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Rivian is building its own charging network, with an emphasis on charging stations in remote locations, CEO RJ Scaringe said in an interview with TechCrunch published Tuesday.
To match the rugged marketing angle of its R1T pickup truck and R1S SUV, the company plans to locate charging stations near hiking trails, kayaking spots, and other recreational destinations.
The network will include DC fast-charging stations and slower “destination chargers” at locations where speed isn’t as important, according to TechCrunch. Tesla has taken a similar approach, augmenting its Supercharger fast-charging stations with Level 2 AC stations at places where drivers are likely to dwell, such as hotels, urban parking garages, and restaurants.
Securing locations for charging stations presents a “really interesting and challenging real estate” problem, Scaringe said. That echoes comments by Electrify America staffers, who have indicated the old real-estate maxim “location, location, location” is particularly true for fast-charging stations.
Rivian R1S
Rivian owners may use Electrify America and other third-party networks, as the company uses the same Combined Charging Standard (CCS) as many other automakers. But Scaringe said Rivian wanted its own network in order to control the customer experience.
Scaringe said Rivian fast-charging stations will be able to add 140 miles of range in 20 minutes, adding that the company will deploy charging stations for both consumer and fleet use. Rivian is building 100,000 electric delivery vans for Amazon, using a version of the “skateboard” platform from the R1T and R1S, but with a body-shell design exclusive to the online retail giant.
In addition to charging stations, Rivian has discussed other methods of getting its vehicles to remote destinations, including auxiliary battery packs and truck-to-truck charging.
Jeep, meanwhile, is building solar-powered charging stations along off-road trails for its Wrangler 4xe plug-in hybrid, but these are slower Level 2 AC units.
Acura this week revealed its redesigned 2022 MDX. The mid-size luxury SUV has been made more athletic thanks in part to a new double-wishbone front suspension, as well as a planned Type S version.
2022 Genesis GV70
Another new SUV in the headlines this week was the 2022 Genesis GV70. It’s a BMW X3 rival based on the rear-wheel-drive platform of the Genesis G70 sedan, and it’s just one of three SUVs that will be in the Korean automaker’s showrooms shortly.
2022 BMW X4 M facelift spy shots – Photo credit: S. Baldauf/SB-Medien
A prototype for an updated version of the BMW X4 M was spotted. Judging by the prototype, the high-performance SUV is set to take on a more aggressive look with its upcoming round of updates.
2020 Audi A6 Allroad
Audi’s A6 Allroad shows that an SUV isn’t always necessary. The vehicle is what’s known as a soft-roader in automotive parlance, and we just tested the 2020 model.
2020 Porsche 911 S
Yet another vehicle we tested was the 2020 Porsche 911 Carrera S. We’ve put together a list of everything we like and dislike about this near-perfect sports car.
Teaser for 2021 Porsche 911 GT3 Cup race car
Another 911 in the headlines this week was the redesigned 2021 Porsche 911 GT3 Cup. The 992-generation Porsche 911 GT3 road car is coming soon, and so is its GT3 Cup racing variant which Porsche previewed this week.
1929 Bentley Blower Continuation Series prototype
And finally, Bentley became the first company to build a continuation example of a pre-war car, by building a new example of a 1929 Blower. The last time Bentley built a Blower was back in 1930, so getting all the parts necessary for the modern continuation example was no easy task.