A Rivian driver was recently confronted by a Tesla owner who was unaware that the Supercharger network had been opened to other EV brands, highlighting the need for clearer communication within the electric vehicle (EV) community.
The incident began when a Rivian R1T driver attempted to charge his EV at the Solano Beach, Supercharger in California using an aftermarket adapter. Despite Tesla’s recent policy change allowing access to it over 16,000 Superchargers for Ford and Rivian owners (and more brands to come), apparently not all Tesla owners are aware of the change.
One particular Tesla owner confronted the Rivian driver, claiming that his use of the Supercharger was illegal, with the issue exacerbated by the fact the Rivian was occupying two charging stalls based on the placement of the charge port on his EV, according to a post by the Rivian owner on the Rivian Owners Forum.
“He approached me while I was unplugging, demanding to know why I was there and accusing me of blocking two stalls. I tried to explain that Tesla Superchargers are now accessible to Rivians with an adapter. I pointed out that, due to the location of my charging port on the front driver’s side and the short length of the cables, I had no choice but to park in a way that blocks 2 stalls,” the owner wrote. (via PCMag)
The Tesla owner was so upset they even threatened to call the police.
“He then pointed to the red “Tesla Vehicle Charging Only” signs and insisted that it was ILLEGAL for me to be there and that he was CALLING THE POLICE!,” the owner said.
Following the altercation, the Rivian driver left the Supercharger station and opted to charge at a nearby EVGo station.
As most of you know, Tesla has indeed opened its Supercharger network to brands like Rivian, with many more brands coming online this year. In 2024 these EV owners will require the use of an adapter. However, non-Tesla vehicles, starting from 2025, will be equipped with a NACS charge port, eliminating the need for such adapters.
In the meantime, the placement of charge ports on EVs like the Rivian can lead to logistical challenges. In fact, Tesla even says in their mobile app that some non-Tesla owners may have to take up two stalls in order to be able to plug in.
This incident does highlight the need for clearer communication from Tesla. The company has the ability to notify all of its owners directly through the mobile app that the Supercharger network is now open to other brands. It has yet to do so however, even though they did so last year (see below) when just two stations in Canada were equipped with Magic Docks.
