RAN charging report: 800+ mile pilgrimage to R2 (and R3) reveal using RAN chargers exclusively

[emoore]

Take it for what its worth, but a couple of weeks ago the service guy said we would know it was close when the update came adding Tesla locations to the nav. This update does that. Also said they hoped to send adapters out around 3rd week of March.

Seems to fall in line with what Rivian and RJ has said. Wonder how they are going to send out the adapters? By VIN? first come first served?

Sponsored

 

[Golfer04]

Seems to fall in line with what Rivian and RJ has said. Wonder how they are going to send out the adapters? By VIN? first come first served?

The only reason I asked that is because I'm trading my R1T on a demo. The sales contact said they plan on sending them all out "the same week ahead of when the access goes live" so it won't matter. We'll see. I survived this long in a non-Tesla charging desert so I think I can make it. People get obsessed with wanting to be first. 99 percent of my charging is at home. Not really sure why I cared.

 

[AllInev]

Thanks for sharing! Did you need to go out of the way to use the RAN chargers or were they along the optimal route? I’m curious since I live near Laguna and would be interested in doing the reverse of your trip.

My routes (both going South and back North) took me to the Santa Nella and Buttonwillow RAN stations. Both those RAN stations are right off Hwy 5 and very convenient.

 

[AllInev]

Nice! How full were the chargers? Here out east I find myself pulling up to like 20-pylon large installations where I'm the only one, midday. I find myself saying to people a lot that Rivian needs to open it up but I realize I'm completely ignorant to the experience out west where so many more are sold.

Rivian appears to be doing an extremely solid job on the rollout. Can't think of a charging Network that has gone up with less fuss and that much capacity per-site on this scale other than Tesla.

Going south on Wednesday, I left the Bay Area at 3pm and arrived in the Laguna Beach area around 11pm.

Both RAN stations had only a few other R1 vehicles, so I was able to just pull in and start charging immediately. My R1T sucked up the power quickly and I felt like I barely had time to stretch my legs, get a restroom break and snack before the truck was ready to go.

Going north on Friday, I left the Laguana Beach area around noon and arrived back in the Bay Area around 8pm. I stopped at the same RAN stations on the way back. Again, both stations had only a few other R1's and I was able to pull in and start charging immediately. So nice!

 

[Gen(R3)Xer]

No news yet on using Tesla's SC with our Rivian

It’s coming soon. Not sure if you’ll have to pay for an adapter. Ford gave their customers a free one designed by Tesla.

 

[AllInev]

Questions:

1) did you make 2 RAN stops (assume Santa Nella and Button Willow) just to use RAN instead of a single stop at Kettleman City at EA to get down to Laguna?

2) assume you charged while you were in the southland at non RAN since there is none in OC.

Thanks in advance.

#1, I definitely wanted to use the RAN station(s) vs EA, but I also couldn't leave my house (for an unimportant reason) with 100% charge and it made sense to stop in Santa Nella. I've configured my app/truck to prefer the RAN stations, so that probably played a role.

#2, I was lucky enough to have access to AC/Level 2 charging while in the Laguna Beach area, so I had no need to slum-it at public DC charging stations. ;-)

 

[AllInev]

Which chargers did you use along the route?

The Santa Nella and Buttonwillow stations --in both directions.

 

[emoore]

It’s coming soon. Not sure if you’ll have to pay for an adapter. Ford gave their customers a free one designed by Tesla.

You don't have to pay for an adapter.

 

[emoore]

The only reason I asked that is because I'm trading my R1T on a demo. The sales contact said they plan on sending them all out "the same week ahead of when the access goes live" so it won't matter. We'll see. I survived this long in a non-Tesla charging desert so I think I can make it. People get obsessed with wanting to be first. 99 percent of my charging is at home. Not really sure why I cared.

I only care about getting the adapter before summer road trips so by June would be nice. And I highly doubt Rivian can send out 50k adapters in 1 week. Ford can't even do that in 6 months.

 

[iamnid]

I only care about getting the adapter before summer road trips so by June would be nice. And I highly doubt Rivian can send out 50k adapters in 1 week. Ford can't even do that in 6 months.

If it's that critical and if the wait times are too long, you can always buy a NACS to CCS adapter. Tom on the "state of charge" Youtube channel has been testing three 3rd party adapters with his Ford Lightning. As long as the vehicle is authorized for Supercharger use, it doesn't have to be the official adapter. I am assuming that Rivian will be the same once their vehicles are authorized for Supercharger use. The Lectron adapter is selling for $199.99 currently.

 

[emoore]

If it's that critical and if the wait times are too long, you can always buy a NACS to CCS adapter. Tom on the "state of charge" Youtube channel has been testing three 3rd party adapters with his Ford Lightning. As long as the vehicle is authorized for Supercharger use, it doesn't have to be the official adapter. I am assuming that Rivian will be the same once their vehicles are authorized for Supercharger use. The Lectron adapter is selling for $199.99 currently.

Yep that's my backup plan if the Rivian adapter turns out to be many months like Ford's.

 

[CharonPDX]

My 4500 mile (round trip) road trip last year, if I hadn't been towing, could have been almost entirely RAN. And yes, my route was chosen partly to hit maximum RAN (because they were still free,) and partly because the people I was caravanning with wanted to avoid interstate freeways.

In fact, checking ABRP, it says the route I took could be 100% RAN with a Dual Motor Max pack not towing anything. Portland to Tucson.

Which means you could do a truly ridiculous path from the Rivian Waypoints outside Glacier National Park to the Rivian Waypoints outside Hatfield, Missouri (which for the life of me I can't figure out why it's there. There is *NOTHING* near it. - Edit: Aha, it's in the middle of a large stretch of "farmland turned nature preserve" - Dunn Ranch Prairie) using only Rivian Adventure Network. Of course, you're going from Montana to Missouri via Washington, Oregon, California, Arizona, Colorado, and Kansas rather than the much more logical Wyoming and Nebraska, but it's doable.

(Edit: Updated with an actual ABRP route. Max speed set to 65 MPH, the yellow sections say "go 55 MPH max", minimum charge 1%, maximum 100% - the one in Holbrook, AZ has you charge to 99%, arrive in Montrose, CO at 5%, the last charge has you charge to 95%, arrive at the Waypoint in MO at 1%.)

 

[Bee]

Agree on the reliability of RAN, it's a very reliable charging network. Disagree on the speed. They are very far behind where Tesla was when they started the supercharger network. And probably behind the speed of EA and EVGo. I do wish they would pick up the pace but it is what it is.

It's a bit apples and oranges. Tesla targeted the most traveled places, Rivian targeted the least traveled places. In fact I kind of feel like they're forcing some of these east coast chargers to fill out the map against that ethos. I actually consider this to be a good roll out considering their dreams of having DCFC at the gates of Yellowstone. It's difficult to drop large current lines in the middle of nowhere.

I hear you though. More is better

 

[Ottoman]

$0.36 per Kwh for fast charging isn't a bad price at all. (that's what I pay for my electricity at home off peak lol)

 

[Golfer04]

I only care about getting the adapter before summer road trips so by June would be nice. And I highly doubt Rivian can send out 50k adapters in 1 week. Ford can't even do that in 6 months.

I should have been more clear. What he said was everyone should have one about a week before access goes live and anticipated them to start going out 3rd week of March. We'll see.

Sponsored