New R2 Purchase w/ 700 Miles Road Trip Thoughts

[Great Gatsby]

OK, so I'm learning a lot from this thread as I tap my fingers waiting for my number to be called...

I've owned my MS 12 years and have only used Tesla charging stations (free to me). Is there a thread y'all can point me to that talks about the various qualities of the different charging stations (EV Go, IONNA, etc.)? Or do we want to debate that here?

The Tesla chargers have improved incredibly over my 12 years of ownership. Some places still too crowded (Atlanta near the Braves stadium- talking to you, and also South Boston VA is always packed) and only one creepy location (Columbia, SC) but I've been largely very happy with their charging stations. Looks like the RAN is also improving, but won't have all the thousands of locations like Tesla so I'll have to learn the good 3rd party chargers vs. the bad.

Also, does the Rivian navigation allow you to include/exclude certain brands of charging stations or is that done via ABRP?

Rivian allows you to exclude charging brands, thank god. Tesla is still top dawg but IONNA is doing a great job for a strong second. The RAN is also great but limited and usually near malls or places that close early, so not great for overnight trips. I just keep at those 3. Between the 3 of them, they have plenty of coverage.

Electrify America and EVGo are notorious for not having enough chargers, chargers that don’t work or stupid wait times for those reasons. The handshake takes forever and sometimes it won’t be able tell you what’s wrong. EA is the worst offender of this but EVGo can just as frustrating. I’d only use them last resort. Chargepoint is hit or miss. All depends on the business near it, as they are responsible for servicing them. They are usually near good spots too so they get ICEd often. I’d just avoid the headache of anything none Tesla, Ionna or Rivian for the time being.

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[Jeremy3292]

There is no room for any more cells in the skateboard and you can't stack 4695 cells on top of each other bc they're too big already. The only increases in pack size will come from higher density due to manufacturing or efficiency gains over time.

 

[Mike777]

OK, so I'm learning a lot from this thread as I tap my fingers waiting for my number to be called...

I've owned my MS 12 years and have only used Tesla charging stations (free to me). Is there a thread y'all can point me to that talks about the various qualities of the different charging stations (EV Go, IONNA, etc.)? Or do we want to debate that here?

The Tesla chargers have improved incredibly over my 12 years of ownership. Some places still too crowded (Atlanta near the Braves stadium- talking to you, and also South Boston VA is always packed) and only one creepy location (Columbia, SC) but I've been largely very happy with their charging stations. Looks like the RAN is also improving, but won't have all the thousands of locations like Tesla so I'll have to learn the good 3rd party chargers vs. the bad.

Also, does the Rivian navigation allow you to include/exclude certain brands of charging stations or is that done via ABRP?

It was actually odd. I used to go to the EvGo station often and it was a really good charging spot when I had my Lyriq. But when I used the Rivian adapter it gave me about 25% before giving me an error message that something was wrong. It didnt matter after that which charger I tried none would work. As another person mentioned stick with Tesla, Rivian, or Ionna those have always been flawless. I've decided to turn off chargers that need adapters as well and just use native NACS to avoid more issues.

 

[JeffnReno]

I recently purchased my R2 3 days ago. Here are some of my unfiltered thoughts from purchase to road tripping the vehicle 700 miles over 3 days doing about 80 on the highway in 100+ Heat. Since people are already saying "reduce speed". Speed limits in Texas are between 75-85 on the Highway. There are absolutely amazing things about this vehicle and some things Rivian really needs to address for future updates/models.

The Good
1. Driving Dynamics - Coming from a Lyriq I love it so much better for driving dynamics. It doesn't feel like a boat on the road. SUV but Sporty.
2. Autonomy - Worked amazingly well. All from regular adaptive cruise control to autonomy was great. My only gripe is that it kept telling me to keep my eyes on the road way too often. Even looking down at the screen to make some simple adjustments will make the loud beep go off.
3. Interior - The actual usable space for this vehicle although the measurements are very similar to the Lyriq is feels bigger especially the back seat.
4. The Navigation planner - Was great my only gripe was I couldn't set a destination charging percent to a charger at like 10% vs the default of 20%. You can only change what you want the final destination charging percent to be not what you want when you arrive at a charger.
5. AC - Blows extremely well in Texas in 100+ degree heat had no problems cooling the cabin. The ventilated seats worked extremely well.
6. Charging performance - It was flawless at Tesla stations. Handshake with the charger was super quick no issues.
7. Wheels - My wife wanted the 21s I wanted the 20s but after seeing the vehicle with the 21s and seeing 20s in person during the demo. I actually think now the 21s look better.
6. There is SO much more to love about the car its great all around. These are just the first things that come to mind.

