Irvine-based EV maker Rivian on Tuesday began upgrading its charging network to support native NACS (North American Charging Standard) connectors as part of its adoption of Tesla’s charging standard.
The first Charging Outpost to be upgraded was the one at Joshua Tree, located in California.
“Charging Outposts are amenity-based Rivian Adventure Network charging stations on high-visibility routes that provide EV owners with a reliable, worry-free charging experience while on the road,” Rivian describes on its website.
The first Charging Outpost on the East Coast will open “soon” in Southampton, New York — the company announced this week.
In the upgraded stations, Rivian will keep a dual system, allowing drivers to opt for Combined Charging System (CCS) or NACS connectors, as former models can only use the new system with the adapter.
As of Wednesday, Rivian‘s charging network has over 121 Rivian Adventure Network (RAN) locations across the US, with 77 of them being open to all brands.
The company announced it was switching to the NACS system over a year ago, in March 2024. By then, it sent an adapter to all Rivian owners for free, as access to the network would require it at first.
With this, Rivian owners can access Tesla’s Supercharger network, which counts with more than 23,500 chargers.
Earlier this week, the US EV maker Lucid Motors and the Honda/ Acura brands also announced the beginning of their access to Tesla’s network
The list includes Detroit automakers Ford and General Motors, German-based BMW and Mercedes-Benz, and Sweden-headquartered Volvo and Polestar, among others.
Rivian recently unveiled the 2026 versions of its R1T pick-up and R1S SUV, which will be coming standard with a NACS charging port.
The 2026 R1S Dual-Motor Standard variant starts at $76,990, while the 2026 R1T pickup begins at $70,990. Leasing prices have also been updated.
Last week, Rivian said that its latest software update will integrate Google Maps into its Navigation system — which will include routes, live traffic and real-time road incidents reported by the Maps community.
The EV maker also fixed issues regarding charging, that were pointed out by users on several social media platforms since the last update launched — which introduced the new Energy App.
Rivian announced plans to open a new artificial intelligence and autonomous driving research hub in London, marking its first facility in the UK and second in Europe — after Belgrade, Serbia, in 2022.
The EV maker sold 10,599 vehicles in the U.S. during the second quarter of 2025, including 7,898 R1 vehicles and 2,701 commercial electric vans, according to Cox Automotive.
