Charging, adapters--used 2023 came with nothing.What do I need?

[Husky44]

New to me 23 R1T, first time EV owner. Bought from a non-Rivian dealership. It didn't have any chargers or adapters (although it came x with an intact compressor kit, gear cable, and first aid kit).

I've ordered my home charger, which is where I expect to charge 90+% of the time, but I don't want to be unprepared when traveling.

What do I need?

I prefer not to use any Tesla chargers unless it's an absolute emergency.

What do I need to make a basic 110 connection if I'm staying at someone's homex who doesn't have a charger? Again, something I don't expect to use often, if at all. More of a case of "better to have it and not need it than need it and not have it."

Thanks!

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[Cycliste]

https://a2zev.com/collections/charging-adapters/products/nacs-ccs1

https://a2zev.com/collections/charging-adapters/products/nacs-j1772-stellar


The Rivian Gear Shop has portable chargers. A2Z is also coming out with a mobile charger s00n as well as a level 2 charger according to their site

https://gearshop.rivian.com/products/rivian-portable-charger-j1772


Or the Rivian NACS-CCS1 adapter, though I like the A2Z adapter better

If you do road trips, you really should have an adapter to use Tesla superchargers or Tesla level 2 chargers at hotels. It just makes your life easier. Sure, Elon is crazy, but…

 

[boosted20v]

/\ this and recommened A2Z as well. Helpful hint, if you find yourself needing to fly with the A2Z, give yourself extra time at security to get through the gate! Almost missed my flight last weekend. LOL

 

[CharonPDX]

Double check below the false floor in the frunk - portable charge cable might be hiding there.

There are two adapters you might want:

AC charging (home/slow public charging at hotels or similar) you'd want a "Tesla to J1772" adapter. That only has the "circular" part of the Rivian-side, not the two big extra pins. But it only works for 120V/240V AC charging.

DC charging (Tesla Supercharger and now even some Rivian RAN!) you'd want a "NACS to CCS" adapter that has the two big pins on the Rivian-side. These only work for DC rapid charging, not for AC home charging.

There are a couple companies that list one adapter that works for both - avoid them, they are a safety nightmare.

 

[BigSkies]

All good points above.

As an FYI, you'll still want the NACS to J1772 adapter (L2) and the NACS DCFC adapter, even if you plan to avoid Tesla.

The non-Tesla charging networks are starting to add NACS plugs in new stations. They're not super common yet, but they'll likely be predominant in a few short years.

You'll also might want a mobile charging cable, depending on your use case. I've used mine exactly twice in 3 years. You can likely find a better deal with an aftermarket product or maybe eBay, but I haven't looked into that myself.

 

[Husky44]

Double check below the false floor in the frunk - portable charge cable might be hiding there.

I checked there. That's where I found the air compressor hose and gear cable. Only adapters there were for child seats.

 

[Time2Roll]

Get the home charging connection made and take some time to consider the rest.

Once you have a definate need for other charging it is far easier to just get what you need. Very easy to go a bit overboard with unknown needs.

 

[Rivian Owner]

You mention 120v (110v) charging, keep in mind that with a 15 amp 120v circuit you are "trickle" charging your vehicle and leaving it charging overnight won't add a lot of range. If you are planning on using friend's circuits to charge when visiting, I'd look for a electric dryer connection so you can get at least 240v with maybe 30 amps of juice; otherwise plan on DC Fast Charging before you arrive and once you leave your friends' houses. Most of the time the dryer won't be within the length of your charging cable, so you'll likely need additional extensions to get to their plug. You can start carrying lots of gear to accommodate different scenarios so it might be worth it to consider how often you think you'd utilize the equipment vs using a DC Fast Charger.

As much as some of us would like to avoid spending money with Tesla, if you go on a lot of road trips, Tesla chargers may be unavoidable and you should plan on having an adapter to utilize Tesla chargers. There are several states that are charging deserts so you may not have the flexibility the way you can pick a gas station for your ICE vehicle. Getting towed when you run out of charge would be a very painful experience for your wallet. I carry two adapters for NACS charging so if one fails I don't get stranded; I purchased my A2Z before Rivian sent me their version so carrying both is a no-brainer. As others have posted, NACS is becoming the standard so while infrastructure for charging may be growing, it isn't growing with native charge connectors for your Rivian.

There are threads on here and other places that discuss all the various plugs, cables, and adapters you can equip yourself with to anticipate any situation; only you know what your plans are and where you will be traveling, so do your research to better equip for your requirements.

Speaking of traveling, another thing to research and think about is a flat tire on the road. You might want to investigate lifting your vehicle to change a tire, jack pucks, jacks, and the Rivian lifting guide to hand to your friendly tow-truck driver or tire shop.

 

[smashweights]

Just get a NACS to J1772 AC adapter and a NACS to CCS1 DC adapter. That's the only essentials.

After you've owned it for a while, you might consider adding a J1772 extension cord to your kit if you have a work charger you get ICE'd out of frequently.

IMO, a mobile charger is pretty worthless on 110v if you're not plugging in for a looong time as it adds about 1 mile of range per hour. Mine came with one and I never use it except when we road trip to a family house where we installed a 14-50 plug outside for EV charging. If you're visiting a friend for a few hours in the evening it's not going to add anything meaningful to your vehicle.

 

[Husky44]

Thanks for all the helpful responses.

I appreciate the suggestions that I slow down a bit and wait to see what I really need.

Range anxiety is real and manifests in strange ways.

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