Rivian needs more destination stops a la Tesla diner

[CampfireWisdom]

Wouldn’t it be amazing if Rivian had a destination outpost with easy access to hiking trails or some other type of outdoor experience or attraction.

The Tesla Diner experience sounds truly amazing, and I sincerely hope that Rivian took notes.

I’m not yet a Rivian owner (soon), but for those owners in SoCal… do any of the destinations around here offer anything truly enticing?

Curiously yours,

Greg

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[CharonPDX]

It's a diner. That ain't exciting. It has giant screens that constantly show off "ISN"T MUSK GREAT‽" content.

Rivian has "Rivian Outposts" like the Joshua Tree RAN. Those are much more in line with Rivian's ethos than a crappy diner in a neighborhood that doesn't want them.

 

[Rivian Owner]

There is only one RAN charger in all of Idaho and it isn't close to any adventure destination, last I checked; so before investing in ancillary services I hope Rivian invests in more chargers. I'm sure the people in Montana and Wyoming would agree?

 

[beatle]

I'd rather they just put them in areas with 24/7 amenities like Sheetz, Wawa, Buc-ees, or other travel plazas - kind of like what Tesla has done. They don't need to do their own branding for these stops. You're also not likely to hike for 20-30 minutes and then get back in the truck. Plus, the trucks generally have enough range that you can drive to your destination and get back to a charger. If you can't do that, then a charger is needed at the midpoint, not the destination where it will service fewer drivers.

Charging an EV is a novelty at first which probably makes an automaker-branded stop more interesting, but after a little while you just want it to be reliable and uneventful so you can get to where you're going.

Further, a lot of truly out of the way places where you might want to hike are not going to have access to the electrical infrastructure necessary to charge a vehicle at any meaningful rate without a lot of additional investment. Dropping a charging station in the middle of the woods starts to look more wasteful and disruptive of nature than meaningful and useful.

 

[ndmiller]

I'd rather they just put them in areas with 24/7 amenities like Sheetz, Wawa, Buc-ees, or other travel plazas - kind of like what Tesla has done.

Can't wait until Quick Trip and Racetrack partner with someone/anyone on charging infrastructure. Their parking lots are huge and I need an excuse to get some ice cream or a roller dog.

Bojangles just announced they were adding charging infrastructure which is great, but how much bojanges can one family eat on a roadtrip.

 

[COdogman]

I get your point. The idea of charging and grabbing a bite to eat is nice. But I hope Rivian sticks with what they know and just keeps expanding their network and chooses places near existing amenities.

Running a profitable restaurant is one of the toughest prospects of any industry. They don’t need new ways to lose money

 

[Hereforthesnacks]

Rivian needs to build a network for the average person using their cars. 95% use them as daily drivers. Rivian barely has any cash and had less and less revenue. They need to spend every penny improving the customer experience, QCing cars, and building a product for the masses.

If Rivian spent a dime on a diner or outpost experience, it would be nuts.

Plus the diner is just average food and Tesla propaganda. Who wants that?

 

[docwhiz]

Wouldn’t it be amazing if Rivian had a destination outpost with easy access to hiking trails or some other type of outdoor experience or attraction.

The Tesla Diner experience sounds truly amazing, and I sincerely hope that Rivian took notes.

I’m not yet a Rivian owner (soon), but for those owners in SoCal… do any of the destinations around here offer anything truly enticing?

Curiously yours,

Greg

The Tesla diner is a stupid idea.
I do like Rivian's Yosemite outpost. More of these.

 

[Mathme]

Rivian has done pretty well at their RAN locations for food/entertainment options that they don't need to manage. Their outpost concept is more in line with Rivian's ethos and there are three of those that I know of and those tend to offer insights to the local attractions (Joshua Tree, Yosemite, Hamptons). Additionally, RANs are also typically located where there are food or shopping - including REI which is generally a dangerous stop for me.

 

[runwithscissors]

RAN pricing is nuts and hardly anywhere so I'll happily keep using Tesla with an adapter. The only downside with Tesla charging is having to use the app in order to get the discount.

 

[UnsungZero_OldTimeAdMan]

You have any idea how hard the restaurant business is? No Rivian should not do everything Tesla does. Some of Tesla’s ideas are just bad. I’d rather Rivian leave business not related to its cars to someone else; and avoid diluting its resources. Rivian needs to be its own brand. It never should become Tesla 2.0.

Those who want Rivian to be just like Tesla, and their R1 to be just like their Tesla car, should just stick with Tesla.

 

[VSG]

I read this the other day:
https://www.thedrive.com/news/teslas-los-angeles-diner-is-a-trojan-horse-and-a-wake-up-call

TL;DR: I'm not sure why you think this would be a great thing for Rivian to do - it's not even turning out great for Tesla. Or rather, it's turned out to be less about convenient EV infrastructure and more about being a burger joint.

I am all in favor of companies trying out different concepts in EV charging. After all there has been 100 years of experiments leading to our current petroleum-based fueling infrastructure, and it's still evolving. There is going to be a lot of evolution in transportation over the next few decades, and there is going to be a lot of learning involved in getting it "right". Copying ideas is great if they succeed, but better to learn lessons from all the current infrastructure then innovate with new ideas. I don't know if the Rivian outposts will prove to be a success long term either, but I'm glad Rivian is trying out different concepts.

 

[UnsungZero_OldTimeAdMan]

I read this the other day:
https://www.thedrive.com/news/teslas-los-angeles-diner-is-a-trojan-horse-and-a-wake-up-call

TL;DR: I'm not sure why you think this would be a great thing for Rivian to do - it's not even turning out great for Tesla. Or rather, it's turned out to be less about convenient EV infrastructure and more about being a burger joint.

I am all in favor of companies trying out different concepts in EV charging. After all there has been 100 years of experiments leading to our current petroleum-based fueling infrastructure, and it's still evolving. There is going to be a lot of evolution in transportation over the next few decades, and there is going to be a lot of learning involved in getting it "right". Copying ideas is great if they succeed, but better to learn lessons from all the current infrastructure then innovate with new ideas. I don't know if the Rivian outposts will prove to be a success long term either, but I'm glad Rivian is trying out different concepts.

I can see Rivian inviting food trucks to their Spaces and Outposts. Beyond that too little ROI with huge legal liability. Better to invest in well placed charging sites and leave amenities to local businesses.

 

[VSG]

"Better" is subjective - I don't think anyone has figured out a great business model for DCFC yet. Selling electricity at a small markup over costs is not competitive. They're all being subsidized or making money through other means.

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