The Bad
1. Efficiency/Range - I know it's been said but my god the efficiency and range are worse than I could have ever thought. To go a simple 230 miles one way required almost 100 KWH to drive or somewhere between 2.1 - 2.3 Miles per Kwh. According to the Energy App on the screen to keep the cabin cool (100 + outside) on a 3-hour trip required almost 10 KWH of consumption. That is far worse than our Lyriq which we could easily drive 250-260 miles going 80 on the highway. Why cant Rivian install a simple retractable sunshade like every other car out there or just dont put a glass roof? This car also desperately needs a Max Pack with at least an extra 20 Kwh. It's just not enough battery for this vehicle.
2. EVGO - Had a hiccup at EvGo. When using the Adapter at multiple stations I kept getting an error. It was after I put about 25% in the pack none of the EVGO stations would work at all. Had to stop again at a Tesla to get more juice to get home.

Other than those two issues the car has been fantastic. If anyone has any questions happy to answer.

Nice-looking R2 and I'm jealous while waiting for my Nov/Dec invite. My main concern and question has to do with in-car or app navigation. When I put in my destination, I really want to be able to trust the car when it tells me I'll make it to the charging stops and my final destination with whatever percent left. Since I've been driving Teslas for road trips beginning in 2018, I've become spoiled in that respect. If I'm driving too fast to make it to the original charger, the car will reroute me to another I can make it to or tell me what speed I need to stay under to make it. The range limitations of the R2 don't bother me, but since the R2 is new and the software is not fully evolved, can I trust that it will not leave me stranded?

 

[BTOR]

700 miles @ 80mph =8.75 hours of driving
700 miles at 70mph =10 hours of driving.
So you saved 75 minutes by going 10mph faster over the course of that trip.

Slowing by 10mph to 70mph will greatly increase your efficiency and may even eliminate at least 1 charging stop for say 35-40 minutes in total. Thus your 75 minutes of time saving would be reduced to about 35-40.

out here in CA, that 10mph is also the difference between seeing the red & blue in your rear view mirror and not. For me, I’ll trade that 35-40 all day long to avoid the hassle of a speeding ticket (which will suck even more time that you’ll never get back).

Im always perplexed when people drive so fast, yet complain about low efficiency.

I agree 100% . Slow down……. I just completed a 398 mile trip in my bigger and heavier R1S all on a single charge. All freeway driving. Used 134 kWh, efficiency of 2.97. There was some stop and go traffic going through Portland but the remainder of the trip was 65 mph. Had I continued driving, I would have easily exceeded the 410 mile EPA range estimate for my vehicle configuration.

 

[Millbarge]

Nice-looking R2 and I'm jealous while waiting for my Nov/Dec invite. My main concern and question has to do with in-car or app navigation. When I put in my destination, I really want to be able to trust the car when it tells me I'll make it to the charging stops and my final destination with whatever percent left. Since I've been driving Teslas for road trips beginning in 2018, I've become spoiled in that respect. If I'm driving too fast to make it to the original charger, the car will reroute me to another I can make it to or tell me what speed I need to stay under to make it. The range limitations of the R2 don't bother me, but since the R2 is new and the software is not fully evolved, can I trust that it will not leave me stranded?

I would think there have been enough road tests, both by YouTubers and car review sites, that you would have heard about this if it was an issue.

 

[JeffnReno]

I would think there have been enough road tests, both by YouTubers and car review sites, that you would have heard about this if it was an issue.

You are probably right, but when traveling in Nevada on long stretches of deserted road, the better-safe-than-sorry mentality comes to mind frequently, as family safety is the first priority.

 

[sparked]

I agree. And I have heard the new Walmart and GM networks are good, so I include those (but have never used them personally).

Even EVGo is redoing their network so it might not be a bad option in a year. I believe partly with Tesla V4 superchargers.

