Rivian Becomes Third EV Maker to Adopt Tesla's Charging Port

pcmag.com:

Rivian becomes the third electric vehicle maker to switch to Tesla's charging port, giving its drivers seamless access to the coveted Tesla Supercharger network starting in 2024.

"We’re collaborating with Tesla to open charging for Rivian vehicles at more than 12,000 Tesla Superchargers across the United States and Canada," Rivian says. "This agreement makes electric vehicle ownership simpler by offering more ways to fast charge your Rivian vehicle and supports our shared mission to decarbonize transportation."

Drivers will need an adapter to charge at Superchargers, as Rivian's two vehicles, including the R1T pickup, ship with the Combined Charging System (CCS) port, which is the current standard for non-Tesla EVs. To help drivers find Superchargers, Rivian will add eligible stations to the Rivian app and in-vehicle navigation system.

In 2025, Rivian will stop building its vehicles with CCS plugs and switch to Tesla's port, dubbed the North American Charging Standard (NACS). At that point, Rivian EVs won't require an adapter to use Superchargers. However, an adapter would be required for those future vehicles to use a CCS charger, although most major charging companies, such as Blink and ChargePoint, plan to add Tesla ports to their stations.

Rivian's decision is the latest win in Tesla's campaign to make its custom-designed charging port the industry standard. In November 2022, Tesla officially named its port and published the manufacturing specs. The NACS port is smaller and lighter than CCS. The Supercharger network is also the largest and most reliable network in the nation.

Ford was the first automaker to take up Tesla's offer in late May. GM followed two weeks later. Rivian fans speculated if it would become the