Rivian’s network of DC fast-charging stations, called the Rivian Adventure Network, is slowly but surely expanding with a new station this week. Other automakers should pay attention and possibly follow the same strategy.
Last year, Rivian revealed its charging strategy, and we applauded them for a very thorough plan to address charging from all angles. We noted that the strategy was clearly inspired by Tesla, which is a good thing since it’s hard to argue that anyone is doing fast charging better than Tesla at this point.
While most automakers producing electric vehicles rely on third-party charging network operators, Rivian decided to build its own network to augment the third-party networks.
Like Tesla, Rivian is building two networks. The first, a DC fast-charging network called the Rivian Adventure Network, is the equivalent of Tesla’s Supercharger network. The second, the Rivian Waypoint network, is a level 2 charging network similar to Tesla’s Destination chargers.
This gives Rivian more control over the charging experience, which has been a huge problem for basically every electric vehicle that is not a Tesla.
We recently reported on a study that showed abysmal uptime at every charging network except Tesla’s – mainly due to chargers being down. Besides Rivian (RIVN) CEO RJ Scaringe, none of the other automaker CEOs seem to understand the value of owning the charging network.
Rivian Adventure Network
It’s quite hard to deploy DC fast-charging stations. There are a lot of things that need to align in order to deploy a single new station. You need to find the appropriate location with high-power access, make a deal with the property owner, obtain the building permits, secure the charging equipment, find a contractor to install it, and finally have the local electric utility inspect and turn on the charger.
Rivian announced the Adventure Network with 600 locations more than a year ago, and it just recently opened its first stations in June.
A few months later, it still only has six stations in operation, with a new one opening in Barstow, California, this week.
All of the stations in operation (yellow) are in California except for one in Colorado:
Rivian is focusing on locations that enable adventures and help Rivian owners in their long-distance travels.
Electrek’s Take
Rivian’s network is growing slowly, but it is growing. Ultimately, I think this strategy is going to help Rivian since convenient stations are going to help convince buyers.
The same happened with Tesla. Some buyers waited for stations that fit their habits to come online before pulling the trigger.
While it likely won’t pay off until the network grows significantly bigger, I think other automakers should already consider following in Rivian’s footsteps. Rivian is also using the Plug and Charge standard for authenticating vehicles, which should allow it to charge other vehicles to use the network seamlessly.
Interestingly, Rivian decided to make its network only for Rivian owners for now. It makes sense while it’s small to maximize the benefit for their buyers. However, like Tesla is doing, I believe Rivian is also eventually going to open it up to all EV owners. That will be easy since the network uses the CCS standard.
Rivian might open it up sooner rather than later in order to secure some government funding for EV chargers, which is only available for charging stations that are open to more than one automaker.
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Nexamp just pulled off something that could speed up clean energy deployment across the US – and potentially lower costs for everyone. The Boston-based solar developer just finished building three new solar farms in Maine and Massachusetts. But instead of waiting on the utility to handle all the grid hookup work, Nexamp did it themselves.
That might not sound groundbreaking at first, but in the world of renewable energy, it’s a pretty big deal. Normally, utilities are in charge of any grid upgrades and interconnection work needed before a new solar project can start sending power to homes and businesses. That process can be very slow and expensive.
Nexamp’s new approach, called “self-performance,” flips the script. It lets developers take on some of that work, like ordering and installing equipment, so they don’t have to sit around waiting for the utility to schedule it. That means solar farms can get online faster, which gets clean power to the grid sooner and keeps project costs in check.
The three projects that kicked off this self-performance effort are:
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Hartland Solar – 1.2 MW DC in Hartland, ME
Barre Road Solar – 1.3 MW DC in New Braintree, MA
Summit Farm Solar – 2.6 MW DC, also in New Braintree
Nexamp didn’t go rogue – they worked closely with Central Maine Power and National Grid on the interconnection designs, safety standards, and technical specs. But by handling the actual procurement and construction, Nexamp had way more control over cost, timing, and supply chain headaches.
“Self-performance lets us take much greater control over interconnection procurement and construction,” said Daniel Passarello, Nexamp’s lead consulting engineer for grid integration. “We can move much of the interconnection work forward at the same time as the solar farm build instead of treating them as separate. That helps us bring projects online faster and stay closer to budget.”
It also helps that Nexamp already has solid relationships with suppliers. Instead of going through multiple layers of utility procurement, they can go straight to the source, fast.
