[Rivian News]

As competition in the EV segment stiffens, automakers are continuously having to improve upon the battery technology that is being placed in new models. Rivian is not only introducing one of the highest capacity battery packs we’ve ever seen on a production EV with the R1T, but they are claiming some class leading charge times as well.

The R1T has been designed around practicality and to achieve this Rivian has ensured that owners aren’t subject to long periods of downtime when they need extra juice. Should you find yourself in need of a rapid charger, the R1T will use CCS DC fast charging for up to 160 kW. This translates roughly to 200 miles of range for every 30 minutes on a rapid charger. They have also placed an 11 kW onboard AC unit for Level 2 charging.

As a new brand, Rivian realized that the design of their vehicles would be essential in helping people to recognize their products. The front fascia is much different than anything we’ve seen on the market and it even features a unique Easter egg. The horizontal position light that runs along the face of the vehicle turns green when the car is plugged in and works as a functional progress bar that indicates the current state of charge.

We don’t know if Rivian plans on rolling out their own network of charging stations or if they will simply rely on the existing CCS infrastructure. As most Tesla superchargers currently max out at 120 kW, Electrify America is looking like the most ideal network to fully utilize the R1T’s capabilities, as they claim some can go as high as 350 kW.

Regardless of whether you charge at home or on the go, the R1T is one of the most technologically advanced EV’s to join the market.

 

[BobbyRJ]

I really like the idea of an external representation of the charge state. Will give you a good sense of the progress while you run in to use the restroom or grab a coffee. Rapid charging is slowly getting closer to the realm of a typical fuel up.

 

[Slater81]

There hasn't been much mention of the thermal management system in the R1T, but I'm assuming its liquid cooled. Even if the car can handle charging up to 160kW, in the long term that could have an impact on the degradation of the battery pack.

 

[eHauler]

Apparently there's an individual cooling plate. Not sure how that stacks up with the varying user conditions but in higher demand situations it will have to keep up. Range is generous enough to have people really test it. Last thing we need are vehicle fires.

 

[A1C]

Every new EV comes with safeguards in place that monitor battery temperature and make real time adjustments. Charging rate is usually throttled as you get closer to a full charge as a direct effort to protect the lifetime of the battery pack. This is why we often see up to 80% as the main figure.

 

[JimmyEV]

Last November, RJ Scaringe hinted that Rivian is going to both develop their own charging stations and partner with other manufacturers that use CCS charging.

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1068686931716845568

Given that Ford and Amazon recently announced that they're going to be working with Electrify America it seem most likely that Rivian would do the same. But they've yet to announce anything.

As far as their own chargers go I guess Rivian is going to place them in more remote places so people can actually take their vehicles overlanding or off-roading. I'm really looking forward to hearing what their official plan is going to be for charging.

 

[Rekmeyata]

As competition in the EV segment stiffens, automakers are continuously having to improve upon the battery technology that is being placed in new models. Rivian is not only introducing one of the highest capacity battery packs we’ve ever seen on a production EV with the R1T, but they are claiming some class leading charge times as well.

The R1T has been designed around practicality and to achieve this Rivian has ensured that owners aren’t subject to long periods of downtime when they need extra juice. Should you find yourself in need of a rapid charger, the R1T will use CCS DC fast charging for up to 160 kW. This translates roughly to 200 miles of range for every 30 minutes on a rapid charger. They have also placed an 11 kW onboard AC unit for Level 2 charging.

As a new brand, Rivian realized that the design of their vehicles would be essential in helping people to recognize their products. The front fascia is much different than anything we’ve seen on the market and it even features a unique Easter egg. The horizontal position light that runs along the face of the vehicle turns green when the car is plugged in and works as a functional progress bar that indicates the current state of charge.

We don’t know if Rivian plans on rolling out their own network of charging stations or if they will simply rely on the existing CCS infrastructure. As most Tesla superchargers currently max out at 120 kW, Electrify America is looking like the most ideal network to fully utilize the R1T’s capabilities, as they claim some can go as high as 350 kW.

Regardless of whether you charge at home or on the go, the R1T is one of the most technologically advanced EV’s to join the market.

How this truck even remotely suitable for towing a trailer? If it can only go 200 miles while towing, and I bet in the real world with climbing hills, and running the AC, I bet I would be lucky to get to 150 miles before the battery was exhausted, but that wouldn't be good for the battery to kill it like that, so that means every 100 miles I would have to find a charger and charge it. I'm sorry but this truck isn't really made for towing, sure it has the horsepower and torque, but all it's good for is to go to a local state park that's 40 to 50 miles from home and then go back home.

 

[Fpartida]

How this truck even remotely suitable for towing a trailer? If it can only go 200 miles while towing, and I bet in the real world with climbing hills, and running the AC, I bet I would be lucky to get to 150 miles before the battery was exhausted, but that wouldn't be good for the battery to kill it like that, so that means every 100 miles I would have to find a charger and charge it. I'm sorry but this truck isn't really made for towing, sure it has the horsepower and torque, but all it's good for is to go to a local state park that's 40 to 50 miles from home and then go back home.

Agreed. If towing is your main use case, this is not the truck for you. Get a Ford F150. Hauling around jet skis or heading into the woods for overnight cramping should be fine. That’s why these are designated as “adventure vehicles“. If you have to tow heavy every now and then, it should work too. I used my Audi eTron to move my son and his roommate to college. Towing a pretty heavy uHaul worked OK, but if I had to do that kind of stuff multiple days per week, then I would get a gas truck.

 

[timesinks]

Not everyone who tows does 400+-mile days. Plenty of RVers prefer to only drive a couple hundred miles per day. 2 hours of driving, stop for lunch to charge, 2 more hours to the park for the next night or two. That would work great for a number of people. Doesn't mean you're one of them, but the use case isn't absurd.

The 50% derating of range is also full 11,000 pounds with a bad wind profile. Tow something smaller, more aerodynamic, or both, and you probably won't see the full 50% reduction.

EVs are different. If you have one, you plan itineraries and stops with different parameters. I have driven Alaska (and the dalton well beyond the Arctic circle), all of the lower 48, and much of Canada with a Sprinter. I found that I honestly prefer to stop, stretch, eat, hike, see sights every hour or two. I'm much happier and can drive many more miles in a day if I do. Since I'm stopped for 20-40 minutes anyways, the vehicle could be charging up with zero additional time added to my day.

 

[FanFLelectric]

Not everyone who tows does 400+-mile days. Plenty of RVers prefer to only drive a couple hundred miles per day. 2 hours of driving, stop for lunch to charge, 2 more hours to the park for the next night or two. That would work great for a number of people. Doesn't mean you're one of them, but the use case isn't absurd.

The 50% derating of range is also full 11,000 pounds with a bad wind profile. Tow something smaller, more aerodynamic, or both, and you probably won't see the full 50% reduction.

EVs are different. If you have one, you plan itineraries and stops with different parameters. I have driven Alaska (and the dalton well beyond the Arctic circle), all of the lower 48, and much of Canada with a Sprinter. I found that I honestly prefer to stop, stretch, eat, hike, see sights every hour or two. I'm much happier and can drive many more miles in a day if I do. Since I'm stopped for 20-40 minutes anyways, the vehicle could be charging up with zero additional time added to my day.

So true, timesinks. And another thing, it is not all about personal whim. It is about saving the planet. We all must temper our wants to clean up the atmosphere, or the consequences will be severe loss of the environment we love to get out and enjoy. Learn to cope with the reality, stop with the "wants."

 

[azbill]

Given that Ford and Amazon recently announced that they're going to be working with Electrify America it seem most likely that Rivian would do the same. But they've yet to announce anything.

Partnering is not necessary. The Rivian can be charged on any CCS charging station from any charging network. As a user, you simply need an account, or a credit card, to use the charger. The same is true for all of the J1772 Level 2 chargers, they will all work with the Rivian.

Where Rivian can help, is in providing EA with a vehicle for testing and validation that the communications protocol is implemented correctly. This would include the new ISO standard for plug and charge. Almost every car manufacturer, GM, Ford, Audi, Jaguar, Lucid, etc. has provided a vehicle for EA to test in their lab. They have 4 different charger suppliers and want to insure each one works with every car. See this article:

Inside Electrify America’s plan to simplify electric car charging

We visit the company's HQ and R&D lab for the inside scoop.

arstechnica.com