Rivian’s Hamptons Charging Outpost Is A Better Rest Stop For EV Drivers

• Rivian’s Hamptons Charging Outpost is its first combination charging site-lounge on the East Coast.
• The site features six fast chargers, including a trailer-friendly pull-through charger, and is open 24/7 to CCS- and NACS-equipped EVs.
• “Guests can enjoy a relaxing lounge with complimentary coffee, curated snacks and merchandise, an outdoor kids’ play area and reading nook,” Rivian says.

A little over a week after the New York Post named Rivian “the it car of the Hamptons,” the electric-vehicle startup brand is doubling down on that posh buyer base with one of its new Rivian Charging Outposts. And it certainly beats what you’d find at any gas station or highway rest stop in New York. 

As InsideEVs has covered previously, Rivian has been building out its Adventure Network charging infrastructure across the U.S., including with Charging Outposts—amenity-packed sites complete with snacks, coffee, places for kids to play and, perhaps most importantly, clean restrooms. For EV drivers, it’s quite an upgrade from trying to charge at a 30-kilowatt “fast” charger at a closed Honda dealership late at night. (Ask me how I know this.) 

Experience Rivian on the road—schedule your demo drive today.

The latest addition to the Charging Outpost can be found in Southampton, New York, at 1 Montauk Highway in the Hamptons. It’s a 2,000-square-foot site featuring six EV fast-chargers, including a trailer-friendly pull-through charger, and they’re open to drivers of all cars, not just those made by Rivian. It is also the first such Charging Outpost on the East Coast.

Rivian Hamptons Charging Outpost

Photo by: Rivian

“Young adventurers can explore an outdoor play area featuring a sandpit or indoor reading nook adorned with art prints by New York-based artist Danielle Kroll,” the company said in a statement. “To accommodate travelers whenever they are on the road, chargers and restrooms are available 24/7.”

Previously, Charging Outposts have been located in places like Joshua Tree and Yosemite. They’re themed around the brand’s love of adventure and outdoor exploring, and feature snacks, merchandise and more amenities. (As an added bonus, the coffee is complimentary.) The vibe is slightly different at the Hamptons location, however. 

“We leaned into the relaxed, coastal feel of the Hamptons, housing our space in a classic cedar shingle building on Montauk Highway, just minutes from Hamptons mainstays like the Parrish Art Museum,” the company said. And with so many vacation-goers coming to the area from New York City and beyond—including in their EVs—it seems like a good place to spend a few minutes recharging.

Rivian Hamptons Charging Outpost

Photo by: Rivian

Rivian’s Charging Outposts follow a wider pattern in the EV industry: adding real amenities like snacks, bathrooms, roof coverage and waiting areas to charging sites. For the longest time, public EV chargers were notorious for simply being plugs in some remote parking lot.

If a driver needed to take a proper break, get something to eat or use the facilities, they were often left walking—or completely out of luck. More and more stations from entities like Mercedes-Benz High-Power Charging and Ionna seem intent on giving EV drivers the same experience, or better, than they’d get from a gas station. 

Rivian’s Hamptons site will open August 7 and offer free charging that weekend as part of the festivities. 

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Source: Rivian

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Contact the author: patrick.george@insideevs.com