That kind of streamlining is exactly what the solar industry needs right now. Community solar is booming – as of the end of 2024, nearly 8 gigawatts of it have been installed across the US, according to the the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA), and that number is expected to almost double by 2030. But bottlenecks in the interconnection process slow things down.
Sara Birmingham, VP of state affairs at SEIA, called Nexamp’s move a step in the right direction. “We must modernize and streamline the interconnection process to keep pace with fast-growing demand,” she said. “Self-performance is one of several innovative approaches that can accelerate project timelines and lower costs, which benefits all ratepayers.”
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Genesis GV90 with coach doors spotted in California (Source: KindelAuto/ TheKoreanCarBlog)
When Genesis first previewed its full-size electric SUV, the coach doors were one of the biggest highlights. It looks like it will actually make its way into the production vehicle. A Genesis GV90 model was spotted in the US for the first time with coach doors, offering a glimpse of the upcoming ultra-luxury SUV.
Genesis GV90 spotted with coach doors in California
We got our first look at the full-size luxury SUV after Genesis unveiled the Neolun concept at the NY Auto Show last March.
Genesis said the concept was its “ultra-luxe vision of luxury SUVs,” and it wasn’t kidding. When it arrives, it will be sold as the GV90 as the brand’s new flagship vehicle.
The GV90 is not just a pretty-looking luxury SUV. It’s also loaded with Hyundai’s most advanced software and tech. According to Luc Donckerwolke, Genesis’ head of creative design, “it’s the epitome of timeless design and sophisticated craftsmanship.
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Last month, we got a sneak peek of the interior after a production-ready GV90 was caught in California. Although somewhat toned down from the original concept, the cabin still featured many of the same elements.
Genesis Neolun ultra-luxury electric SUV concept (Source: Genesis)
Another Genesis GV90 was recently spotted in California, with actual coach doors. The new images from KindelAuto (via TheKoreanCarBlog) show a camouflaged vehicle with a hinge at the rear, where the coach doors will open.
Genesis GV90 with coach doors spotted in California (Source: KindelAuto/ TheKoreanCarBlog)
Genesis said that B-pillarless coach doors are now feasible in production vehicles, like the GV90. However, don’t expect it to come standard on all models.
The feature will likely be reserved for higher-priced trims. We’ve seen other variants, featuring traditional doors, that are being tested in the US and Korea.
Genesis is expected to launch the GV90 in mid-2026. We will learn prices and final specs closer to launch, but the flagship electric SUV is set to debut on Hyundai’s new eM platform.
Hyundai said the platform is designed for EVs across all segments and will “provide a 50 percent improvement in driving range” compared to current EVs. It will also support Level 3 or higher autonomous driving capabilities and OTA software updates.
During the shareholders’ call following the earnings results yesterday, Tesla was asked about what the new affordable model would look like. Tesla’s CFO, Vaibhav Taneja, initially stated that they wouldn’t disclose details about the design, but then Musk interrupted him and said, “It’s a Model Y.”
It’s hard to hear exactly on the call because he talked over Taneja, but he said, “the cat is out of the bag” and confirmed that the new vehicle is simply a Model Y.
Electrek has been reporting on this fact all year. We have known for months that Tesla’s upcoming “new affordable models” are Model 3 and Model Y with a stripped-down interior with fewer features, like no rear screen, and cheaper materials:
However, this fact was not accepted in the Tesla community because CEO Elon Musk falsely denied a report last year about Tesla’s “$25,000” EV model being canceled.
The facts are that Musk canceled two cheaper vehicles that Tesla was working on, commonly referred as “the $25,000 Tesla” in early 2024. Those vehicles were codenamed NV91 and NV92, and they were based on the new vehicle platform that Tesla is now reserving for the Cybercab.
Instead, Musk noticed that Tesla’s Model 3 and Model Y production lines were starting to be underutilized as the Company faced demand issues. Therefore, Tesla canceled the vehicle programs based on the new platform and decided to build new vehicles on Model 3/Y platform using the same production lines.
Now, only the new Cybercab is going to be based on the new unboxed platform.
During the conference call last night, Musk stated that the primary goal of the more affordable Model Y is to expand the market by making the vehicle more accessible to a broader audience. He suggested that it will go on sale in Q4.
I think we can expect changes, such as using cloth materials instead of vegan leather, no rear display, no ambient lighting, and a lesser audio system.
In the case of the Model Y, Tesla may consider dropping some exterior lighting features, such as the light bars.
I wouldn’t be surprised also to see some powertrain changes. Maybe a less powerful RWD motor.
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