[eHauler]

Both the R1T pickup truck and R1S SUV get onboard power outlets that include a 110v outlet in the center console, gear tunnel and two in the truck bed. You can also find a 12v outlet in the front trunk and under the center display. With fully charged batteries, its enough to help get you through the average power outage. Like what the F-150's PowerBoost 7.2kw Onboard Generator has been doing for Texans during the recent winter storm. But with some limitations here.

Has anyone thought about how to use the R1T/R1S to prepare for situations where you'll have to completely rely on your own resources till the grid and other basic services are back online?

 

[Chris Adams]

This is why being able to have a bidirectional charger at home that works with Rivian is so important. Need it.

 

[CommodoreAmiga]

This is why being able to have a bidirectional charger at home that works with Rivian is so important. Need it.

That's a gimmick, imo. Last thing any reasonable person wants/needs is to be in an emergency and find out that their vehicle has no range because it was powering their house.

I'm fine with the electrical outlet in the bed that you have to manually plug into... That will likely just be used to power a refrigerator or minimal life support systems.

But automatically running your whole home is a recipe for disaster -- at the worst possible time.

 

[Chris Adams]

But automatically running your whole home is a recipe for disaster -- at the worst possible time.

Well yeah I agree it shouldn't be automatic, I don't think any of the proposed bidirectional chargers out there would automatically take over. It should be a manual option that you could use only when you need it. And obviously the rivian app would alert you when youre charge is below whatever level you set it to alert you at. So then you drive to a charger and have power for your house again...

 

[CommodoreAmiga]

So then you drive to a charger and have power for your house again...

May have to drive a long distance to find a charger that has power... And you're competing with every other EV, too.

 

[Drek2U]

This is why being able to have a bidirectional charger at home that works with Rivian is so important. Need it.

Also, bidirectional chargers are more expensive in themselves and have much larger requirements that are not mentioned when people talk about them. Your local utility will also require you to have an automatic grid disconnect installed. This is so your battery is not putting power out to the grid when the grid side power is out. This is so your power crew does not run into a live line when they are not expecting it. Any system that can put power into the grid has to have this, Solar Panels, Battery backups, Wind power etc.

So, this turns into a might as well thing. If you are going to use the truck battery as a backup for outages, you might as well install X. With X being, other batteries like a Tesla Power Wall, solar panels, wind turbine, micro hydro etc...

 

[thrill]

Also, bidirectional chargers are more expensive in themselves and have much larger requirements that are not mentioned when people talk about them. Your local utility will also require you to have an automatic grid disconnect installed. This is so your battery is not putting power out to the grid when the grid side power is out. This is so your power crew does not run into a live line when they are not expecting it. Any system that can put power into the grid has to have this, Solar Panels, Battery backups, Wind power etc.

So, this turns into a might as well thing. If you are going to use the truck battery as a backup for outages, you might as well install X. With X being, other batteries like a Tesla Power Wall, solar panels, wind turbine, micro hydro etc...

When you buy an EV with $30,000 worth of batteries it's only logical to see if they can be flexible enough to assist you when you don't need them for driving.

 

[Drek2U]

When you buy an EV with $30,000 worth of batteries it's only logical to see if they can be flexible enough to assist you when you don't need them for driving.

Oh they certainly are, I just wanted to point out that there is more to it than what you put on the wall.

To see how many extras that can pop up you can peruse the Energy Sovereignty project this person did https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCc1L6uMrBvZiB0lTLy84GQQ/videos. Probably way more detail than most people want but does have info on Solar, Tesla Power walls and using them in real life with actual power companies involved as well...

 

[Chris Adams]

Well this brings me to another question then, does the R1S have outlets like the R1T?

 

[EyeOnRivian]

Well this brings me to another question then, does the R1S have outlets like the R1T?

I was just about to post a message to the OP (@eHauler ) that they might want to update the thread title to either remove R1T or also add R1S. Last week I spoke with Rivian CS at length (multiple times) and confirmed the R1S will have 120v and USB outlets and an air compressor minimally in the cargo area. I believe these features are available due to the offroad package that's included with the LE. So probably optional on non-LEs. They had no further information on how many outlets or other locations on the vehicle.
On a slightly different note, I once again reminded CS that this is just another example of Rivian's lack of information that needs to be documented minimally on their website.

 

[eHauler]

I was just about to post a message to the OP (@eHauler ) that they might want to update the thread title to either remove R1T or also add R1S. Last week I spoke with Rivian CS at length (multiple times) and confirmed the R1S will have 120v and USB outlets and an air compressor minimally in the cargo area. I believe these features are available due to the offroad package that's included with the LE. So probably optional on non-LEs. They had no further information on how many outlets or other locations on the vehicle.
On a slightly different note, I once again reminded CS that this is just another example of Rivian's lack of information that needs to be documented minimally on their website.

Thanks for finding that out @EyeOnRivian. R1S mentions are now included in my OP.

Did customer service say they would follow up on how many outlets, etc. will be available?

Pictures of the R1S cargo area show storage compartments on the sides and could be where the outlets are located.

 

[EyeOnRivian]

Did customer service say they would follow up on how many outlets, etc. will be available?

Of course not, but I suspect you expected that or at least are not surprised. I wasn't. Just another bit of additional info that will probably be included in a large dump of info in an upcoming announcement, or at least one could only hope, unlike the underwhelming amount info that was (not) provided with the configurator. However they're now running out of time with the June launch in a few months so, again, I "expect" info to start following out Rivian soon, otherwise I don't think it's going to bode well for them if they, say, wait until May.

Pictures of the R1S cargo area show storage compartments on the sides and could be where the outlets are located.

I believe that's a fairly old pic of the R1S at a Rivian hosted event, which as we know they haven't done in at least a year due to the pandemic, and Rivian has been tweaking things on both EAVs. E.g. it was recently discovered (not announced, of course) in the latest Twitter video montage that the upper part of the lift gate on the R1S has been redesigned and the overall vehicle length increased (~2"). Also, there is now no full size spare tire. And supposedly the pulldown covers over USBs behind each front row bucket seat has been redesigned (I may have had something to do about that after I pointed out to Rivian that was an injury waiting to happen). So whatever one could pull out of that pic unfortunately wouldn't be all that reliable as a source of what's on, or going to be on, the production version.