Rivian teams up with rival Tesla to give drivers access to network of 12,000 chargers

An adapter will be available for Rivian's R1T and R1S to use Tesla's Supercharger network from next year

Tesla's Superchargers account for about 60 per cent of the total fast chargers available in the US. Bloomberg

Electric vehicle maker Rivian Automotive has agreed to use its main rival Tesla’s charging network – a move that could make Tesla Superchargers an industry standard in the US.

Founded in 2009, Rivian has signed an agreement with Tesla to let drivers access a network of 12,000 Superchargers across the US and Canada.

An adapter will be available to enable Rivian's R1T pickup truck and R1S SUV to charge on the network from next year.

The company will incorporate Tesla’s North American Charging Standard connector in R1 vehicles starting in 2025, as well as in its upcoming R2 platform.

“Collaborations like this help advance the world towards carbon neutrality,” said RJ Scaringe, founder and chief executive of Rivian.

“The adoption of the North American Charging Standard will enable our existing and future customers to leverage Tesla’s expansive Supercharger network while we continue to build out our Rivian Adventure Network. We look forward to continuing to find new ways to accelerate EV adoption."

Rivian, which went public in November 2021, was trading 1.84 per cent down at $14.35 a share at 6.15pm UAE time on Thursday.

Transport is responsible for more than a quarter of US greenhouse gas emissions, Rivian said.

By enabling drivers to charge their vehicles at a greater number of locations, this collaboration and others like it are important to help accelerate EV adoption, it added.

“It’s great to see the industry coming together to adopt the North American Charging Standard,” said Rebecca Tinucci, Tesla’s senior director of charging infrastructure.

“By doing so, we are collectively ensuring all EV drivers have access to easy to use, reliable charging hardware.”

Tesla, which has surged more than 140.37 per cent since the start of the year, was trading at $259.84 a share at 6.15pm UAE time on Thursday, with the company’s market value standing at about $799.63 billion.

Tesla's Superchargers account for about 60 per cent of the total fast chargers available in the US, according to the US Department of Energy, Reuters reported.

While other EV manufacturers need access to reliable charging to relieve drivers' worries of being stranded on the roads, most have avoided building their own networks due to high installation costs.

Texas-headquartered Tesla, which closed the first quarter with a record number of deliveries at 422,000, accounted for nearly 16 per cent of the EV market share, Counterpoint Research said.

It slashed prices of the Model Y and Model 3 in January, resulting in the Model Y becoming the best-selling passenger car model.

In a boost to Tesla, US car makers General Motors and Ford have also agreed to use the EV company’s charging network.