Rivian’s radical plan to install electric-car chargers in US national parks
Electric start-up Rivian is promising to roll-out a network of chargers inside US national parks.
Electric ute and SUV manufacturer Rivian has announced a radical plan to install charging points in US national parks, so customers can stay topped-up off the beaten track.
The outlets will initially be installed at the Yosemite and Golden Gate national recreation areas in California, the company says, as part of a partnership with a company ‘Adopt a Charger’.
The business partners are also promising to bring “dozens” of stations to state parks in Tennessee and Colorado later this year, to provide electric vehicle drivers accessibility to “America’s most beautifully preserved environments.”
It is unclear how the charging points will themselves be recharged, and what steps will be taken to prevent vandalism or theft of the installations.
The recharging capacity – or “flow rate” – has not been announced.
However, according to an official statement from Adopt a Charger, the charge points will “add approximately 25 miles [40km] of range per hour.”
It is yet to be determined how much customers will be charged for the service, and if it will be exclusive to Rivian customers.
A timeline for completion is also yet to be locked in, and other details are thin on the ground for now.
Rivian currently offers two models, both underpinned by a shared platform: the R1T pick-up truck and the R1S SUV (both shown above).
Earlier this year the manufacturer was publicity floated on the NASDAQ (symbol ‘RIVN’), and initially valued above $US100 billion ($AU136 billion).
At the time this made it the sixth most valuable car maker in the world, however it has since dropped into ninth place with a market capitalisation of
$US70 billion ($AU96 billion).The post Rivian’s radical plan to install electric-car chargers in US national parks appeared first on Drive.