US electric vehicle (EV) brand Rivian have opened its first three DC fast charging sites this month. One is in Colorado and two in California, with many more coming online this summer.
The fast chargers at Rivian Adventure Network sites are capable of adding up to 140 miles (225km) of range to the R1electric truck, for example, in just 20 minutes. Plus, every kilowatt-hour the brand’s chargers dispense is matched with renewable resources like solar or wind.
The newest chargers in Colorado and California were built with access to adventure in mind, positioned at departure points for mountains or deserts, plains, forests or canyons. The expanding Rivian Adventure Network also serves major travel corridors and interstate highways.
The Colorado chargers are located at Salida which sits right at the centre of Colorado in the Arkansas River Valley ringed by 4,267m (14,000ft) peaks and vast pinon and juniper mesas.
The two Californian sites are located along the State’s Highway 396. The southern station in the town of Inyokern unlocks Death Valley National Park, King’s Canyon and the Southern Sierra, electrifying the popular pilgrimage from Los Angeles to Mammoth.
The northern station at Bishop is the ideal location to charge for explorations of places like the Inyo National Forest, the Sierra National Forest, Mono Lake and Yosemite National Park at Tioga Pass.
Rivian’s Adventure Network sites have been designed to accommodate bigger vehicles, like their R1T and R1S models, and many locations will offer vehicle and trailer pull-through access. These are designed to do away with the need for awkward manoeuvring or unhooking.
This year, Rivian plan to open more of their Adventure Network fast charging sites across North America. These will be from coast to coast, on major interstate highways such as I-5, I-80, I-75 and I-95. Rivian also plans to open sites near Arizona’s Coconino National Forest and the Blue Ridge Parkway along the southern and central Appalachian Mountains.
