Rivian took over my Tesla Supercharging session and charged me more than double?

[Yellow Buddy]

I don’t think it is as big an issue as people may think. I’ve used well over 75 Superchargers around the country on my various trips. Only 1 time has this happened to me and it was because I was rushed to get to the boys room and plugged in too early.

Idk what to tell you. Perhaps we have different methods then or the fact that we're on opposite coasts, cellular networks, my build is earlier than yours, etc. but it happens to me quite frequently,

All my other vehicles Plug and Charge can either be disabled or specific networks can be selected for enable/disabling, so the error rate is 0%. In comparison to that, my Rivian's plug and charge is an annoyance in that it's not selectable.

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[VSG]

It's an annoyance that Rivian doesn't give us the membership discount

Explain to me how Rivian can give you the Tesla membership discount?

 

[Yellow Buddy]

Explain to me how Rivian can give you the Tesla membership discount?

It's programming...and they already have some basis for it. If you go into your Rivian app you'll see a section for "Charging Account" It lets you associate your ChargePoint account.

If they wanted to make the effort, it could very easily be adapted to link to various providers, including Tesla to pass on the membership discounts.

It wouldn't be very much different than how Kia or VW is working with EA when they add promotional credits. You retain the ability to utilize the station via Plug and Charge and it still pulls from your account credits. It's done via a one time setup, then your car authenticates during the handshake process.

The key being if they wanted to make the effort.

I didn't dive into their financials but I'm guessing there's a potential revenue stream by not passing on the membership. Similar to how credit card terminal processors make a small percentage, I could see them collecting the difference for convenience of PnC.

 

[gyphon]

One check I use is to make sure all is correct is that, in my experience, if properly charging through the Tesla app, the charging screen in your vehicle should have dashes for the cost.

The one time I got burned plugging in too fast, I saw an outrageous amount after only a couple KW charging and knew something was wrong. I immediately stopped charging and re-initiated.

 

[R1TCntrlMaIzzy]

Just to add an additional factor that may also occur. It's not just the start of charging, but also how it finishes. My experience-even if starting properly with the Tesla app--is that it also matters how you stop your session. Yes, fully initiate through the Tesla app. Wait until it instructs you that it's ready to plug in. However, at the end of your session, you should also stop it through the Tesla app. Do not end charging through the Rivian controls in the vehicle and do not stop charging by just unplugging. My experience is that I was charged the Rivian rate if I didn't stop the charging through the Tesla app first. So, don't let the vehicle get charged to full and stop itself, either. Hope that helps.

I have never had a charge go through Rivian in the end of session use cases you noted. You might want to chat with Rivian about this.

 

[VSG]

It's programming

Gee, programming. I wonder why I never thought about that. I guess I need to turn in my GitHub credentials ...

So you're saying there's a protocol for this as part of the ISO 15118 standard? Right now a supercharger doesn't know who is using the charger, and has no access to their credit card number, unless you initiate the charge through the Tesla app. You authenticate your Tesla membership through the app - that's how you get the membership rate. For your Rivian to get the membership rate it would need some way of getting and storing your Tesla credentials and transmitting them to the charger. And the charger needs a way to receive and authenticate the credentials before initiating a charge. That works for Tesla vehicles at Tesla chargers only because Tesla has a proprietary protocol.

 

[KenCar]

I spoke to a Rivian representative when this happened to me (I contacted them because I thought I was charged twice for the same power). The representative said to delete my credit card information from my Rivian account. I did, and have not had the problem again.

 

[Yellow Buddy]

For your Rivian to get the membership rate it would need some way of getting and storing your Tesla credentials and transmitting them to the charger.

Sigh, these are some of the problems with the way things are developed - I bet you don’t develop payment systems. The supercharger itself doesn’t need the membership information, the payment system does. It doesn’t even need to membership details, only to validate eligibility of the membership rate.

Read what you stated and then work the problem. There are plenty of systems that talk to each other, authenticate and share tokens.

1) The Rivian app already currently supports the storage of 3rd party charging accounts. Evidenced by the Chargepoint account link

2) There are plenty of 3rd party apps that currently supports access of Tesla accounts. Evidenced by the Rivian owned ABRP links.

3) The Rivian currently performs a handshake with the supercharger.

So yea, I firmly believe it can be done.