Walmart will be pretty big in a year too with good chargers. The charging landscape is starting to change a lot now. I just noticed a new Ionna along a common highway route I would use.

 

[Mike777]

Nice-looking R2 and I'm jealous while waiting for my Nov/Dec invite. My main concern and question has to do with in-car or app navigation. When I put in my destination, I really want to be able to trust the car when it tells me I'll make it to the charging stops and my final destination with whatever percent left. Since I've been driving Teslas for road trips beginning in 2018, I've become spoiled in that respect. If I'm driving too fast to make it to the original charger, the car will reroute me to another I can make it to or tell me what speed I need to stay under to make it. The range limitations of the R2 don't bother me, but since the R2 is new and the software is not fully evolved, can I trust that it will not leave me stranded?

With any new EV I buy I'm always extra cautious so I didn't really chance it below 20% to a charger even though I wanted 10% but there is no option to change it. Going to my destination it actually was a bit conservative and I was actually 1-2% higher than the initial estimate. Going back home I would say it was pretty on point. The only thing I haven't tested yet and this is from online YouTube video testing I've seen the R2 starts utilizing more energy under 20% which throws off the NAV so not sure if its true or not have yet to try it.

 

[RickRivian]

I could care less about efficiency as long as it has the range. I do own a Ford Bronco at 13 MPG lol. This is where I thought GM had it right just put the biggest battery possible in vehicles. Even Out of Spec mentioned it. I've seen all the reviews and stuff about the R2 before I purchased about the range. I'm just stating its worse than whats been said in extreme heat. I'm just giving my quick thoughts as I just got back from road tripping it.

Umm, they're tied together... The faster you drive, the lower the efficiency. The lower the efficiency, the lower the range.

I've driven through 31 states and 3 provinces, including where the speed limit is 80, and had no problem doing 75.

It would bother me. The vehicle should be able to keep up with traffic, IMO.

What doesn't? LOL

I agree. And I have heard the new Walmart and GM networks are good, so I include those (but have never used them personally).

It is becoming easier and easier to avoid the crappy stations. It has taken a while, but I can finally see the day when there are so many charging options you don't need to plan trips like you do now. I still plan, but it is definitely easier. And most of the time I don't need to change the route just to hit the charger I want.

Wait, wut? Mike exuding optimism? I must be delirious!

Hey, Mike. Been awhile.

 

[VandalSibs]

Efficiency has been beaten to death. @Rivian gaming the EPA rating has been a huge disservice for an otherwise great vehicle.

There was no 'gaming' of the system. Rivian decided to use one of the testing methods that the EPA offers to all automobile manufacturers (ICE or EV).

 

[BTOR]

Texas highways are between 75 - 85 posted speed limits. Anything slower than 75 really is dangerous on Texas highways. So how is this driving fast?

We are all familiar with the term "speed kills". That saying came about for a reason. Driving below the posted speed limit is not more dangerous for the driver going slower. There are many components of driving that "degrade" the faster you travel. Although reaction time is not a function of speed, what the vehicle does during your reaction time is. First, the vehicle will travel farther which is essentially linear with speed. So you will travel a greater distance during the time it takes you to react when traveling 80 mph vs. 65 or 70 mph. Second, and more importantly, it takes much, much longer to stop. And as @DaveA said, driving 70 mph (or slower ) in the right hand lane is perfectly acceptable in Texas (as it is in the other states).

To bolster this argument, I spent time in Germany back in the 80's when sections of the Autobahn had no speed limit. Trucks and slower vehicles stayed in the right lane, except when passing. This was the law and it was strictly enforced. They would typically travel between 80-120 kph (~ 50 - 70 mph). Vehicles in the left lane would drive fast, typically at least 200+ kph. (125+ mph). When there was an accident, it wasn't the right hand lane vehicles involved. Those drivers lived to drive another day. Oh, and the vehicles involved, they were literally destroyed beyond recognition.

 

[ENVErider]

I recently purchased my R2 3 days ago. Here are some of my unfiltered thoughts from purchase to road tripping the vehicle 700 miles over 3 days doing about 80 on the highway in 100+ Heat. Since people are already saying "reduce speed". Speed limits in Texas are between 75-85 on the Highway. There are absolutely amazing things about this vehicle and some things Rivian really needs to address for future updates/models.

