R2 spotted charging via NACS port at Tesla Supercharger

[atebit]

Although a shockingly large number of drivers of large pick-up trucks back into parking spaces (which drives me nuts ‍

Me too. Back-in apologists claim that “pulling out is easier”. But they have no answer when I bring up Newtons’s lesser-known 4th law, “Conservation of Backing Up”, that occurs during the initial parking phase.

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[JeepEVer]

Not used to reversing a larger vehicle, I wonder how many new R2 owners will be posting complaints about port location (and committing fender benders) trying to charge at EA etc.. Some EA sites are very tight. I know a few (at banks) that would have you headed the wrong way, in a one-way lot, if reversed in.

There are plenty of terrible Tesla drivers that manage to successfully back into charging stations.

 

[Acoustic71]

Me too. Back-in apologists claim that “pulling out is much easier.”

I have always found that pulling out is rather difficult at times.

 

[Dave Cundiff]

When my wife worked in fire/EMS, she learned to back into parking spaces so she could save a few seconds when mobilizing to an emergency. That's still her custom. She's mostly brought me around to her way of parking.

Best wishes!

 

[Calypso]

With the rear camera and sensors it’s not that bad. Most Americans prefer pulling into a space though and if you have a trailer…

Great point. Having just done a 5000-mile trip with a trailer, the front charging port allowed me to stay hooked up at about 50% of my charging stops. If it were in the rear, that would have dropped to 10% for the few RAN locations on my route and perhaps empty Tesla stations where one could pull in sideways and block multiple towers.

 

[SDH]

Why do people have such difficulty backing into a parking space? What do they teach you in the driving test these days? You also have so many cameras and sensors bascially doing all the hard work for you!!

Long wheel base, in reverse -> where is the turning axle? 7-seat SUV Mom's trying to do a 20-point turn to get the front end in to 90 deg. parking space.

 

[Mellowyellow]

I was just thinking about this today. I was in a grocery store parking lot and had to skip over 4 spots because the adjacent cars had inept drivers. They were crossing the line or so close to it that I wouldn't be able to open my door. And these weren't even backed into! Is it a young folk problem? Is it a big SUV problem? What gives!?! This concludes my Grandpa Simpson yelling and shaking my fist at the sky and clouds. Thank you for listening.

 

[pricedm]

Thinking the same. I would much rather pull in.

Although a shockingly large number of drivers of large pick-up trucks back into parking spaces (which drives me nuts ‍ since I see no logic in it). I guess with today’s camera assisted parking aids, it much simpler and many find it easy to do.

Logic of backing in to a parking spot and driving out forward is easy.

Entering a parking space, you have more situational awareness. Backing in is safer at this time. And...allows for speedy departure, you know, when you're stealing something, ex is chasing you, etc...

And with auto-park feature, who cares. Push a button and have your vehicle park itself.

 

[UnsungZero_OldTimeAdMan]

And with auto-park feature, who cares. Push a button and have your vehicle park itself.

Where's that in a Rivian? /s

 

[atebit]

When my wife worked in fire/EMS, she learned to back into parking spaces so she could save a few seconds when mobilizing to an emergency. That's still her custom. She's mostly brought me around to her way of parking.

Best wishes!

Absolutely makes sense for first responders, but not all “backers” are those.

 

[R1Thor]

Absolutely makes sense for first responders, but not all “backers” are those.

For those of us who like the logic of it, we don't schedule our family emergencies either.
"Always be prepared."

I'm with the always back in crowd.
It's fundamentally safer, easier, and more convenient across the board. Notwithstanding, as someone who owned a car with a front splitter, it was also safer to prevent incidentally removing that splitter in a violent manner. I have almost exclusively backed into spaces literally since I started driving. I make no apologies

 

[AlphaSnowbordergirl]

Why do people have such difficulty backing into a parking space? What do they teach you in the driving test these days? You also have so many cameras and sensors bascially doing all the hard work for you!!

Long wheel base, in reverse -> where is the turning axle? 7-seat SUV Mom's trying to do a 20-point turn to get the front end in to 90 deg. parking space.

They can teach you in a driving test, but it doesn't mean you use it in real life. I don't think I ever backed in until like 10 years after my test because there was no need. Still not comfortable with it, but I drive a 2018 nissan sentra and the back up camera isn't great (can't see the right and left side of the rear bumper). With a better camera I'm sure it will be easier, but I tend to prefer to back out of a spot than back in.

 

[pinolero]

A Rivian R2 spotted charging at a Tesla Supercharger with its native NACS port (on the left drivers side of the R2).

Awesome, looks right at home.

 

[MaskedRacerX]

I always park so that the vehicle faces north. If that's a back in, that's what I do.





... if that means a side in, I take up two spaces.

 

[Dark-Fx]

Still curious what they do at RAN locations once R2 starts shipping. Lots of RAN locations are built so that a vehicle with the port there wouldn't be able to charge. And definitely not useful in many of the "towing stall"s that are designed expecting the vehicle to have the charge port at the front. (Although at least being on the driver's side like the R1 means that some towing stalls you'll just be "sticking out further than intended" rather than completely unusable. But at others where it's "nose-in to a wall" it will be impossible to charge at those stalls with a trailer still attached.)

Lincoln City, Oregon RAN would need to move the dispenser to the "midpoint" of the vehicle, and have a significantly longer charge cord in its trailer stall, so it could reach both R1 and R2 locations. At least that location, that's possible, since there's equipment going back quite a ways on the driver's side in that stall. Bridgeport, California RAN has the dispensers all against the back wall of a gas station - it means three towing-vehicles can all charge at the same time, but an R2 can't possibly pull forward enough - they'd need a ridiculously long cord. (Or do a lot of work mounting the dispensers farther away from the building - where is currently just gravel lot.)

I think the cables at the older RANs are just long enough to reach, and the new ones do for sure (you can see one stretching around to charge a Polestar and one of Rivian's promo shots for the upgraded charging posts).

All the existing RAN stations with the older, shorter posts are being swapped to the new ones.

Can confirm the longer cables on the v1.5 stations make the port location on the back driver's corner a non-issue. Except maybe if you had a lot of bikes on the back of the car?

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