Rivian has opened its first Charging Outpost in Groveland, California, launching a new series of sustainable charging hubs designed to help drivers recharge their EVs and rest before continuing their journey.
The Rivian Yosemite Charging Outpost will be available to the public, offering amenities from 7:00 AM to 7:00 PM and providing Rivian owners with 24-hour access to high-speed charging. The OEM designed the interior of site to feel reminiscent of its retail ‘Spaces’ located across the North America region. Here, it offers a lounge area where guests can sit and relax, as well as an onsite library for them to read as they wait for their EV to recharge. The furniture in this area was designed using sustainable materials, using upcycled second-hand sleeping bags and puffer coats, while the tables were made using compressed sawdust.
Further features inside the Rivian Yosemite Charging Outpost include a stall where the OEM’s merchandise will be sold, an area where users make their own trail mix, complimentary coffee, and a water bottle refill station. Outside, it provides five Rivian DC fast charging points and restrooms, both of which will be available and operational 24 hours a day, and educational games that help users learn more about sustainability.
While highlighting its all-new Charging Outpost, Rivian also announced a new Rivian Adventure charging site situated near the entrance of Yosemite in Lee Vining, California. The OEM likewise announced that it had installed 58 of its proprietary ‘Waypoint’ chargers across 11 popular destinations within the Yosemite Valley. Through the development of this new infrastructure, Rivian is aiming to make the Yosemite national park more accessible to EV drivers journeying along the Sierra Nevada.
Following the announcement of its Yosemite Charging Outpost, Rivian confirmed that the site will be the first of several ‘outposts’ it expects to launch in, and around, national parks and other high-traffic areas across the USA. Further details on these future outposts, such as their location or opening dates, will be revealed at a later date.
The new Yosemite Outpost itself was originally a blacksmith stop in 1870 – 20 years after Groveland became a mining camp during the California Gold Rush. An integral part of the community, the blacksmith shop created and repaired metal tools, utensils, wagons, and other objects that were a part of daily life.
