Level 3 Charging 2025-2026 for Rivian R1S May Require a $300 "Accessory"

[Empirate]

Depending on your circumstances, especially your location...

I live in Indianapolis and recently took delivery of a 2026 R1S. I'm thrilled with the vehicle and am a fan of Rivian. The following is intended as a caution to other people considering buying and as constructive feedback for the good folks at Rivian Automotive, Inc.:

The 2025 and later models of the R1 vehicles come with a NACS charging receptacle. No charging capability is included with the purchase in most regions of the country, except for limited options at other companies' stations. No level 1 cable for home charging is provided, and, importantly, there is no adapter for level 3 CCS charging (including the Rivian Charging network or any of the other "227K chargers in North America" mentioned on the website), which make up the vast majority of what is available to you.

Oddly, they provided an adapter for level 2 home charging with a CCS-type interface (for unclear reasons). Unfortunately, I mistook this included item for a level 3 adapter - which was clearly my mistake. EDIT TO ADD that Rivian informed me that some "destination" chargers at hotels, parking garages, and other public sites are Level 2 chargers, thus the rationale to have that adapter

When I told the folks at Rivian that I was surprised that the adapter sent was not for access to the level 3 CCS stations, I was told that I could purchase a Combo CCS DC adapter ($300) from the Gear Shop, and "In the mean time, you would have to find a NACS fast charger. Primarily, this is going to be Tesla Superchargers".

I asked them for information about charging for my vehicle without the adapter, specifically at the Rivian Adventure charging stations. The question was deflected/not answered. Instead, they said, "you are only able to charge at fast chargers that have the NACS plug in. We do not have an exact answer for the number of chargers in the country that have the NACS plug in. Within your Rivian navigation, you can filter the chargers where an adapter is not needed!"

I did find the helpful rivianroamer.com site, which indicates that 16 of the 137 Rivian Adventure sites nationwide have NACS chargers. As it stands, they are mainly on the west coast (None in the states between NY and CO, which total 3; my closest is a 12+ hour drive), and therefore none of the five on the extended travel route I frequently take to northern Michigan have them.

I understood that the Rivian network is smaller and regional, but I didn't realize I wouldn't be able to access the ones available to me with my new R1S. Also, looking at local level 3 chargers in Indianapolis, CCS chargers vastly outnumber NACS, and using a NACS charger adds a 30-45 minute round trip from my home, depending on traffic.

When I expressed to my contact at Rivian that I was disappointed, they pointed out that the website states, "Depending on your vehicle, you can use a Rivian-approved CCS1 adapter, J1772 AC adapter, or NACS DC adapter to expand your charging options," which I am sure can be found somewhere. FWIW, I also see their website info also states: "Only Rivian-provided NACS DC adapters are authorized for use on the Tesla Supercharger network. Use of unapproved adapters can result in damage to your vehicle. Any damage caused by use of third-party adapters is not covered under warranty."

All this is not to claim catastrophe. I haven't mentioned level 2 charging (except for that odd adapter included with my purchase). I am having a home charger installed soon, and I expect this will be where 80% or more of my charging will be done (an extra cost that was easily understood/non-opaque when I bought the vehicle). Also, the future will be better as more level 3 NACS chargers are being added everywhere with new stations and retrofitting existing stations (including the Rivian ones).

I do feel misled overall about the "thousands of fast chargers all over the map" advertised, as the vast majority of all charging stations are, in fact, inaccessible without purchasing an "accessory" from Rivian. Those in most regions of the country may feel, as I do, that the current state of the charging infrastructure makes the adapter a necessity, and it should be included with vehicle purchase.

EDITED TO ADD MY "TAKEAWAYS" ARE FOUND ON PAGE 3, POST # 34

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[TTedP]

1. Welcome!
2. An adapter for DCFC is part of the game. Many of us bought our own.
3. A2Z

 

[2kwik4u]

Couple of thoughts here.

First, welcome to the team. I hope the purchase went smooth, and the truck does well for you!

