West Virginia is a Rivian Dead Zone

[elektrode]

Just wanted to follow up. Since this thread was made on Dec 2, two things happened:

1) Rivian chargers were enabled at The Hampton Inn in Covington, VA. Not WV, but this just happened to be at a hotel we had already booked. Mr. Patel, the hotel owner was quite excited to see his first Rivian. He told me he had been working for nearly 4 years in getting those chargers installed. He also notes that the electrical work has been done for a year, but Rivian just got “the chips” to enable the chargers.

2) Joe Holland Hyundai in Charleston, WV installed two ChargePoint 63kW chargers.

These two chargers made my WV crossing possible. Not only that, the dealership was kind enough to return my call and let me know the chargers were online and public.

On those chargers, Rivian only sees one of the 2 and I had to bounce between chargers to get one to work, but it did eventually work.

While the Rivian map app can see that 1 charger and navigate me to it, Rivian’s routing calculator isn’t smart enough to actually use the charger in its calculations. Rivian’s maps can’t calculate a route through a charger it’s aware of. Weird. Bad. Not impressed.

The way home will be through Tennessee and NC, plenty of EA chargers on that route. Plenty of chargers, but again the Rivian app won’t calculate a route through those states and just instead tells me it’s impossible to complete its calculated route through WV. Dumb. Ahem CarPlay ahem

ABRP was dead nuts accurate on its estimate through the WV mountains. I saw the most wild efficiency graphs as I switched between climbing and serious regen. So accurate I wonder if it was talking to the truck! LOL

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[atebit]

This isn’t a problem for EV manufacturers to solve. If it’s any “industry”’s problem, it’s a public utilities problem. The only other options are gummn’t programs, or enterprising young men like this guy with an angle.

 

[elektrode]

This isn’t a problem for EV manufacturers to solve.

Certainly an EV manufacturer promising a superior user interface experience needs to be able to calculate a route for its owner (when two routes clearly exist). Apple Maps offers 3 routes, Rivian calculates 1 which it tells the owner cannot be driven.

I’m sure you’re talking about the charging network, but I’ve pointed out more than one problem in the thread.

 

[atebit]

Correct. The issues with Rivian’s crappy GPS are legion.

 

[CKlawyerWV]

As a WV resident and probably one of the few R1T owners in WV, I feel all of your pain. This is the very reason we have held on to our Tesla. Makes trips within the state much more convenient. Fast charging is just basically non-existent along the main highways in WV (outside of Tesla).

WVDOH does have a plan in place to start building EV charting stations along the major interstates, but probably only because it is required by the Feds. See some info here, I’ve only skimmed this information, so can’t give too much detail.

https://wvmetronews.com/2022/08/08/wv-dot-reveals-plans-for-ev-charging-stations/

Frustrating out state doesn’t embrace EVs…but this is typical, we are behind the curve on most things. I come from a coal background and I tell all my friends that my EVs are helping the coal miners more than their ICE cars. WV is still a state where the overwhelming majority of our energy comes from coal.

Nice to see another WV Rivian owner. The new travel plazes in Beckley and Princeton will offer some help eventually, but the best/fastest option here is for Tesla to open superchargers up. That would immediately make the whole state driveable. I'm lucky that I can charge at home...

 

[Blackhatch]

Stuff like this just makes that old dinosaur burner with 650 mile range feel warm and fuzzy.

 

[HokieR1T]

Not in West Virginia, but key to EV travel on I77 through WV. The EA station at the Sheets in Wytheville, VA is going to be inaccessible for some time. The Sheets is being remodeled and will be closed till June/July? Not sure if the EA station will be off limits the entire time or not. Hopefully a path to the chargers will be opened sooner.

 

[NC-Rivian]

Not in West Virginia, but key to EV travel on I77 through WV. The EA station at the Sheets in Wytheville, VA is going to be inaccessible for some time. The Sheets is being remodeled and will be closed till June/July? Not sure if the EA station will be off limits the entire time or not. Hopefully a path to the chargers will be opened sooner.

Well, that's no bueno. I've used that EA station numerous times. Nice place to grab a meal while charging.

 

[akc5247]

Anyone know if any improvements in the WV vicinity? We have a trip planned to the New River Gorge national park in June. Stopping at Front Royal to take advantage of the RAN there and driving to WV.

Would like to know if anyone with some recent info on chargers in and around that area . Thanks in advance!

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