Rivian said Tuesday that its customers will soon be able to charge their vehicles at Tesla charging stations, becoming the latest automaker to reach a plug-sharing deal with one of its competitors.
Rivian joins GM and Ford in signing a deal with Tesla to access most of its 17,000 charging plugs – the largest network in the nation. That move could be critical in deciding which of two dueling EV charging systems becomes most dominant – Tesla’s North American Charging Standard (NACS) or the Combined Charging System (CCS). Tesla’s NACS was propriety until November, when the Elon Musk-led company announced it would open its EV connector design to the world.
Until now, Rivian’s vehicles have used CCS. But starting in 2025, Rivian’s future vehicles will incorporate NACS charge ports as standard. For vehicles made before then, Rivian will make an adapter available so all R1Ts (trucks) and R1Ss (SUVs) can use Tesla’s Superchargers, as early as spring 2024.
Rivian said it will also continue to expand its own Rivian Adventure Network of charging stations.
In a statement Monday, Rivian said that by “enabling drivers to charge their vehicles at a greater number of locations, this collaboration and others like it are important to help accelerate EV adoption.”
“We’re excited to work with Tesla and to see collaborations like this help advance the world toward carbon neutrality,” Rivian founder and CEO RJ Scaringe said. “The adoption of the North American Charging Standard will enable our existing and future customers to leverage Tesla’s expansive Supercharger network while we continue to build out our Rivian Adventure Network. We look forward to continuing to find new ways to accelerate EV adoption.”
Tesla has about 17,000 Supercharger stations in the U.S. There are about 54,000 public charging stations in the U.S., according to the Department of Energy, but many charge much more slowly than the Tesla stations.
Tesla said NACS’s advantages are that it “has no moving parts, is half the size, and twice as powerful as Combined Charging System (CCS) connectors.”
“It’s great to see the industry coming together to adopt the North American Charging Standard,” said Rebecca Tinucci, Tesla’s senior director of charging infrastructure. “By doing so, we’re collectively ensuring all EV drivers have access to easy to use, reliable charging hardware. We look forward to welcoming Rivian owners to thousands of our Superchargers across North America.”
