New Rivian dispensers and non competitive pricing

[HaveBlue]

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[SANZC02]

He is not wrong, I just did a long trip and would have liked to use the RAN but the cost was significantly higher so I did a SC membership for a month and primarily used the SC network on my trip.

A couple more examples,

San Bernardino, CA RAN .65, SC membership .34 - savings on 80kWh charge is $24.80
Barstow, CA RAN .64, SC membership .46- savings on 80kWh $14.40

Rivian really needs to review their pricing strategy for the RAN.

 

[DayTripping]

I think they are trying to make all the profit they can. Supercharging has always been more expensive and you pay for the convenience. On a lot of longer trips, I weigh taking my EVs or renting an ICE vehicle.

Often it is cheaper to rent the ICE than to take my EV on a long trip. Between the high SC rates, wear and tear on my care, tire costs (which are typically more than charging for me), I have ended up renting a car a few times. The high RAN costs would just push me more into that camp.

Even with my old model Y, which was more efficient than my R1T (by a lot), it was cheaper to rent a Dodge minivan that got 33 mpg over our trip than what I would have paid for charging and wear and tear. Had a ton of more room.

If I can make it in a charge or two, I'll take my EVs. Over that, I seriously look at rentals.

I feel for other people who must charge solely at SCs. It really hurts the adoption of EVs with the high prices of electricity. Also looking at you California...

 

[SANZC02]

I think they are trying to make all the profit they can. Supercharging has always been more expensive and you pay for the convenience. On a lot of longer trips, I weigh taking my EVs or renting an ICE vehicle.

Often it is cheaper to rent the ICE than to take my EV on a long trip. Between the high SC rates, wear and tear on my care, tire costs (which are typically more than charging for me), I have ended up renting a car a few times. The high RAN costs would just push me more into that camp.

Even with my old model Y, which was more efficient than my R1T (by a lot), it was cheaper to rent a Dodge minivan that got 33 mpg over our trip than what I would have paid for charging and wear and tear. Had a ton of more room.

If I can make it in a charge or two, I'll take my EVs. Over that, I seriously look at rentals.

I feel for other people who must charge solely at SCs. It really hurts the adoption of EVs with the high prices of electricity. Also looking at you California...

The problem with pricing yourself so far above competitors you end up not getting any usage. In order to cover the fixed cost you need to spread them over more unit sales. It is more economical to sale at much lower margins to spread the costs than to price so high the stations are by passed for other networks.

I would use the RAN if it was a few pennies higher but when you start getting into double digits differences most people will use the lower cost options.

 

[Riviot]

I know that blue BF logo... I'm not clicking it!

I would use the RAN if it was a few pennies higher but when you start getting into double digits differences most people will use the lower cost options.

If you don't have Connect+, would $.10/kWh savings coax you into it? I believe this is what they're going to do soon, but they need to raise prices to create a savings.

 

[SANZC02]

I know that blue BF logo... I'm not clicking it!



If you don't have Connect+, would $.10/kWh savings coax you into it? I believe this is what they're going to do soon, but they need to raise prices to create a savings.

It depends on the location, even .10 doesn’t make them competitive in some locations. In Barstow it would bring them within .08 but San Bernadino they would still be .21 more expensive.

I just am just not sure there was much thought put into the new pricing that they released.

 

[therealcmj]

I don’t understand the strategy of the RAN network.

I can understand why Tesla built their’s out - there was no existing network and they needed the charging network to exist in order to sell the cars. And they had a bunch of tax benefits and federal and state funds available to use to help offset or even cover the costs. And the Tesla logo being out there at every rest stop and mall is free advertising. They could operat the network at cost or a tiny profit for years on end to get them economies of scale etc etc. And then later slightly turn the knob up by a penny or two and rake in recurring money.

But it’s 2025 now and other charging networks exist. Like a LOT of other networks. I can absolutely understand why they would put RAN locations at trail heads and near parks and any other outdoorsy place. But I just finished Florida to Boston, using RAN along the way and every one of them had another charging vendor in the same parking lot or across the street. If it costs the same as any other network why would anyone choose RAN over another? And why is Rivian expending the energy and focus to site/build/operate those?

Unless RAN is just some other white labeled network under the covers that’s a bunch of limited resources that could be used for something else.

