Photo: Rivian, Tesla | Edited
After jumping on the NACS bandwagon, Rivian went the extra mile and announced it would offer free NACS adapters to access Tesla Superchargers. Rivian clarified that only the first adapter would be provided free of charge, with additional adapters available to buy in the Gear Shop.
Rivian was the latest EV maker to announce a pact with Tesla to use its Supercharger network. According to this deal, Rivian owners will have access to more than 12,000 Tesla Superchargers via an adapter starting next spring. The announcement doesn't clarify whether this means the Superchargers built with Magic Dock or other Superchargers that are open to owners of non-Tesla EVs via a separate adapter.
After the official announcement, Rivian published guidelines about what the deal means for existing and future owners. It also emailed owners and reservation holders, explaining how their ownership would change in light of the partnership with Tesla. In the email sent to current owners, Rivian promised to offer a NACS adapter next spring to allow them to charge at Tesla charging sites.
In an Instagram post, Rivian official account said that owners of vehicles built with CCS charge ports would get their first NACS adapter for free. Although Ford and GM signed similar deals with Tesla, none promised a free adapter. The news was hailed by Rivian owners on forums and social media, although an adapter should not be very expensive. Still, it makes sense for the carmaker to offer it for free since the change was out of the owners' control. They can purchase additional adapters in the Gear Shop, should they need them.
Rivian will build future vehicles with a NACS charge port, and the email sent to reservation holders who weren't assigned a VIN reflects that. According to the email, Rivian will build future R1S and R1T with a NACS port as standard in 2025. Naturally, these prospective owners would get a CCS adapter to charge their NACS vehicles at CCS third-party stations. Either way, all Rivian current and future owners should get access to more than 25,000 DC fast-charging stations across North America.
Rivian announcements make sense, although an adapter might not be needed from 2025. With federal incentives mandating that charging networks build stations with a CCS port to access federal funding, there should not be a shortage of CCS chargers. On the other hand, Texas DoT announced that it would require charging networks to offer both NACS and CCS to access the NEVI program in the state. The move is likely to be followed by other states, meaning that owners of NACS-equipped Rivians are covered too.
Either way, the adapter will only be helpful for a limited time as the industry standards settle. If the NACS wins and CCS disappears, most EVs will be built with NACS anyway. If the Biden administration somehow manages to keep CCS alive, most charging networks will still offer NACS as an option. Hopefully, this means more choices for EV owners, helping accelerate EV adoption.
After the official announcement, Rivian published guidelines about what the deal means for existing and future owners. It also emailed owners and reservation holders, explaining how their ownership would change in light of the partnership with Tesla. In the email sent to current owners, Rivian promised to offer a NACS adapter next spring to allow them to charge at Tesla charging sites.
In an Instagram post, Rivian official account said that owners of vehicles built with CCS charge ports would get their first NACS adapter for free. Although Ford and GM signed similar deals with Tesla, none promised a free adapter. The news was hailed by Rivian owners on forums and social media, although an adapter should not be very expensive. Still, it makes sense for the carmaker to offer it for free since the change was out of the owners' control. They can purchase additional adapters in the Gear Shop, should they need them.
Rivian will build future vehicles with a NACS charge port, and the email sent to reservation holders who weren't assigned a VIN reflects that. According to the email, Rivian will build future R1S and R1T with a NACS port as standard in 2025. Naturally, these prospective owners would get a CCS adapter to charge their NACS vehicles at CCS third-party stations. Either way, all Rivian current and future owners should get access to more than 25,000 DC fast-charging stations across North America.
Rivian announcements make sense, although an adapter might not be needed from 2025. With federal incentives mandating that charging networks build stations with a CCS port to access federal funding, there should not be a shortage of CCS chargers. On the other hand, Texas DoT announced that it would require charging networks to offer both NACS and CCS to access the NEVI program in the state. The move is likely to be followed by other states, meaning that owners of NACS-equipped Rivians are covered too.
Either way, the adapter will only be helpful for a limited time as the industry standards settle. If the NACS wins and CCS disappears, most EVs will be built with NACS anyway. If the Biden administration somehow manages to keep CCS alive, most charging networks will still offer NACS as an option. Hopefully, this means more choices for EV owners, helping accelerate EV adoption.
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