First Road Trip, New to EVs, Can I Make it Without Charging?

[ClemsonJ]

Hello everyone, I am receiving my R1S quad motor, large battery with All terrain package in 2 weeks and can hardly wait! My first road trip will be 2 weeks after delivery--online, Rivian claims that my vehicle has a 274 mile range and my trip is supposed to be 164 miles each way. It's mostly on country roads where the speed limit is 55 mph with small towns spattered along the way. I'm actually attaching a screenshot of the trip from the plugshare app. Is it reasonable to believe that I'll be able to make the trip without a mid-trip charge? Will I need to stay on conserve mode in order to achieve the 274 mile range? The hotel we're staying at has the appropriate EV charger, so I will re-charge there during my stay. Thanks!

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[SANZC02]

If it is 164 to the hotel and you are charging there you can easily make that even if leaving at 80%.

 

[KBabione]

Welcome! You'll love your ride...I have a Quad R1S with the 20"s as well. As Sanzc02 mentioned, you'll be fine as long as you can charge at your destination. Also look for for destination chargers at restaurants and other places you go while you're there. We're finding some grocery stores have free L2 chargers...a 30-minute charge while you're shopping replaces the juice you used to get there.

One other thing...There are lots of threads about using conserve mode and how it eats tires in start/stop mode. I only use conserve when I'm on a highway and am able to use Driver+, and then only when I'm up to speed. I go back to all purpose as I exit the highway. If you're on mostly back roads and 2-lane highways you may want to stay in all purpose. You'll have plenty of range in all purpose to get to your destination. I regularly go to my in-laws (200 miles each way) without blinking (they have a L2 charger as well).

 

[av8or]

Easy

 

[HokieBird7980]

I do Charlotte to Wrightsville Beach NC on a full charge in my R1T, same 274 mile range estimate as your R1S and with 20" AT tires with no problem. Usually end up there with 40-50 miles left and it's truly a 230 or so mile ride door to door. Charge to 100% and go in All purpose mode (conserve if you're on interstates and want to be cautious in whether you'll get there or not). Enjoy!

 

[Fraslin]

One thing to remember is to make sure you have a backup plan at your destination. Meaning you don't want to show up with 10% and the charger you were planning on is not working, blocked or in use.

 

[elatrickWheels]

Congratulations on your Rivian. You’ll love it. One thing I’d add here, is that you may find it helpful to embrace charging while on the road. I live in California, where it’s literally true that high-speed charging at a RAN station is cheaper than low-speed charging at home, so that helps, but it’s very likely cheaper than filling a comparable vehicle with gas. Unquestionably, it takes longer, too, but this is where the embracing comes in. Take a break to go to the rest room, but a cup of coffee, take the dog for a quick walk… Sometimes just sit in your fabulous, comfortable vehicle and read a book or the news on your phone or iPad. Maybe do some emails. There’s lots of stuff that you’d be doing sitting comfortably somewhere else to do. Now you can do some of that sitting comfortably in your Rivian, with non-Rivian owners looking on enviously.

 

[SwampNut]

One thing to remember is to make sure you have a backup plan at your destination. Meaning you don't want to show up with 10% and the charger you were planning on is not working, blocked or in use.

If you have NO possible backups, make this part of your conditions of staying there. Ask them to assure you that you can use it, and exactly WHO to talk to and what to do if there's a problem. People constantly find themselves ICEd out at hotels, and nobody will fix it. I'm doing a trip soon where the hotel is very crucial, and will make sure that I have their commitment so I can raise hell. Because otherwise they say that charging is a privilege/luxury not a given. No, it's got to be as much a part of the agreement as having a working toilet in the room.

 

[Brian-MS90D]

Hotel chargers are excellent but I would never rely on one working or not being ICE'd or otherwise taken. Would you drive an ICE vehicle to a remote destination knowing you'd arrive on Empty and knowing there was only one sketchy gas station that is known to occasionally not be open within an hour's drive? No.

I recommend you eliminate the potential stress of this range anxiety from your trip. That's, what, a 3 hour+ drive? Take a 10 to 20 minute pit stop for bio break while fast charging and arrive at your destination with a healthy reserve in case the hotel charger is not an option (your reserve should be the distance it takes to drive to the next viable charger).

It's 2024, not 2015. You don't have to arrive everywhere with 10% range. Enjoy!

 

[FooF]

Hotel chargers are excellent but I would never rely on one working or not being ICE'd or otherwise taken. Would you drive an ICE vehicle to a remote destination knowing you'd arrive on Empty and knowing there was only one sketchy gas station that is known to occasionally not be open within an hour's drive? No.

I recommend you eliminate the potential stress of this range anxiety from your trip. That's, what, a 3 hour+ drive? Take a 10 to 20 minute pit stop for bio break while fast charging and arrive at your destination with a healthy reserve in case the hotel charger is not an option (your reserve should be the distance it takes to drive to the next viable charger).

It's 2024, not 2015. You don't have to arrive everywhere with 10% range. Enjoy!

It is also nice to stop and stretch the legs and hit a fast charger even if it is only for a short time. Added benefit is you become familiar with additional fast charger locations and their amenities. Next time you take a long trip along the same route you will have some favorite charging locations that you prefer. I like more frequent quick charging stops while grabbing a snack, drink or bathroom break vs long charging stops where you are just waiting for the charging to finish so that you can leave.

 

[OverEasyGoing]

It is also nice to stop and stretch the legs and hit a fast charger even if it is only for a short time. Added benefit is you become familiar with additional fast charger locations and their amenities. Next time you take a long trip along the same route you will have some favorite charging locations that you prefer. I like more frequent quick charging stops while grabbing a snack, drink or bathroom break vs long charging stops where you are just waiting for the charging to finish so that you can leave.

I've found this to be my preference, too. Especially because the last 20% of the charge feels like it crawls by as the speed slows down. Every 2 hours or so, get a 20 minute fast charge. Keep the blood flowing, stiffness out of the old legs, and avoids range anxiety.

 

[SwampNut]

I've found this to be my preference, too. Especially because the last 20% of the charge feels like it crawls by as the speed slows down. Every 2 hours or so, get a 20 minute fast charge. Keep the blood flowing, stiffness out of the old legs, and avoids range anxiety.

Yeah, it's just part of my road trips, same as gas.

I have a friend and a relative who are both afraid to take their EVs on even nearby road trips due to fears. Neither have ever public charged. They won't tell me why, and won't engage when I suggest that they do it without need, to learn how it goes. So they will spend $100 on gas over $15 of electric. Due to ... fear? Dunno. Crazy.

 

[usulio]

Sounds like a great first trip. Even if you run the AC, at 55mph your range in All-Purpose mode should be 300 miles. This takes a lot of pressure off. If you can't L2 charge overnight for any reason, just be ready to detour a bit and try a fast charger.

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