Had no idea they had a charging network, but does it really matter? Tesla is so far away ahead of everyone else that I cannot see anyone catching up. Even if they stop making cars Tesla can keep making money off their charging network.
Rivian is opening its charging network to other EVs
161–170 of 292 posts
Re: Rivian is opening its charging network to other EVs
#162Earlier quoted context omitted.
Rivian placed their charging port on the front left corner, while Teslas have ports on the rear left corner. So to charge a Rivian at a Tesla Supercharger, you have to park in the adjacent spot and plug in.[1] More Supercharging stations are adding "trailer compatible" spots, so this should become less of an issue over time. I would also bet that EV manufacturers will standardize on a port location similar to how gas…
> I would also bet that EV manufacturers will standardize on a port location similar to how gas vehicles have No need. Just make the cables longer and the problem is solved. Even Tesla has put longer cables on their V4 chargers. Here's a long cable on some EnBW Alpitronic chargers: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LK2shbCwDYM
Longer cables have significant disadvantages. They cost more. They're less efficient, meaning they charge slower and/or require more cooling. They contain more metal, making them more appealing to thieves. They get tangled and damaged more easily. That's why Tesla made their cables so short and standardized on a charging port location.
I'm sure future charging stations will have some long cables for vehicles with odd port locations or trailers, but I don't know if every charger at a station will have a long cable. Considering the disadvantages of long cables, it makes a lot of sense for manufacturers to use one location for the charging port. That allows owners to use as many chargers as possible. And it would mean that anyone driving an EV wouldn't have to remember where the port is on their specific vehicle.
Re: Rivian is opening its charging network to other EVs
#163Earlier quoted context omitted.
I've come to notice that there is no incentive for 3rd party ev-chargers to be dependable. Telsa and rivian have a vested interest in keeping the chargers working. Their sales depend on the chargers working. Even a little bad press is a multiplier against sales. They also have significant engineering effort throughout the charging ecosystem, from the batteries, on-board infrastructure, standards, mapping, strategic c…
I'd drop Tesla from that argument. No, not that the SC network is bad. Their CEO alienated 50% of their customer base with politics. This is going to be one of the most interesting case studies in brand management and advertising history. But you are probably correct. I think making the infrastructure act funding contingent on reliability metrics is pretty key. You know, if the money doesn't get yanked by the adminis…
> incentive for operational gas pumps
It seems gas stations get 70% of the profits from the conveience stores.
EV charging stations are pretty standalone. They could probably do the mcdonalds thing - become real-estate companies. Leasing surrounding land to convenience stores could be a good model.
Re: Rivian is opening its charging network to other EVs
#164Earlier quoted context omitted.
I've come to notice that there is no incentive for 3rd party ev-chargers to be dependable. Telsa and rivian have a vested interest in keeping the chargers working. Their sales depend on the chargers working. Even a little bad press is a multiplier against sales. They also have significant engineering effort throughout the charging ecosystem, from the batteries, on-board infrastructure, standards, mapping, strategic c…
I'd drop Tesla from that argument. No, not that the SC network is bad. Their CEO alienated 50% of their customer base with politics. This is going to be one of the most interesting case studies in brand management and advertising history. But you are probably correct. I think making the infrastructure act funding contingent on reliability metrics is pretty key. You know, if the money doesn't get yanked by the adminis…
50% is grossly exaggerated and kind of shows you’re in a bubble. Tesla sells in China, the world’s largest car market and by far the largest EV market, and Europe, and Australia, and Japan etc. even half of americans dont give a fuck despite some democrats claiming that. Most people dont give a fuck about the ceo’s politics except maybe in the bay area.
Re: Rivian is opening its charging network to other EVs
#165Earlier quoted context omitted.
I've come to notice that there is no incentive for 3rd party ev-chargers to be dependable. Telsa and rivian have a vested interest in keeping the chargers working. Their sales depend on the chargers working. Even a little bad press is a multiplier against sales. They also have significant engineering effort throughout the charging ecosystem, from the batteries, on-board infrastructure, standards, mapping, strategic c…
I'd drop Tesla from that argument. No, not that the SC network is bad. Their CEO alienated 50% of their customer base with politics. This is going to be one of the most interesting case studies in brand management and advertising history. But you are probably correct. I think making the infrastructure act funding contingent on reliability metrics is pretty key. You know, if the money doesn't get yanked by the adminis…
I don’t think most people make purchasing decisions based on the personal politics of a firm’s CEO. It will be interesting to see how impactful it ends up being.