I agree, they should include both an adapter, and a home/mobile charger. I understand they are working towards bottom line profit, but these are, IMO part of the package. I'm unsure what other electric device one can purchase that doesn't come with a charger (or at least a cable to do so). I'm fortunate in that my 1st gen R1T came with both the mobile charger and the adapter. I bought a month after the Tesla network opened to Rivian, so it was part of a promotion, but that doesn't mean it shouldn't be included for all.......at least in my opinion.

The flip side here is that, well, with the state of EV charging infrastructure in the US, adapters are a reality and should be expected for a very long time. This feels as much a mislead by Rivian, as a lack of verify in the "trust but verify" step of automobile purchase. I don't want to victim blame here, but at the same time, it's a VERY common point of discussion surrounding "how do I charge" questions. I feel like you probably should have seen this coming.

 

[TTedP]

the vast majority of all charging stations are, in fact, inaccessible without purchasing an "accessory" from Rivian. T

As is the case with other OEMS as well - it is a confusing landscape for sure and best to do some reading up on.

the current state of the charging infrastructure makes the adapter a necessity, and it should be included with vehicle purchase.

Yes and probably yes.

It sounds like some of this is new to you and unfortunately, I think you caught the industry at a weird time where something not super clear to new people got even more confusing.

OEMs are in the process of changing. It used to be if you had anything other than a Tesla (NACS) your car was probably CCS and needed an adapter for using Tesla's network. If you had the CCS to NACS adapter a whole world of new stations became available.

Then, NACS became the standard for new stations including Rivian RAN and OEMs starting changing their cars so newer models now need to go the other way (have NACS and need a CCS adapter for the legacy non-Tesla stuff out there)

Maybe Rivian decided to be cheap, maybe they just figured it was too much to manage. Either way, if you're new to EV's, get yourself the right DCFC and Level 2 adapters, leave them in your car and you're prepared for no matter what you encounter.

And check out an app like Plugshare - They will show you everything that is around your area.

 

[UnsungZero_OldTimeAdMan]

Common knowledge? Adapters are an reality today, whether you have a CCS1 or NACS charging port on your vehicle. It's the result of having no industry standard when EVs became a thing in the US—which would have required the very rare cooperation between the automakers, or forced upon them via federal mandate (and that surely would have garnered accusations of "govt. overreach").

Since SAE (Society of Automotive Engineers) ratified J3400 standard, we are now in a transition to NACS across all major non-Tesla networks and automakers. But since there is no legislation dictating when the transition must be complete, no one knows when NACS will be everywhere. And with uncertain economy, none of them are in a hurry to spend $.

As said by others, Rivian isn't the only source for adapters. However, the ones they do sell are the only ones they give approval to use... and that's a standard "cover your ass" corporate risk management practice. This doesn't mean all aftermarket adapters are dangerous. But, some are so each person need to be aware and make their own risk assessment. See State of Charge channel on YouTube for reviews.

Tried-and-true non-factory alternatives are by A2Z (A+++ on customer service, btw) and Lectron. Under $200 and discount codes are often available.

MY25 and prior Rivians have CCS1/J1772 ports.
MY26 onward have NACS port.

Not all Superchargers are open to non-Teslas. V1 and V2 Superchargers are not capable of supporting non-Teslas, ever. V3 and V4 can, but it's Tesla's prerogative on which ones are open to non-Teslas.

 

[Empirate]

Couple of thoughts here.

First, welcome to the team. I hope the purchase went smooth, and the truck does well for you!

I agree, they should include both an adapter, and a home/mobile charger. I understand they are working towards bottom line profit, but these are, IMO part of the package. I'm unsure what other electric device one can purchase that doesn't come with a charger (or at least a cable to do so). I'm fortunate in that my 1st gen R1T came with both the mobile charger and the adapter. I bought a month after the Tesla network opened to Rivian, so it was part of a promotion, but that doesn't mean it shouldn't be included for all.......at least in my opinion.

The flip side here is that, well, with the state of EV charging infrastructure in the US, adapters are a reality and should be expected for a very long time. This feels as much a mislead by Rivian, as a lack of verify in the "trust but verify" step of automobile purchase. I don't want to victim blame here, but at the same time, it's a VERY common point of discussion surrounding "how do I charge" questions. I feel like you probably should have seen this coming.

