Electric vehicle maker Rivian opened its second Outpost last week, this one less than a mile from the Joshua Tree National Park Visitor Center. Representing what it believes will be the future of public EV charging and convenience stores, the Joshua Tree Charging Outpost is the first Rivian charging center to allow charging of all electric vehicles, not just Rivians. Notably, the charging stations at the Outpost are powered by 100 percent renewable energy, allowing travelers to explore the nearby national park and get back to Los Angeles or wherever they’re headed with zero carbon emissions.
Photo courtesy Rivian
Rivian Opens Second Installment of Its 'Charging Station of the Future.' See Inside.
Inside the Outpost. Photo courtesy Rivian
Similar to its charging hub in Groveland, near Yosemite, the Joshua Tree Outpost features lounge space, snacks and retail, and restrooms. Customers can charge and access restroom facilities 24 hours per day. There’s a play area for kiddos and the place is about as Instragrammable as a convenience store could ever be. The news came just as the company announced it would open its charging network to all EV drivers, following a similar move made recently by Tesla.
“Since the beginning, we’ve understood that creating great products like the R1T and R1S only made up half the equation,” said Rivian Founder and CEO RJ Scaringe in a press release. “To achieve widespread electrification, you also need a really good charging network. Now, we’re excited to bring the Rivian Adventure Network–with its ease of use and exceptional reliability–to other EV drivers around North America, investing in a future where charging on the road will be simple, sustainable, and convenient.”
Plenty of space to post up on the laptop, with views to boot. Photo courtesy Rivian
The company’s goal is to build strategically-located Outposts to encourage travelers to drive electric on outdoors-focused adventures. Rivian installed rapid charging units that deliver up to 900 volts and feature CCS connectors with support for North American Charging Standard (NACS)-equipped vehicles with an automaker-approved adapter – in short, no matter what EV you drive, you’ll be able to plug in. Support for native NACS connectors, also known as SAE J3400, will come with a future hardware update. Each charger features tap-to-pay features taht are easily accessed particularly by Rivian drivers and app users.
Expect to see more Rivian Charging Outposts near national parks and other outdoor-centric destinations in the near future. The company expects these shops to be a big part of its business model going forward, helping it target the outdoor adventurers that are already attracted to its rugged, four-wheel-drive electric vehicles. Going full-circle, the Outposts represent the future of road trip travel, where travelers can post up in a comfortable, cafe-like setting while charging that’s complete with Wi-Fi and gourmet food and drinks, allowing them to get work done, plan their adventures, and have a meeting place that’s far more productive and efficient than standard gas stations or truck stops. 