Rivian To Install EV Chargers In Tennessee, USA

Amazon backed Rivian has announced plans to install EV chargers now in the US state of Tennessee as it follows a Tesla-like strategy of having its own network of charging stations, a vertically integrated strategy that worked really well for Tesla leading it to become the world's most well-capitalised automaker. Rivian calls its charging stations "waypoint" chargers and it will install them at 56 state parks across the state of Tennessee. It announced something similar for the state of Colorado just four months ago. Rivian has plans of installing more than 10,000 Level 2 AC chargers by the end of 2023.

"We're excited about the opportunity to create Rivian charging locations that aren't on the interstate, that help draw you or enable you to go to places that normally are not the kinds of places that invite or welcome electric vehicles because of charging infrastructure," RJ Scaringe said in an interview with TechCrunch.

The Rivian R1T will be delivered in September

"We've spent a lot of time thinking about how you can essentially create these curated drives where, depending on your point of interest, you can pick different paths. If you want to stop midway through the trip for a one-mile, two-mile or five-mile hike, you know, here's a route that you want to take and here's a charging location right next to it," he added.

Rivian wants to position itself as an environmentally friendly brand and that's why one of the key pillars of its strategy is to install charging stations at public parks. These charging stations will be available (compatible) to all-electric vehicle brands with a J1772 plug.

Rivian has an agreement with the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation which postulates that the electric car maker will design and cover all the servicing, maintenance and upgrades for 10 years. The automaker said it will also cover the costs associated with utility upgrades and for example enhancement of electrical service panels and transformers.

Rivian is one of the most well-funded EV startups in the world

The installation of the chargers could start as early as this fall. The Level 2 chargers can provide up to 11.5 kW of power that translates to 40 kilometres in an hour for both the soon to be launched R1T and R1S. The waypoint chargers are short-range chargers that are different from the Adventure network that Rivian intends to deploy. These chargers give an impressive 225-kilometre range in just 20 minutes.