Are EVs A Good Buy If You Live In A Small Town?
"If you can’t charge your electric vehicle, there’s literally no point in getting one.”
A woman says Rivian is working to improve access to electric vehicle charging across small town America. Here’s why that matters.
TikTok user Cassidy (@cassidy_cloud9climate) posted a video with her EV news last week. “Why don’t you ever see electric vehicles in small town America?” she asks to start the video. “Well, it’s because when the Tesla company started installing charging ports all across America for their electric cars, they only put them in cities. So for everybody who isn’t a city goer, if you can’t charge your electric vehicle, there’s literally no point in getting one.”
That might be about to change, though, according to Cassidy. “But now, Rivian is taking it upon themselves to install a network of over 3,000 new electric vehicle chargers across the U.S. on backroads and in national parks,” she says. “And their electric vehicles don't just look cool, but they’re being designed for people that work and play in the outdoors who don’t want their vehicle means to be a potential barrier in enjoying that.”
She says this will have broader implications on conservation in the U.S. “Rivian is including more people in the sustainability conversation, and that is what we need to see more of,” she says to conclude the video.
Is Rivian Expanding Its EV Charging Network?
Rivian currently maintains a network of dozens of charging stations in North America, which it refers to as the Rivian Adventure Network. It is continuing to add to that number.
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Not only that, but Rivian teamed up with Tesla last year to allow its drivers to use the Supercharger network. Rivian owners can also purchase adapters to expand their charging options even further. Whether this adds up to EVs being a good buy in a small town will still depend on your specific circumstances.
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However, it should be noted that most EV charging is done at home. So as long as your small town gets electricity and you’re able to get the proper outlet installed, it should be fine. If you can’t charge at home and don’t live near existing charging infrastructure, it could be trickier to justify purchasing an EV.
Viewers Weigh In On Rivian And Small Towns
In the comments section, viewers weighed in on the idea that rural Americans don’t already drive EVs.
“People in rural America can always charge at home,” wrote one person. “Some people in cities can’t. So rural Americans only need chargers for road trips, which almost always means driving through a city.”
A second person agreed. “We charge at home,” they wrote. “I only use Superchargers when I travel.”
“It just seems like the most vocal people about EVs don’t own them or bother to find out what it’s like to own one,” wrote a third person. “The ignorance is baffling. We only use charging stations in the places we don’t live. Roadtrips. That’s it.”
InsideEVs contacted Cassidy via TikTok comment and direct message for comment.
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