 

[HaveBlue]

The membership issue is probably more of a Tesla issue not recognizing the car on your account. Rivian said they were working on a solution but I suspect the solution is largely up to Tesla and they probably aren't in a hurry.

 

[cobo]

Just to add an additional factor that may also occur. It's not just the start of charging, but also how it finishes. My experience-even if starting properly with the Tesla app--is that it also matters how you stop your session. Yes, fully initiate through the Tesla app. Wait until it instructs you that it's ready to plug in. However, at the end of your session, you should also stop it through the Tesla app. Do not end charging through the Rivian controls in the vehicle and do not stop charging by just unplugging. My experience is that I was charged the Rivian rate if I didn't stop the charging through the Tesla app first. So, don't let the vehicle get charged to full and stop itself, either. Hope that helps.

Wow. If that is really happening, that is a serious bug. I always terminate the charging session at the SC by pressing the "eject" button at the R1S charging port, not by stopping charging in the Tesla app.

 

[cobo]

Before you get defensive, for your own sake, retrace your steps. Between you initiating the session with the Tesla app and charging commencing… IF you did anything to break and re-establish electrical connection, that will register as separate attempts to initiate session. The second/final time would be without interaction with Tesla app, thus default to plug and charge, and the higher non-member rate—a price set by Tesla, not Rivian.

I did this once myself. Pending condition (looser tolerance of plug due to wear and cleanliness), it can take only a wiggle.

To avoid this, you have to be mindful about inserting that Supercharger plug. Do nothing until app tells you to. Then insert plug like you mean it, to ensure solid contact of the pins from the get-go. No second guessing.

I’ve seen folks do the second guess wiggle or double insert, or inserting prematurely (due to muscle memory and assumption) before communication between Tesla app and dispenser is complete… then come online to make same mistaken accusations as you. It’s user error.

Understand how things work before pointing fingers and demanding to "see the manager!” And Rivian is not getting a cut from this relationship with Tesla. It is only facilitating payment via your Rivian account., so convenience of plug-and-charge is possible (a popular consumer demand).

As I wrote initially, I didn't insert the (already assembled) plug into the vehicle until the Tesla app said it was time to do so. From a UI perspective, this is a bug in the Tesla app if it says to plug in and there is such a thing as "plugging in too soon". It shouldn't indicate readiness before it is actually ready. I get that they might be trying to create the illusion of lower server / round-trip to SC equipment latency, but honestly I still took a second or two to plug it in so it wasn't abnormally fast.

 

[cobo]

An opt-out for Plug&Charge would help prevent this situation in your case, but most drivers would prefer the convenience.

Yes, but having an opt-out checkbox that is off by default would create no inconvenience for P&C users, and would allow users like me to avoid being overcharged by using the wrong billing network.

Even better, the opt-out should be per charging network, that way I can still use the RAN without having to re-enter my CC info each time.

Honestly, it is in their best interest to do this is as higher utilization of the RAN helps pay for and expand that system. I will have a greater reluctance to use that system knowing that I have to input my card info again. I also tend to use cards for recurring billing that are separate from the ones I carry with me, or use online, so that any fraud doesn't break all of my payments. This means I have to look the number up through more secure means to re-enter into the app.

 

[cobo]

I spoke to a Rivian representative when this happened to me (I contacted them because I thought I was charged twice for the same power). The representative said to delete my credit card information from my Rivian account. I did, and have not had the problem again.

Thanks for the confirmation. It really would behoove them to have this as an opt-out per charging network though as it creates friction and reluctance for me to use anything but Tesla SCs once my card info is no longer available to Rivian.

 

[Trinculo73]

Wow. If that is really happening, that is a serious bug. I always terminate the charging session at the SC by pressing the "eject" button at the R1S charging port, not by stopping charging in the Tesla app.

I'm guessing that's a bug and only a bug -I've stopped charging many many times from my vehicle without being surprised by billing through Rivian. I have a Gen 1 so there's no eject button, but I've stopped charging at Superchargers from both my phone app and from the energy tab on the vehicle screen, and as long as I've initiated from the Tesla app, I get billed through Tesla.

 

[SwampNut]

I had this happen once when I apparently waited too long to plug in. I've done a few dozen charges on Tesla with the membership, and this one failure. I got distracted and plugged in probably 60-90 seconds after telling the app to charge.

Also I put OP's phone number in a few bathroom stalls. "For an electric time, call...."

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