Of note: I only chose RAN because I’m still on my free 6 months of charging. But after that ends I’ll definitely just use whoever is right on the highway rather than getting off and driving out of my way to a RAN.

 

[DCFC]

I don’t understand the strategy of the RAN network.

But it’s 2025 now and other charging networks exist. Like a LOT of other networks. I can absolutely understand why they would put RAN locations at trail heads and near parks and any other outdoorsy place. But I just finished Florida to Boston, using RAN along the way and every one of them had another charging vendor in the same parking lot or across the street. If it costs the same as any other network why would anyone choose RAN over another? And why is Rivian expending the energy and focus to site/build/operate those?

Unless RAN is just some other white labeled network under the covers that’s a bunch of limited resources that could be used for something else.

https://insideevs.com/news/753915/shell-ea-evgo-tesla-cahrging/

Keep in mind RJ started the RAN program at the end of 2019. At the time, unless you had a Tesla, the only option was EA. He understood there had to be reliable charging in order to sell EVs and the Tesla network wasn't open at the time.

RAN is 100% in-house engineered, manufactured, and field serviced.

 

[Patrick87]

Of the ~8 different fast charging sites between Knoxville and Nashville (a trip I make about once a month), the RAN station is $0.13 higher per kwh than the next highest charging station. It's definately not a busy station by any means. When I've charged there in the past, I'm usually the only one there charging. The most I've ever seen charge at one time (once) was 3 vehicles charging, including my own. (8 stalls total)

Like others have said, it it was a few pennys more per kwh to charge at a RAN, I'd rather do that to help support Rivian, but they're ridiculously high right now...

I'm wondering if they have raised the price in aticipation of opening the network to all makes/models and then giving a Rivian owner and/or Connect+ discount. That's my theory, at least.

 

[virgnia_rivian]

I know that blue BF logo... I'm not clicking it!

Trust anything he says with a huge grain of salt. (and look at his history and motivations)

 

[hgpayne]

We travel between San Diego CA and Prescott AZ a lot. We typically stop in Quartzsite to charge. For the first year of ownership we used the RAN at 36¢/kWh. Now that location is 61¢/kWh. I now use the Tesla superchargers across the street. Non membership prices are 54¢ and membership prices are 42¢. I buy my membership art the first charge in Quartzsite, use Tesla superchargers while in San Diego (no RAN available), and cancel my membership after charging in Quartzsite on the way home. The membership pays for itself.

Flagstaff RAN is a more reasonable 46¢ and there is no Tesla superchargers (NACS capable anyhow) nearby to compete. It's like Rivian wants us to use Tesla if available.

Fun fact, until recently Rivian nav would Auto route me to Tesla in Quartzsite. This last trip it picked the RAN. I didn't change anything in my options. I still used Tesla.

 

[Donald Stanfield]

Of the ~8 different fast charging sites between Knoxville and Nashville (a trip I make about once a month), the RAN station is $0.13 higher per kwh than the next highest charging station. It's definately not a busy station by any means. When I've charged there in the past, I'm usually the only one there charging. The most I've ever seen charge at one time (once) was 3 vehicles charging, including my own. (8 stalls total)

Like others have said, it it was a few pennys more per kwh to charge at a RAN, I'd rather do that to help support Rivian, but they're ridiculously high right now...

I'm wondering if they have raised the price in aticipation of opening the network to all makes/models and then giving a Rivian owner and/or Connect+ discount. That's my theory, at least.

I've only charged at that RAN once, and now I won't again. There are plenty of decent options in the area.

 

[UnsungZero_OldTimeAdMan]

Given price hike and termination of free charging via reward points... they were either hemorrhaging or not making enough to be sustainable. Think about it, it's a pretty drastic course correction done in short succession. Getting R2 to market is top priority. And service expansion is understandably far more urgent than RAN.

 

[bfilippo]

At the end of the day, they are the only other EV maker with their own charging network, and it's small but very reliable. I am hopeful, as others have mentioned, that this is anticipation of releasing a tiered pricing model for Rivian owners and/or Connect+ subscribers.

Personally, there's only one RAN in northern New England, in Freeport, and I would use it on my trips to/from Boston if it remains competitive with the regular Tesla pricing w/o membership for my quarterly ish trips.

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