Rivian R2 owners beware: using an old charging adapter can cause it to melt due to the vehicle's high amperage draw. Journalist Tom Moloughney, host of the State of Charge YouTube channel, tested the R2's charging capabilities using an older Tesla adapter and it melted one of the pins. This is likely not an isolated incident, as it wasn't a malfunction or error on the car's fault, but rather a nature of the R2's design and limitations of older NACS-to-CCS adapters.
The issue lies in the difference between voltage and amperage. To maintain the performance of its R1 models in the more affordable R2, Rivian had to make some cost compromises, including sticking with the same 400-volt battery architecture as the R1, rather than the 800-volt systems used by many of its competitors. While this is fine, it means that Rivian had to increase the R2's amperage draw while charging to maintain a similar speed.
View Price on AmazonMoloughney notes that the older adapter wasn't up to the task of handling the R2's extra amperage, which is why it melted. However, he does say that more modern adapters are more capable of handling higher amperage and therefore won't melt. This is important for customers to know now that the R2 has a native NACS port. While the NACS port is handy for Tesla Superchargers, owners will need an adapter to charge at many Electrify America, ChargePoint, and other CCS charging stations.
Rivian customers aren't the only ones who need to be mindful of this, as the R2 isn't the only EV that can draw up to 600 amps. Some BMW, Polestar, and even Tesla models can also draw high amperage. The R2 can draw over 600 amps and for a sustained period, longer than most other cars, though. So, if you charge one of these vehicles at a charger that can deliver 600 amps and use an adapter, that adapter needs to be able to handle it.
Moloughney notes that some adapters that can't handle 600 amps will realize they're getting too hot and slow the charge down to prevent damage. The old Tesla adapter just doesn't do that, which is why it finished the charge, melting in the process. That's obviously less than ideal. However, there are plenty of adapters on the market that are capable of handling the R2's amperage draw, including adapters from Tesla and one from Rivian itself.
Source: insideevs.com