The Good
1. Driving Dynamics - Coming from a Lyriq I love it so much better for driving dynamics. It doesn't feel like a boat on the road. SUV but Sporty.
2. Autonomy - Worked amazingly well. All from regular adaptive cruise control to autonomy was great. My only gripe is that it kept telling me to keep my eyes on the road way too often. Even looking down at the screen to make some simple adjustments will make the loud beep go off.
3. Interior - The actual usable space for this vehicle although the measurements are very similar to the Lyriq is feels bigger especially the back seat.
4. The Navigation planner - Was great my only gripe was I couldn't set a destination charging percent to a charger at like 10% vs the default of 20%. You can only change what you want the final destination charging percent to be not what you want when you arrive at a charger.
5. AC - Blows extremely well in Texas in 100+ degree heat had no problems cooling the cabin. The ventilated seats worked extremely well.
6. Charging performance - It was flawless at Tesla stations. Handshake with the charger was super quick no issues.
7. Wheels - My wife wanted the 21s I wanted the 20s but after seeing the vehicle with the 21s and seeing 20s in person during the demo. I actually think now the 21s look better.
6. There is SO much more to love about the car its great all around. These are just the first things that come to mind.

The Bad
1. Efficiency/Range - I know it's been said but my god the efficiency and range are worse than I could have ever thought. To go a simple 230 miles one way required almost 100 KWH to drive or somewhere between 2.1 - 2.3 Miles per Kwh. According to the Energy App on the screen to keep the cabin cool (100 + outside) on a 3-hour trip required almost 10 KWH of consumption. That is far worse than our Lyriq which we could easily drive 250-260 miles going 80 on the highway. Why cant Rivian install a simple retractable sunshade like every other car out there or just dont put a glass roof? This car also desperately needs a Max Pack with at least an extra 20 Kwh. It's just not enough battery for this vehicle.
2. EVGO - Had a hiccup at EvGo. When using the Adapter at multiple stations I kept getting an error. It was after I put about 25% in the pack none of the EVGO stations would work at all. Had to stop again at a Tesla to get more juice to get home.

Other than those two issues the car has been fantastic. If anyone has any questions happy to answer.

Congrats on your purchase! Yes, there's a lot that has been made about R2 efficiency, but as an R1 owner, I would be thrilled to get the reported R2 efficiency. My lifetime average is around 2.35 kW/hr, and most R2 drivers on Rivian Roamer are getting 2.6-3.0, so your experience appears lower. Like boxy ICE SUVs, the R2 will suffer most at high highway speeds due to the power relationship between power and aero losses; this has shown up in EV towing results too. I'm not suggesting you drive slower; I'm just noting that Rivian can't get around the physics, and factoring everything in, I hope you are still thrilled with your purchase.

I'd also love to see a max-pack version, or even a Tri-Motor, in the future, but since production photos show the battery pack area full, I don't see a max-pack happening without a substantial change in battery type. Battery energy density is only going up, so who knows what the future holds.

 

[narmstrong79]

There was no 'gaming' of the system. Rivian decided to use one of the testing methods that the EPA offers to all automobile manufacturers (ICE or EV).

It's still gaming the system, Rivian could've used a more realistic test. The blame is on the EPA, it always has been it's just more pronounced with EVs. Rivian Promises 300+ mile at launch, for cost reasons they couldn't add more battery capacity so they used the test that so they could hit their promised range on paper. That is gaming, especially when rivian knows the general US public, not that nerds on forums like us, have no idea what EPA/MPG/eMPG really means.

 

[BTOR]

There was no 'gaming' of the system. Rivian decided to use one of the testing methods that the EPA offers to all automobile manufacturers (ICE or EV).

If you dig deep enough you can find the reports and methods used for each vehicle. The report I pulled on the Rivian, the testing was done using a dynamometer. This was done for all configurations, both the R1S and R1T. The dynamometer data was provided to the EPA by Rivian. The EPA then use additional vehicle data provided by the manufacturer (includes drag coefficients, weight, etc.) to calculate an EPA rating. Obviously the dynamometer results will be significantly greater than the actual EPA max range rating. I'm not sure if this was the one Rivian went with. It was the one I found when doing a document search. I wish I still had the link. My history only goes back 1 year and I did this well over 2 years ago.....

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