borrowing one. I was fortunate enough to have another Rivian owner in Texas mail me his A2Z adapter to use for my trip. I did have a few issues at some of the Tesla SC's where it would stop charging and I had to re-initiate the charge. The crucial point was in Vernon and Quanah, TX where no other chargers were around. That's when it failed on me multiple times. I think it was a communication issue with Tesla and not the adapter. Sometimes it would send the billing to Rivian, even though I initiated the charge through the app. It kept shutting off every few minutes. I called Rivian and they said to call Tesla since it was their SC's. I called Tesla and they asked if I was using an approved adapter. Since I was using A2Z, they said they don't support third party adapters and I had to call Rivian for a tow truck. Thankfully, there was a Ford F-150 owner let me use his adapter and I delivered it to him in Amarillo. His adapter failed a few times for me too. It continued to fail the next day in New Mexico. After spending a few days in Moab and using the Magic Dock, I tried my luck in Salt Lake City and it worked flawlessly from that point on. So beware of third party adapters if you run into issues as Rivian and Tesla won't help.

 

[onesoil]

Last month, I took a 4,800 mile trip from San Jose to Texas to see the eclipse, then up through Monument Valley, Moab, SLC, and Great Basin NP. I was keeping my fingers crossed that adapters would get to us before the start of my trip on April 4th. Hope dwindled and my chances of ordering an A2Z adapter had passed. I lucked out and threw it out on FaceBook that I was looking at borrowing one. I was fortunate enough to have another Rivian owner in Texas mail me his A2Z adapter to use for my trip. I did have a few issues at some of the Tesla SC's where it would stop charging and I had to re-initiate the charge. The crucial point was in Vernon and Quanah, TX where no other chargers were around. That's when it failed on me multiple times. I think it was a communication issue with Tesla and not the adapter. Sometimes it would send the billing to Rivian, even though I initiated the charge through the app. It kept shutting off every few minutes. I called Rivian and they said to call Tesla since it was their SC's. I called Tesla and they asked if I was using an approved adapter. Since I was using A2Z, they said they don't support third party adapters and I had to call Rivian for a tow truck. Thankfully, there was a Ford F-150 owner let me use his adapter and I delivered it to him in Amarillo. His adapter failed a few times for me too. It continued to fail the next day in New Mexico. After spending a few days in Moab and using the Magic Dock, I tried my luck in Salt Lake City and it worked flawlessly from that point on. So beware of third party adapters if you run into issues as Rivian and Tesla won't help.

Wow, sounds like quite the adventure (and not the kind I, or more emphatically, my partner, likes to have).

I honestly planned to use the A2Z until one of our Tesla adapters shows up, then to sell while others are still waiting.

I’ll probably play any of the first couple trips we take conservative and try to only charge in places that have multiple options if at all possible (with enough range to make it to a backup CCS charger if need be).

I am worried that Tesla charging will get less and less reliable as the network opens up (especially with the massive supercharging team layoff this week—which isn’t making me feel as positive about the network opening as I was a couple weeks ago).

Only time will tell… let’s all hope for supercharger openings can at least provide a smoother bridge to some more reliable options—and maybe the RAN team will end up with some talent through this all, though I can’t imagine it’s a priority with the cash bonfire that is Rivian just trying to survive these next two years.

 

[Riviot]

RECOMMENDATION: No specific recommendation for the manual -- but this instruction suggests that a protective carrying case would be a wise investment. Rivian shouldn't slow down the fulfillment process, but I would pay $10-20 plus shipping for a well-constructed storage/carrying case for the official adapter.

There's plenty of room in the existing travel charger bag, no?

The Navy is a master plan designed by geniuses for execution by idiots.

Yeah, stick it to the squids! Puddle pirate 4 LIFE

 

[Dave Cundiff]

There's plenty of room in the existing travel charger bag, no?

You're probably right. I look forward to finding out! I might also put it in a Ziploc, so I can store it separately from the big case on a trip.

Yeah, stick it to the squids! Puddle pirate 4 LIFE

Where there's no conflict, there's nothing to write a novel about -- but my recollection is that Wouk admired the sailors he wrote about. Through danger, discomfort, and the often-incomprehensible nature of war, they served our country, responded creatively when needed, and saved the world.

Thank you for your service, @Riviot!

 

[mrgreat]

Finally got our "opt-in" email with the statement that the opt-in must be completed by August 2, 2024 to be eligible.

Delivery of our R1S was in April 2023, VIN ending in 0053xx.

Now waiting for the follow-up to confirm shipping address.

 

[Mike Hunt]

I am actually planning a trip to both Big Bear and Pismo Beach (just for the sand dunes). Worst case I have to use a 110 in big bear

That is a 1 mile per hour charging proposition. Get a dryer plug!

 

[RivianGuyG]

That is a 1 mile per hour charging proposition. Get a dryer plug!

Well I will be staying at a camping lodge, I doubt they have nema 15-50 that I can use.

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