You Can Charge Your Tesla Using A Rivian R1T: Here's How

While Tesla's cars aren't yet designed to power your home or charge other vehicles, the Rivian R1T is, and it's pretty neat.

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Steven Loveday

By: Steven Loveday

May 16, 2022 at 1:04pm ET

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The Rivian R1T is capable of charging a Tesla, or really any other electric car. The fully electric pickup truck has plenty of power on tap, though the more important part here is its built-in inverter that allows it to deliver power to other EVs.

It's important to note that while Tesla's vehicles aren't yet designed or equipped to deliver power to things like your home or another electric car, there are already multiple EVs on the market that can do just that. Some come standard with the capability, while others offer it on certain trims and/or as a special feature, which costs extra.

The Ford F-150 Lightning can power your whole home, though you have to buy above the base model, and there are other costs involved. You can learn much more about it by checking out this article, as well as our exclusive Q&A.

At any rate, we've shared several videos with you that were produced by Jehu Garcia and shared on his YouTube channel. Not long ago, he took delivery of a brand-new Rivian R1T. However, he admits that he first became interested in the electric pickup truck since he already owned a Tesla Model 3.

Being that Garcia is now a Tesla and Rivian owner, he has plenty of insight to share. And, he's come up with some unique coverage, such as the video at the top of the page. So, what does it take to charge another EV with the Rivian R1T?

First of all, you'll need a charging cable. Garcia says you can use the Tesla or Rivian cable, and he also mentions that he'll try both to see how it works out. However, you'll also need to pick up a three-prong neutral-ground bonding plug, which you can order on Amazon or get at any number of local stores, including Walmart. It will probably cost you about $10 to $20.

Next, Garcia uses his Model 3's touch screen to lower the charge current to the lowest possible setting, which is 5 Amps. He says he does this to make sure that it doesn't "trip" the breaker in the R1T. Following this, head into your Rivian vehicle and use the touch screen to turn on the 120-volt outlets. At this point, your EV should be charging.

That said, Garcia points out that the Model 3 isn't charging. He assumes it's because he's using the Tesla's charging cable, so he switches to the Rivian's cable. It's important to note that you'll need to add the adaptor to the R1T's charging cable to convert it from SAE J1772 to the Tesla connector, which you may already have as part of the equipment that came with your Tesla.

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The Model 3 begins charging at 5 Amps with the Rivian cable. At this point, Garcia does a test to see how much higher he can raise the Amps before it trips the Rivian's breaker. Some quick math reveals that based on information in the R1T's owner's manual, 12.5 Amps should be the limit. Garcia successfully raises the setting in the Tesla to 12 Amps, which is as high as it will go.

Read More Related Coverage Of The Rivian R1T:

Rivian R1T Charging Analysis: From 0 To 100% State-Of-Charge

Rivian R1T Can Now Charge At Up To 500 Amps With New Software Update

The video goes on to show how much range the R1T has, as well as the Model 3. This gives him an idea of the efficiency of the charging session. Check out the video to see how it all works out. Then, head down to the comment section to share your takeaways.

Source: jehugarcia (YouTube)

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