Thanks for the kind welcome, I am stoked to join the community!

You make a fair point about my responsibility, one which I understood already and tried to anticipate with the "clearly my mistake" statement. However, it's a lot of new information for the uninitiated and I'm probably not much more or less engaged in self education than most. Another way of saying probably not the first or last to make this mistake.

I understand that the post may have come across as a rant and appreciate that you provide some validation to that. While I hope more input comes from those like you, with knowledge and experience, my intent is to help the 2 groups I mentioned (admittedly not most of the forum readers).

Thanks for responding and keeping it positive.

- Franklin

 

[iamnid]

I do feel misled overall about the "thousands of fast chargers all over the map" advertised, as the vast majority of all charging stations are, in fact, inaccessible without purchasing an "accessory" from Rivian. Those in most regions of the country may feel, as I do, that the current state of the charging infrastructure makes the adapter a necessity, and it should be included with vehicle purchase.

Well, your vehicle came with a NACS port so you can access much of the Tesla Supercharger network -- that is "thousands of fast chargers all over the map." Many third party charge stations are adding NACS stalls as well. Over time, you'll see less and less CCS charging stalls.

As others have pointed out, get the A2Z adapter -- less than $300. I'd honestly rather be in your shoes with native NACS. I've been on several road trips with my R1S and have used the NACS to CCS adapter about 80% of the time for my charging -- that's 80% of the time that you wouldn't need an adapter.

 

[Dark-Fx]

2026 vehicles. J3400 is a confusing mess right now, and I highly suspect that's part of the motivation for Tesla releasing their control over that plug style.

 

[srkz]

Tesla Superchargers (that you have access to without an adapter) make up more than half of all public charging stations by plug count.

Most CCS stations (the ones that you need an adapter for) have 4-8 plugs and are always busy, meanwhile Tesla has several locations along major highways with more than 100 plugs each. Charging metropolis.

You don’t actually need an adapter, but it is more convenient for now. Just make sure you set the setting in your nav to avoid sites that require an adapter.

 

[hammick]

Couple things. First, congrats on your new truck. You will get over the adapter thing in no time. Most manufacturers have quit providing the free DCFC adapters.

Second, the '25 Rivians do not have the NACS port. Third, I'm sure you can find a 3rd party adapter for much less than $300.

 

[usulio]

As this forum is mostly enthusiasts who know these things, your warning may not be that useful, but hopefully helpful to some. We can also provide you some info.

First, congrats on buying a great vehicle. Second, you're right, this is a misstep on Rivian's part. They should have provided an adapter and more information to you.

Third, electrons are not coded by company of production. You seem to be expecting to charge your Rivian at Rivian chargers. Actually, you should expect to generally charge your Rivian at whatever charger of any company is convenient for you. This is regardless of charge port. I think there are plenty of Tesla chargers between you and northern Michigan.

Fourth, using an adapter is a normal part of EV life in 2026 and you should just grit your teeth and buy one from A2Z or Rivian.

Welcome and enjoy

 

[superfly_snook]

I have noticed RAN locations around my usual routes (CA) are a mix of NACS and CCS plugs these days so having an adapter on hand will mean you can use any of the plugs at those locations in the future. Also congrats on the new Rivian!

 

[Donald Stanfield]

NACS won the charge port wars. Unfortunately, we are still in a transition period. At least you have the option of getting the adapter and having all these stations available to you. Many of us have had our cars since before we had access to Tesla chargers.

 

[Supratachophobia]

Depending on your circumstances, especially your location...

I live in Indianapolis and recently took delivery of a 2026 R1S. I'm thrilled with the vehicle and am a fan of Rivian. The following is intended as a caution to other people considering buying and as constructive feedback for the good folks at Rivian Automotive, Inc.:

The 2025 and later models of the R1 vehicles come with a NACS charging receptacle. No charging capability is included with the purchase in most regions of the country, except for limited options at other companies' stations. No level 1 cable for home charging is provided, and, importantly, there is no adapter for level 3 CCS charging (including the Rivian Charging network or any of the other "227K chargers in North America" mentioned on the website), which make up the vast majority of what is available to you.

