Charging without a new adapter for long road trip

[BBeach]

This maybe a stupid question but I am leaving on a longer camping trip tomorrow. It just occurred to me that I don't have an adapter yet and was wondering if Rivian charging stations have converted to the new charging infrastructure yet. I would assume not but if I can't charge properly then it could be big problems.

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[Jiji]

This maybe a stupid question but I am leaving on a longer camping trip tomorrow. It just occurred to me that I don't have an adapter yet and was wondering if Rivian charging stations have converted to the new charging infrastructure yet. I would assume not but if I can't charge properly then it could be big problems.

With no NACS adapter you can only charge at Tesla SCs that are of the MagicDock persuasion.

All RANs are CCS1 so are your first choice.

 

[BBeach]

I assumed RAN's would still be CCS1's but was uncertain how fast they would change the infrastructure. I am mostly a city driver and charge at work and home so rarely adventure out to charging in the wild so to speak. Thanks Jiji

 

[Dave Cundiff]

@BBeach: A few additional insights, most of which you probably thought of already:

(1) PlugShare gives you access to input from a few thousand (or more) of your best friends. The PlugShare app and website list just about every public EV charger in the free world, with performance ratings on most sites.

(2) Some places have Tesla Destination chargers and no J-1772 chargers. These are AC chargers, and need an NACS-to-J1772 AC adapter -- NOT the DC adapters we spend so much time discussing! Our TeslaTap adapter (805-886-5213 or https://www.umc-j1772.com/) has often made the difference between a pleasant hotel charging experience and an unsuccessful one. Costly, but TeslaTap keeps their promises about shipping speed.

(3) Camping may be a special case, because campsites are often remote from fast (or any) chargers, and may or may not have power. Your Rivian will use some power even at the campsite. Plan to arrive with plenty of charge for a "worst-case" condition if you can.

(4) Campsite power may have very "unconventional" (and sometimes unsafe) combinations of wiring and plugs. Few campgrounds were built with enough capacity to charge EVs without affecting circuit adequacy for others, and sometimes affecting circuit safety as well. (Translation: Just because a SOCKET is rated for a particular amperage, doesn't mean the WIRING can handle the sustained load of charging without causing a fire or reducing the voltage for all the other campers.). Take your Rivian Portable Charger, with as many adapters as you'll think you need. If you're not sure about safety, ask until you're sure. Even if you think you have adequate campsite power, consider charging at the slowest rate that will meet your needs. Practice lowering the charge amperage in the vehicle and on the app, and use each (vehicle and app) to check whether the charging-speed changes you made in the other mode have been solidly entered.

(5) If you have time before your trip, word-search your owner's guide for each occurrence of the word, "Camp," to learn about all the cool features of your Rivian adventure vehicle.

(6) ENJOY YOUR TRIP! Make great memories with your family and your Rivian!

(7) Consider sharing narrative and/or pictures with this Forum after you return. Members of this Forum enjoy reading about others' adventures.

Very best wishes, @BBeach! Have fun!

 

[Electrified Outdoors]

Dave covered all the bases. I'm going to be reviewing a new portable charger soon for camp sites and the like.

By default, the rivian navigation will hide charging locations that require an adapter.

The rivian nav also now has a charging score which is really cool. You can also filter out sites that have a low score.

I created a road trip planning video a while back that covers a lot of what Dave mentioned. It includes the Rivian app, ABRP, and Plug Share.

 

[Aardvark]

To add to Dave's excellent reply:
- A campsite with "50 Amp" charging will have NEMA 14-50 sockets. The mobile charger that came with your Rivian (under the front trunk floor cover), has a NEMA 14-50 plug.
- A campsite advertising "30 Amp" service, has 30 A / 120 Volt sockets. Your truck did NOT come with an adapter for this.
- To your specific question, all RAN fast charging stations still use CCS. Even when they start the upgrade, the stations should have both NACS and CCS.
- RAN stations are my favorite by far, but there aren't many of them. As Dave said, plan to use other CCS networks that you can review on PlugShare. In 10000 miles of cross-country travel in our Rivian, the best networks (for availability, not necessarily quality of service) are Electrify America and EVGo. Having the apps on your phone before you leave can spare you a lot of problems.

Have a great time camping!

 

[mrmagoo]

This maybe a stupid question but I am leaving on a longer camping trip tomorrow. It just occurred to me that I don't have an adapter yet and was wondering if Rivian charging stations have converted to the new charging infrastructure yet. I would assume not but if I can't charge properly then it could be big problems.

At a minimum I would bring a Tesla to J1772 adapter. This provides Level 2 Charging from Tesla Destination (Not Supercharger) and would be a wise investment if you travel a lot. I have driven Florida to New England several times and have run into hotels that only have Tesla Level 2 Chargers, the adapter allows you to charge up overnight and start your day off with a full charge... A $150 investment for piece of mind as long as you own the vehicle...on Amazon .[Only for J1772 EVs ] Lectron - Tesla to J1772 Charging Adapter, Max 48A & 250V - Compatible with Tesla High Powered Connectors, Destination Chargers, and Mobile Connectors (White).

 

[Riviaenz]

I assumed RAN's would still be CCS1's but was uncertain how fast they would change the infrastructure. I am mostly a city driver and charge at work and home so rarely adventure out to charging in the wild so to speak. Thanks Jiji

No one is switching to NACS natively and likely won’t for quite some time. It’s only new deployments that might have the option for NACS but will still have CCS (it’s required as part of NEVI funding). The only reason some new deployments may have NACS (as an option, not exclusively) is that some states like WA and TX are requiring that NACS be included to be eligible for Federal money (states are managing disbursement of funds and can place additional requirements). One of the Federal requirements is that chargers not be brand specific, thus the need for them to be open to all EVs; which is why Rivian itself is planning for their network to also be open.

 

[Mathme]

In addition to what others have said, no Rivian have been sold to customers with NACS … so you will charge by CCS. Even when Rivian are sold with NACS, they will likely still provide an CCS adapter

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