Starting this week, Rivian R1S and R1T owners can recharge their EVs at the roughly 15,000 Tesla Supercharger stalls across North America using a Tesla-made NACS to CCS1 adapter that will be sent for free to R1S and R1T drivers starting next month. That's on top of what was already available from providers like Electrify America, EVgo, and even Rivian.
But what’s it like to actually charge a non-Tesla at the DC fast charging network that was originally designed for Tesla EVs only? Well, as it turns out, it’s pretty much pain-free, which means life will be much easier for Rivian owners, especially when embarking on long trips.
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Plug and charge is the name of the game
Using the official Tesla-made NACS to CCS1 adapter, recharging a Rivian EV at a Tesla Supercharger is as easy as plugging the cable into the car and waiting a few seconds for the charging session to start. Except for the fact that you need to put the adapter on the end of the cable, it's just as easy as recharging a Tesla.
As you can see in the videos embedded below, uploaded by @jennaezarik on X and Kyle Conner from Out of Spec Reviews on YouTube, it’s as easy as plugging the adapter into the charging cable and then plugging the cable into the car’s port.
As long as there’s a payment method associated with the car in the Rivian smartphone app, the charging session will begin automatically in a matter of seconds, just like Tesla EV owners have experienced for years.
It’s also similar to what Ford EV owners know after the Tesla Supercharger network opened up for them at the beginning of March. In fact, the NACS to CCS1 adapter that will be shipped to Rivian drivers is the same Tesla-made unit that’s being shipped by Ford to F-150 Lightning and Mustang Mach-E users.
The charging stations appear on the Rivian in-car charging map, as well as on the smartphone app, and each station mentions if an adapter is needed or not. It’s worth mentioning that there are some Tesla Superchargers out there that feature the so-called Magic Dock feature, which is a built-in NACS to CCS1 adapter. These are few and far between, but any EV, no matter the brand, can recharge at these stalls.
The pricing is set by Tesla and it’s shown for each Supercharger stall on the car’s infotainment system. There’s also a $12.99 monthly subscription through the Tesla app that lowers the kilowatt-hour price to the same level experienced by Tesla owners.
Starting next year, Rivian (and Ford, for that matter) will start fitting their EVs with the NACS plug from the factory, which will eliminate the use of an adapter.
