West Virginia is a Rivian Dead Zone

[elektrode]

I emailed CS and mentioned this was a trip that would be problematic and thought the Beckley travel center was a logical site for a RAN charger. New River Gorge would also be a great location for a Waypoint charger.

I followed your lead and forwarded this to Rivian CS. Frankly, it’s embarrassing I can’t make the trip in the brand new truck I’ve been bragging about.

We’re forced to take the Honda minivan. (First world problems for sure). It was also problematic that we had limited covered cargo area because my tonneau has wrecked itself stuck open.

Too much risk and extra travel time to take the Rivian. I was willing to make some minor detours to make this an “adventure”, but we’re looking at a 2-4hr penalty to navigate around an ENTIRE STATE to make the trip possible.

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[HokieR1T]

I've driven through WV a few times now. I can make it from the Wytheville, VA EA station to the Chargepoint in Gallipolis, OH on a single charge. One time though, headed South, my truck was weighted down and it was close. Lots of drafting behind trucks that segment.

The Chargepoint in Ohio is only 62 kwh, so enjoy the time Friendly coffee shop around the corner, a sports bar is steps away, or take a walk the park.

 

[VSG]

"West Virginia is a Rivian Dead Zone"

I fixed your post - this is not a "Rivian" issue, and everyone here who is blaming Rivian for this is way out of line. Sure, Rivian and every other non-Tesla is affected by West Virginia's poor infrastructure, but Rivian is neither the cause of nor the solution to this dead zone. It's a beautiful part of the country but has for a long time been getting a lot less beautiful with the environmental destruction and the destruction of the health of its residents. But there are many many other beautiful parts of the country, and if I can't travel through WV anymore now that I'm driving a Rivian then no big loss to me - there are plenty of other places to go.

Really need Tesla’s help here because Rivian’s “comprehensive” (ahem) RAN network does not appear to exist.

Why does everyone assume that Rivian has to deploy a nationwide grid of superchargers like Tesla in order to be useful? No other EV manufacturer is doing that. And Rivian has not said they are going to do that. Instead, Rivian has started on the RAN, which is meant to eventually supplement the national CCS network by plugging holes in the network so as to enable travel to areas which appeal to their customer's demographic. But it is specifically not meant to be a comprehensive proprietary network which only Rivians can use. Rivian has developed a capability to produce their own charger design, both RAN and waypoint chargers, and has started the process of deploying these chargers to get experience operating them in real-world conditions with dozens of different vehicle types. This charger production capacity is critical to Rivian's fleet vehicle / fleet operations business, which is one of the major revenue streams in its business plan. The rate of charger production and installation is certain to ramp up in the near future, but every single charger brand out there is experiencing extremely long production delays, especially for higher powered chargers (probably because of semiconductor shortages). For example I had a JuiceBox 48A charger on order for 6 months, and this was a model that has been around for several years now, not a new model. I eventually cancelled the order over the summer and bought a different brand because JuiceBox could not deliver and could not tell me when they would be able to deliver.

The map of proposed RAN locations does include at least two in WV, one around Charleston and one around Bridgeport. This information has been public since about March 2021 - almost two years.

 

[elektrode]

"West Virginia is a Rivian Dead Zone"

I fixed your post - this is not a "Rivian" issue, and everyone here who is blaming Rivian for this is way out of line.

Thanks for the help, but the post in okay as is. I just reviewed all the posts and I don’t see a single person blaming Rivian. Did I miss one?

Thanks for the tip on the proposed map. _Proposed_.

Somewhat more detail, if it’s accurate who knows, but the Google map from this forum shows zero permit activity in WV.

Sure it’s a general EV problem, but geesh I am posting to fellow Rivian owners here.

Here’s a shot of Rivian maps agreeing with me, although with vague symbology and a warning that “there are limited fast chargers on route”

This is all the onboard route planner offered.

 

[elektrode]

In further defense of my thread title:

West Virginia is not a Tesla Dead Zone, so WV isn’t just plainly a Dead Zone. (I was wondering why my other family members with EVs had never complained about trips involving WV):

With Tesla fast chargers filtered out (but still allowing for any other fast charger):

Viewing with Tesla fast chargers:

And then adding that Rivian’s trip computer can’t even resolve a route going through the state, and isn’t smart enough to even suggest a circuitous route.

 

[SlaterGS]

But there are many many other beautiful parts of the country, and if I can't travel through WV anymore now that I'm driving a Rivian then no big loss to me - there are plenty of other places to go.

