Toronto, Ontario — Rivian falls in line with several other OEMs in joining Tesla’s Supercharger network, mining experts voice concerns over current demand for lithium and TELUS links up with a charging developer to offer free Wi-Fi and cheap charges. This is the latest in electric and autonomous vehicles.
Roping in Rivian
Rivian is the latest automaker to be entranced by Tesla’s Supercharger network, announcing last week plans to start selling NACS adaptors by 2024, and eventually build its R1 vehicles standard with NACS going forward in 2025.
Despite otherwise appearing as direct competitors given both companies’ exclusively electric model lineup, Rivian cited its mission to decarbonize transportation as the motivation to co-operate with Tesla and adopt the North American Charging Standard (NACS).
The company says it still plans to expand its Rivian Adventure Network charging infrastructure, which is designed to be exclusive to Rivian owners and is expected to grow by 3,500 chargers across 600 stations in the U.S. and Canada in the near future.
Light on lithium
Representatives from the U.S.’s lithium mining industry spoke with Reuters recently about their fears that, at its current state, the industry may not be able to meet the aggressive demand of the automotive sector.
At 45 lithium mines currently operating globally, and only 11 more to open this year, resource consultants say they are concerned that this pace will not be enough to fuel the rapid transition to clean mobility that automakers are striving for.
“You could end up in a crisis situation where the battery companies don’t have the security of [lithium] feedstock,” said chairman of Lake Resources, Stu Crow.
“There’s a disconnect between the panic that we’re seeing here, and the frenetic activity of trying to secure supply within the industry.”
In an unsurprising parallel to our own industry, Crow says inflation and staffing shortages are a major contributor to the struggle in getting lithium mining up to speed.
Plug and save
Telecom giant TELUS signed on to a strategic partnership with Australian charging developer JOLT last week, announcing plans to install up to 5,000 DC fast-charging stations across Canada.
TELUS says these new charging stations will offer public Wi-Fi, in addition to 7 kWh of free charging per day for drivers who use the JOLT app, which they say equates to 40 to 50 kilometres of range and 15 to 20 minutes of charge time, depending on the vehicle.
“We are excited to bring our free, fast, clean charging network to Canada to help Canadian drivers transition to EVs faster. Drivers can save approximately $1,000 annually by charging with JOLT. Availability of reliable, fast charging is a critical component of Canada’s transition to zero emission transport,” said JOLT CEO Doug McNamee.