Oddly, they provided an adapter for level 2 home charging with a CCS-type interface (for unclear reasons). Unfortunately, I mistook this included item for a level 3 adapter - which was clearly my mistake.

When I told the folks at Rivian that I was surprised that the adapter sent was not for access to the level 3 CCS stations, I was told that I could purchase a Combo CCS DC adapter ($300) from the Gear Shop, and "In the mean time, you would have to find a NACS fast charger. Primarily, this is going to be Tesla Superchargers".

I asked them for information about charging for my vehicle without the adapter, specifically at the Rivian Adventure charging stations. The question was deflected/not answered. Instead, they said, "you are only able to charge at fast chargers that have the NACS plug in. We do not have an exact answer for the number of chargers in the country that have the NACS plug in. Within your Rivian navigation, you can filter the chargers where an adapter is not needed!"

I did find the helpful rivianroamer.com site, which indicates that 16 of the 137 Rivian Adventure sites nationwide have NACS chargers. As it stands, they are mainly on the west coast (None in the states between NY and CO, which total 3; my closest is a 12+ hour drive), and therefore none of the five on the extended travel route I frequently take to northern Michigan have them.

I understood that the Rivian network is smaller and regional, but I didn't realize I wouldn't be able to access the ones available to me with my new R1S. Also, looking at local level 3 chargers in Indianapolis, CCS chargers vastly outnumber NACS, and using a NACS charger adds a 30-45 minute round trip from my home, depending on traffic.

When I expressed to my contact at Rivian that I was disappointed, they pointed out that the website states, "Depending on your vehicle, you can use a Rivian-approved CCS1 adapter, J1772 AC adapter, or NACS DC adapter to expand your charging options," which I am sure can be found somewhere. FWIW, I also see their website info also states: "Only Rivian-provided NACS DC adapters are authorized for use on the Tesla Supercharger network. Use of unapproved adapters can result in damage to your vehicle. Any damage caused by use of third-party adapters is not covered under warranty."

All this is not to claim catastrophe. I haven't mentioned level 2 charging (except for that odd adapter included with my purchase). I am having a home charger installed soon, and I expect this will be where 80% or more of my charging will be done (an extra cost that was easily understood/non-opaque when I bought the vehicle). Also, the future will be better as more level 3 NACS chargers are being added everywhere with new stations and retrofitting existing stations (including the Rivian ones).

I do feel misled overall about the "thousands of fast chargers all over the map" advertised, as the vast majority of all charging stations are, in fact, inaccessible without purchasing an "accessory" from Rivian. Those in most regions of the country may feel, as I do, that the current state of the charging infrastructure makes the adapter a necessity, and it should be included with vehicle purchase.

But this is what you wanted!

Everyone was always complaining about "well I'm not buying it until it has a NACS connector". Well, here we are, it has the NACS adapter.

Now, charging networks and manufacturers alike could have adopted NACS way before this. They've had plenty of time to do so. But many of them were betting against Tesla and it's standard, while others were getting the dog wagged by European requirements with CCS.

Either way, adapters are here to stay since CCS has proliferated so completely prior to the direction change to NACS.

 

[UnsungZero_OldTimeAdMan]

But this is what you wanted!

Everyone was always complaining about "well I'm not buying it until it has a NACS connector". Well, here we are, it has the NACS adapter.

Now, charging networks and manufacturers alike could have adopted NACS way before this. They've had plenty of time to do so. But many of them were betting against Tesla and it's standard, while others were getting the dog wagged by European requirements with CCS.

Either way, adapters are here to stay since CCS has proliferated so completely prior to the direction change to NACS.

And it's been said many times, even if you have a NACS port, networks other than Tesla have only just started to slowly update their sites from CCS1. And it could take years to fully convert, especially now that momentum behind EVs has been retarded by govt. policy.

And merely having the NACS port doesn't provide any charging performance gains. That's a tied to vehicle architecture and software. For now, the only advantage of having a NACS port is not having to change your existing Tesla Wall Connector. However, even then that's a questionable advantage as users report compatibility problems with older versions. But lots of NACS port holdouts didn't want to listen.

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