How quickly can the Rivian R1T charge up?
There’s been a ton of press around Rivian’s all-electric truck, as it is the first widely available EV pickup on the market. We’ve been working with the manufacturer to get our hands on one to test, and this week the TFL team has been going all-out in seeing just what the R1T can do. To that end, Tommy finds out one of the most everyday issues you’ll tackle owning this truck: replenishing the battery.
As you’re likely well aware, we’re not (yet) at the point where you can refill an EV like you can a gas or diesel-powered truck. Instead of filling up from a jerry can and setting off again, you’ll have to sit for a little while to recharge the battery pack. Especially with this 135-kWh “Large Pack”, you may have to sit for a little while before you can go on your way. That can be a pain during a road trip, but how quickly does the process actually work?
Here’s a graph below:
Now, for this test Tommy used an Electrify America charger in Loveland, Colorado that is capable of up to 350 kW. That’s well in excess of what the Rivian R1T can take in (its charging capacity tops out around 200-210 kW). However, the station delivered power in the 130-150 kW range throughout the first half of the charging session. Once you get closer to full charge (especially above 70%), the charging rate drops off considerably with an EV.
For a road trip, you’ll have to keep in mind that the most efficient charging rates happen between that 20-80% state of charge point. Juicing up from a nearly flat battery will start slowly, while taking it all the way to 100% will also slow down as you reach a higher capacity. Over time, the Rivian R1T says it took in 73 kWh of energy in just over 40 minutes.
While the R1T has an EPA-rated range of 314 miles with this battery pack, the 20-inch wheels and all-terrain tires knock that down a bit. According to Rivian’s team, that combination impacts the range by about 15%, meaning we have 267 miles of usable range. In this 41-minute charging session, we gained 160 miles of range. Check out the whole process below, and let us know if you think this test is useful and if that rate is good enough for you on a road trip:
