Total EV Noob Seeks Advice

[BHWhite]

HI, taking delivery in a week or two. No EV experience whatsoever, please forgive the dumb questions. Live in a rental home that we may not be in three-four months from now. I am going to have an outlet installed near the carport which is right next to the outdoor panel. I need a 240V, correct? And that's just a simple 3-prong "dryer" outlet, correct? What is the difference between simply pugging the supplied charging cable into that outlet vs purchasing a $250 - 450 wall charger off Amazon, as far as what sort of charging rate I will receive? (Other than perhaps getting a longer 25' cable, which I'd prefer?)
Lastly, what adapters should I purchase for maximum real world adaptability/compatibility with the universe of commercial chargers out there?
Thanks in advance.

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[bhopkins]

If you’re having electrical work done and your panel supports it, put in a 50 amp circuit with a minimum of a 14-50 outlet. That is a four-prong 240v. That will let you use the included portable adapter. It is also very generic and will future proof you for quite some time. If you want to go one step above, have the electrician hardwire in a “charger” (technically not a charger but everybody calls them that). It will give you a higher rate (more miles per hour) of charging and a longer cable.

Don’t install a three prong “dryer” outlet as that will require an adapter and is not future proofed.

 

[jjswan33]

You will likely want a Nema 14-50 outlet if you are going a 240V outlet route. This will give you up to 32A with the included Rivian charger. On Amazon you could get one that would do up to 40A.

 

[bd5400]

Lastly, what adapters should I purchase for maximum real world adaptability/compatibility with the universe of commercial chargers out there?

The only adapter you would potentially need to purchase would be an adapter like a TeslaTap that would allow you to use Tesla wall and destination chargers (but NOT superchargers). Need is a strong word here, as you definitely don't need to have one. It may just be nice to have if you stop at a friend's house with a Tesla or at a hotel that has a Tesla destination charger.

The R1T does not use a proprietary plug so you will be able to use common CCS and J1772 chargers without an adapter.

 

[DaveA]

I keep these 3 in the truck....1st is to use with my dryer outlet...3rd is for RV parks

 

[Rhidan]

What is the difference between simply pugging the supplied charging cable into that outlet vs purchasing a $250 - 450 wall charger off Amazon, as far as what sort of charging rate I will receive?

Plugging the Rivian portable charge cable into a 14-50 NEMA outlet: 7.6kW (240 volts x 32 amps) - The portable cable is limited to 32 amps, so Rivian says this will add about 16 miles added an hour while charging

Plugging a 50 amp EVSE (i.e. wall charger) into a 14-50 NEMA outlet, and then plugging into Rivian: 10kW (240 volts x 42 amps) - If you just plug the EVSE into the 14-50 NEMA outlet, you will max out at 42 amps, which will get you about 20 miles added an hour while charging

Hardwiring a 50 amp EVSE (i.e. wall charger) into a 60 amp circuit: 11.5 kW (240 volts x 48 amps) - This is the max L2 charge rate for the R1T/R1S, which will get you about 24 miles added an hour

If you are a renter, it might not make sense to have an EVSE hardwired to a circuit. Even if you don’t hardwire it, plugging an EVSE into the 14-50 NEMA outlet will likely provide a slightly faster charge rate than the Rivian portable cable. You could then easily take the EVSE with you if you move. The big difference is honestly the convenience of having a dedicated cable that you can plug in every night. That way you can leave the Rivian portable cable in the vehicle and take it with you, and don’t have to take it out/put it back every day. I charged for a month just on the portable charger cable with a 14-50 NEMA outlet. I was just adding around 15 miles an hour, which was more than enough for my needs, but your driving habits may differ.

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