Re: Rivian is opening its charging network to other EVs
#166Earlier quoted context omitted.
> I would also bet that EV manufacturers will standardize on a port location similar to how gas vehicles have No need. Just make the cables longer and the problem is solved. Even Tesla has put longer cables on their V4 chargers. Here's a long cable on some EnBW Alpitronic chargers: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LK2shbCwDYM
Longer cables have significant disadvantages. They cost more. They're less efficient, meaning they charge slower and/or require more cooling. They contain more metal, making them more appealing to thieves. They get tangled and damaged more easily. That's why Tesla made their cables so short and standardized on a charging port location. I'm sure future charging stations will have some long cables for vehicles with odd…
> I don't know if every charger at a station will have a long cable.
Every charger will have longer cables. Longer cables have been deployed on chargers from many manufacturers for years. It's not novel.
Tesla is generally behind the curve with charger development. Kempower and Alpitronic make the best chargers.
Re: Rivian is opening its charging network to other EVs
#167Earlier quoted context omitted.
I imagine there are additional factors. * many prime charging station locations are where the gas stations currently are. The high installation costs and long charging times mean you’d lose money swapping them 1:1 right now, and most gas stations are already optimized to hold the max pumps per spot of land. * it is challenging to find new locations not least because cities have found out that gas stations are pretty…
The cons of a gas station in the neighborhood are when it's a convenient store with pumps. The sale of lotto, beer, smokes, and low cost food attract it's own crowd that the NIMBYs do not like. Switch that to a storeless unmanned set of pumps, and all of that goes away. I've seen a few of these types of locations around town. Just an awning with a few pumps under it. That's pretty much what all of the electric charge…
Eh there are a ton of other downsides. By their nature, high-throughput charging stations with lots of curb cuts are bad for walkability, eyes on the street, etc. that people want in their neighborhoods. For example many cities now ban new drive throughs.
And the convenience stores are the thing that makes the money at gas stations.
Re: Rivian is opening its charging network to other EVs
#168Earlier quoted context omitted.
Everyone's car already knows what chargers they can use. The card doesn't route you to incompatible chargers. This is a solved problem. It sounds like you just don't have an EV.
I'm aware of that, thanks. It's more a note for any apartment dwellers thinking "I see Tesla chargers all over town, I could buy a 2025 Equinox (or whatever) with NACS and swing through the one on next to my office when I need to. If it's a v3 or v4 that's true, if it's an older station it's still only for Teslas. So if you buy a new EV thinking "I know where the nearest Tesla chargers are" you could be in for some d…
Anyone buying an EV learns this in like five minutes before they buy, honestly.
Re: Rivian is opening its charging network to other EVs
#169Earlier quoted context omitted.
Rivian placed their charging port on the front left corner, while Teslas have ports on the rear left corner. So to charge a Rivian at a Tesla Supercharger, you have to park in the adjacent spot and plug in.[1] More Supercharging stations are adding "trailer compatible" spots, so this should become less of an issue over time. I would also bet that EV manufacturers will standardize on a port location similar to how gas…
Rivian designed their vehicles long before Tesla offered them access to superchargers.
Globally, Tesla chargers have been available to most EVs for many years. America moving to a standard shouldn't have shocked anyone.
Re: Rivian is opening its charging network to other EVs
#170Earlier quoted context omitted.
Yeah I've just never seen one, and don't have a Rivian, so it never came across the media I consume. I'm in the Houston area, and they only have 3 in Texas, none of which are near me. Only one is on a freeway that I may likely encounter.
I've got a Rivian and have only used their chargers on a road trip to Whistler from the Bay Area. One was in Shasta behind a little hotel—you'd not see it if you weren't looking for it. The other was at a Homewood Suites lot somewhere in Southern Oregon. Unsurprisingly, these were back-to-back stops. So, I think they were specifically put there to help bridge a gap between Northern CA and Southern OR.
If you were going to use it, your car's navigation would probably route you there, and you wouldn't need to look for it. FWIW.