Rivian’s Latest Partnership Unlocks Cheaper Home EV Charging
Rivian partnered with ChargeScape to gain access to various utilities' managed-charging programs.
- Rivian and ChargeScape inked a deal to enable EV owners to charge their cars for less.
- All Rivian EVs support managed charging, and the partnership enables owners to automatically charge when prices are low.
- In the future, the new Rivian R2 will also get bidirectional charging, allowing owners to sell power back to the grid.
Rivian EV owners will soon be able to charge their cars at home for less, thanks to ChargeScape’s managed charging system that aggregates various utility providers in the United States.
The California EV startup said it inked a deal with the Texas-based vehicle-grid integration platform today, enabling owners of the R1S, R1T, and R2 electric vehicles to automatically charge their cars during off-peak hours, which can lead to thousands of dollars in savings over a full year.
In the future, the new Rivian R2 will also be able to export power from its high-voltage battery back to the grid, leading to further savings for owners. The feature, which will be enabled through an over-the-air software update, will transform the car’s battery into an energy buffer when parked at home and connected to a charger—taking energy from the grid when it’s cheap and selling it back when it’s more expensive.
For now, however, Rivian owners will only get managed charging. In other words, the car will communicate with the electric company to charge when it’s most convenient financially. This typically happens during off-peak hours, when demand is lower, and because the batteries in Rivian EVs are quite large, it also helps the energy providers to keep the grid at an optimal level.
"Through this collaboration with ChargeScape and other partners, Rivian’s software-enabled vehicles are a perfect, nimble partner to help balance the energy grid and enable drivers to get more value out of their vehicle,” said Andrew Peterman, Director of Advanced Energy Solutions at Rivian. “These solutions demonstrate how electric vehicles can help reduce electricity costs and support a more resilient energy grid for everyone, whether you own an EV or not."
According to the electric car maker, the program can also help EV owners charge with clean energy, as the car can replenish its battery when renewable power is at its peak during the day. All Rivian EVs support managed charging, including the first-generation R1S and R1T, so owners don’t have to change any settings in the cars or wait for a software update.
ChargeScape is not the only utility program aggregator in the U.S., but it is the only one out there that’s backed by some of the biggest names in the automotive industry, with BMW, Ford, Honda, and Nissan being the main backers. Tesla, Stellantis, and others are also using ChargeScape for their managed charging programs, and now Rivian has joined that list.
ChargeScape works with some of America’s leading utility companies, including PG&E, TXU Energy, Xcel Energy, Con Edison, and DTE. The aggregator claims that it has delivered 89% of EV charging during off-peak hours.
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