You can't site-see there, minor inconvenience I guess, but let's ignore the people who have to travel through there for other reasons.
We travel to visit family 2-4 times a year in Virginia and will likely have to take our minivan due to this dead zone, especially during the winter.

It's a problem all EV companies are going to have to deal with not just Rivian, but since the trip computer can't come up with a route through the state I'd say the title still fits.

 

[Yossarian]

While the WV non-Tesla dead zone is regrettable, it is neither the only one nor the largest. The Max battery pack could help considerably, but we won't see any Rivians with one for some time.

While Rivian says delivery of the dual-motor R1T Max will start next year, there is reason to be skeptical of that projection. The quad R1T Max won't deliver until at least 2024, and there is even more reason to be skeptical of that projection. If you want a larger battery for an R1S, you are likely in for a very long, perhaps even an infinite, wait.

The irony is that by the time the Max (or other larger capacity) battery pack is available from Rivian, the charging network will likely have improved to the point that the greater capacity will not be as necessary.

 

[kcmwv]

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.

 

[Dark-Fx]

The irony is that by the time the Max (or other larger capacity) battery pack is available from Rivian, the charging network will likely have improved to the point that the greater capacity will not be as necessary.

That's originally why I was okay taking the Large pack truck vs Max pack, but after doing the 3400 mile roadtrip in the Hummer, I decided the extra flexibility for the Max Pack battery would be appreciated, even if never required. Being obligated to stop for a short period of time when it's inconvenient really sucks. We're a long way away from being able to just stop wherever we are going and get a charge, but I'm confident it'll happen in my lifetime.

 

[Yossarian]

That's originally why I was okay taking the Large pack truck vs Max pack, but after doing the 3400 mile roadtrip in the Hummer, I decided the extra flexibility for the Max Pack battery would be appreciated, even if never required. Being obligated to stop for a short period of time when it's inconvenient really sucks. We're a long way away from being able to just stop wherever we are going and get a charge, but I'm confident it'll happen in my lifetime.

I hear you. In my case, I will be towing to/from some rather remote areas as well as winter trips from PA to the Sierre Madre, Wasatch, San Juans, etc. The Max is probably essential and that's why I'm willing to wait until 2025 for mine, fully 5 years after reserving. Yes, Rivian currently says "sometime in 2024", but their history on meeting delivery projections is not particlarly encouraging.

 

[HokieR1T]

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.

It just seems like WV and the coal industry would lean in to EVs. Place some level 3 chargers around the state. Label each "Friends of Coal" and "Coal Powered" Even humanize the miners. Tell their story on the chargers. If someone has a moral dilemma using a coal powered charger, they don't have to use it.

 

[elektrode]

Updated RAN map from Rivian. Hmm…

My state doesn’t have much either, but there is one coming s00n on the 3hr drive to my closest service center.

 

[Monkey]

I'm in WV a lot off and on, primarily around Clarksburg/ Bridgeport. There's quite a few EVs when you're looking for them, more than I would expect. I've seen a couple Lightnings that were real customer vehicles, not the blue demo unit at Chenoweth Ford (Clarksburg). I've seen 3 or 4 R1Ts there now. One of them I've seen multiple times at Home Depot and Lowe's, so it's definitely not just someone passing through.

Public charging is a bit hard to come by... Would be nice if there was an EA charger there somewhere. Surprised there's not one at the WalMart on Emily Drive in Clarksburg, but on the other hand, that's the last place that needs more traffic.

 

[elektrode]

I’m pretty confused now.

It turns out the phone app is showing a Rivian Waypoint charger in Covington, VA which is where I’m staying before the planned West Virginia Wasteland Mad Max Dash.

BUT… the map in the truck DOES NOT show that Covington charger (I’ve toggled all the filters all the ways).

Is there a Rivian charger there or not? Oddly, the phone says there’s one at the hotel I’m staying at! What?

How can this be a mystery to a Rivian owner?

Edit: Drilling down into PlugShare and confirmed Rivian Way Points exist at the Convington VA Hampton. Apparently someone checked in Nov 23 and said they are finally working. So these are brand new.

Edit2: The truck map is showing the Rivian Way Point this morning. Not sure if this was a network error (the truck’s mapping was painfully slow last night) or if a new map was pushed.

 

[Ramblin Tom]

I suppose a bit of good news is NEVI will place a minimum of 4 DCFC chargers every 50 miles along the interstates. WV only submitted for two waivers where they say they can’t meet this. Construction starts 2023. Phase 1 is expected to take a year to complete.

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