Rivian R2 will equip important charging port feature for Tesla Supercharger compatibility

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Rivian’s new R2 five-seater SUV will equip an important charging port feature that will increase compatibility with Tesla Superchargers.

Rivian announced last year that it would adopt Tesla’s North American Charging Standard (NACS) for its vehicles in the coming years, but it gained access to the Tesla Supercharger Network earlier this year.

Tesla Supercharger network opens to Rivian vehicles

One thing that electric vehicles have not done quite yet is determined an appropriate charging port location on the car, which is now making things difficult for non-Tesla EVs when they pull into Superchargers.

Tesla’s charging port is on the rear driver-side of the vehicle, and it is compatible with Tesla Supercharger stalls and their cable length. Now that Tesla has opened the Network up to other automakers, drivers of those non-Tesla EVs are reporting that they are having trouble reaching the port with the charger because of a non-standardized port location.

I experienced this with the Ford F-150 Lightning earlier this year. I was able to plug in, but it took multiple adjustments to get the cable to reach.

I took a Ford F-150 Lightning to Tesla Superchargers: The Good and Bad

Tesla is lengthening cables in some Supercharger stalls, but one way automakers could reduce the need for this move is by bringing the charging port to the rear of the vehicle.

Rivian confirmed at its Space in Pasadena yesterday that the charging port would be on the driver’s rear side, which would increase the compatibility with Tesla Superchargers.

User TemporarilyOutofStock on the Rivian Forums confirmed this on the board yesterday:

“At the Rivian Space in Pasadena (where the R2 / R3X is currently being shown) one of the Vice Presidents that was there confirmed that in the production R2 they are moving the charge port to the drivers rear! Great news for usability with the current Tesla superchargers.”

This could of course be adjusted on future builds of the R1 platform, but it seems the R2 will be the first Rivian vehicle to adopt the new placement of the charging port.

I’d love to hear from you! If you have any comments, concerns, or questions, please email me at joey@teslarati.com. You can also reach me on Twitter @KlenderJoey, or if you have news tips, you can email us at tips@teslarati.com.

Rivian R2 will equip important charging port feature for Tesla Supercharger compatibility





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Tesla hints at Nissan’s upcoming Supercharger Network access

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An update on Tesla’s official page for the North American Charging Standard (NACS) hints that Nissan electric vehicles will soon be receiving access to the Supercharger Network. Nissan announced its commitment to NACS last year, becoming the first Japanese automaker to adopt the standard.

Tesla’s official NACS page lists automakers whose non-Tesla vehicles have been given access to the Supercharger Network. It also lists the automakers whose electric vehicles will soon gain access to NACS-compatible Superchargers. 

As of writing, Nissan has been added to Tesla’s “Coming Soon” list. Prior to the update, Tesla’s “Coming Soon” list only included General Motors (GM), Volvo, Polestar, and Mercedes-Benz. Tesla’s “Supported” list on its NACS page also indicates that Ford and Rivian electric vehicles have already been given access to Superchargers. 

Tesla currently has more than 15,000 NACS-compatible Supercharger stalls across the United States and Canada. That’s a substantial number of chargers, and it could significantly change the ownership experience of non-Tesla electric vehicles. With access to Tesla Superchargers, non-Tesla electric cars could complete long trips without much difficulty. 

Tesla’s Supercharger Network is arguably the most expansive and reliable electric vehicle charging network in North America. Thus, it was no surprise that numerous automakers in the region committed to NACS. In a press release on July 2023, Nissan noted that from 2024, it would make a NACS adapter available for customers of its Ariya all-electric crossover SUV. And starting in 2025, Nissan will be offering EVs for the US and Canadian markets with a NACS port by default. 

Jérémie Papin, chairperson, Nissan Americas, explained the Japanese automaker’s decision to adopt Tesla’s North American Charging Standard in a comment. “Adopting the NACS standard underlines Nissan’s commitment to making electric mobility even more accessible as we follow our Ambition 2030 long-term vision of greater electrification. We are happy to provide access to thousands more fast chargers for Nissan EV drivers, adding confidence and convenience when planning long-distance journeys,” Palin said. 

Don’t hesitate to contact us with news tips. Just send a message to simon@teslarati.com to give us a heads up.

Tesla NACS page hints at Nissan’s upcoming Supercharger Network access





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Tesla’s Supercharger Network secured NACS’ widespread adoption

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A quick look at the plans of electric vehicle makers in the United States would show that Tesla’s North American Charging Standard (NACS) has won the country’s EV charging standard war. But as per a recent report, Tesla’s NACS actually did not attract much adoption at first. It was only when the electric vehicle maker offered a unique incentive that things changed very quickly. 

There were very few takers when Tesla opened the North American Charging Standard to other automakers in late 2022, as per an Automotive News report. At the time, only Aptera, a small EV startup, was quick to adopt Tesla’s NACS port into its vehicles. Veteran automakers such as Ford and General Motors showed little interest. 

Chargeway CEO Matt Teske noted that Tesla’s NACS is objectively superior to the Combined Charging System (CCS), which is used by non-Tesla EVs, but other automakers were already committed to CCS. Teske also noted that there were some who perceived Tesla’s NACS as hubris from the electric vehicle maker.

“When Tesla announced the North American Charging Standard, most everyone in the industry scoffed and said ‘Who are they to say this is a standard?’” he said. 

As noted in an Auto News report, things would change about six months later when Tesla decided to offer NACS adoptees access to its Supercharger Network. The Supercharger Network is undoubtedly the best, most expansive, and most reliable fast charging network in North America. It was also widely considered one of Tesla’s biggest trump cards against its competitors.

Loren McDonald, CEO of EVAdoption, noted that the adoption of NACS was about the charging experience. “The impetus behind the switch to NACS was not about the connector. It was about the better charging experience across the Supercharger network,” McDonald noted. 

With access to the Supercharger Network as an added incentive, automakers proved quick to adopt Tesla’s North American Charging Standard (NACS). Ford was the first veteran automaker to commit to the standard, with CEOs Jim Farley and Elon Musk announcing on X on May 2023 that Ford would be getting access to Superchargers. As per Farley, he reached out to Musk after he personally experienced the substandard nature of CCS fast charging networks during an EV road trip. 

“I just realized, ‘Wow, that is a big advantage for them. I’d always intellectually understood, but I didn’t really understand it as a consumer,” Farley noted. 

The Ford CEO’s commitment to NACS created a domino effect of sorts. Soon, GM followed, with Musk and GM CEO Mary Barra holding a conference on X on June 2023. During the conference, the two CEOs confirmed that GM would also be adopting Tesla’s NACS. This was only the beginning of course, as a wave of automakers — from newcomers like Rivian to veterans like Toyota — committing to Tesla’s charging standard. SAE International later standardized NACS as well, officially naming it J3400. 

Don’t hesitate to contact us with news tips. Just send a message to simon@teslarati.com to give us a heads up.

Tesla’s Supercharger Network secured NACS’ widespread adoption





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