Say Goodbye to Complimentary Charges: The End of the Free Rivian EV Road Trip Perk

If you’re the proud owner of a Rivian R1T or R1S, you’ve likely used one of the free “Rivian Adventure Network” fast charging stations over the last year or so. As the automaker built out its charging network, early adopters were lucky enough to get free charging to help them enjoy their new EV. Sadly, this freebie is about to end, and the company will start billing customers for each charge session.

For those unaware, the Adventure Network is Rivian’s collection of DC fast-charging sites for owners taking long trips. And while they’re few and far between, with under 200 chargers at around 30 locations, owners loved stumbling on them during or while planning road trips. It wasn’t unlimited free charging like Tesla gave early adopters (then took away ), but it was a nice little bonus for early owners.

This week, owners on the Rivian forums confirmed the company started sending out emails notifying users that free charging is about to disappear. Starting sometime in “early November,” you’ll start getting billed while using any Adventure Network charger. You’ll still be able to pull up, plug in, and drive off quickly, but now those stations will bill your Rivian account for the electrons. Rivian says to ensure your account has accurate billing information for a seamless experience.

Obviously, everyone loves getting something for free, but the company needs to make money somewhere. That’s especially true if it wants to reach its goal of installing nearly 3,500 fast charging stations in over 600 locations throughout the United States by the end of 2025. Currently, only Rivian vehicles can use these chargers, but as expansion continues, Rivian plans to allow non-Rivian EVs to charge up. The goal is to slowly but surely support electric vehicles on popular roadways, stops, and highways.

So, the next time you see a Rivian Adventure Network charger (if there’s even one near you), go ahead and give it a try, but don’t be surprised when you get a bill. According to the email to owners, each station will display pricing on the screen, or you can check inside the Rivian app before you plug in.

Source: Rivian Forums