Rivian’s new Joshua Tree outpost is what EV charging should be

When I first started testing electric vehicles, finding a charging station was the means to an end. I didn’t care what it looked like or what neighborhood it was in — it was a minor miracle that I found a charger, any charger, to juice up. But now consumers want more. Heck, I want more, and I don’t even own an EV. After all, this is a place where you’ll spend at least 20 minutes to shove some electrons into your vehicle. Is a bathroom too much to ask for?

Rivian has heard the call and has answered with its own chain of outpost charging stations. The first one opened up in Yosemite, California, this past summer, and now one is right in my own backyard in Joshua Tree, just six miles away from the town’s national park entrance.

First, let’s talk about charging. There are 12 900-volt 300kW CCS chargers, and the outpost is open to any EV, although Teslas will need an adapter. There is one pullthrough spot for folks with a trailer, but if others are charging across the lot from that space, it might be a tight turn for longer rigs. Rivian owners can pay through the app or tap their credit cards at the charger at 46 cents per kWh, while non-Rivian cars can tap their cards and pay 60 cents per kWh. 

While the outpost uses electricity from the local grid, Rivian says it matches delivered charger kWh with the purchase of energy derived from solar, wind, and interestingly, non-dam hydropower. Rivian has partnered with Atlanta, Georgia-based Emrgy that places turbines in existing irrigation canals to provide continuous renewable energy without damming up rivers and creeks. 

This is what every charging station should be. Upon entry, there is a little conversation pit set up with Jenga and some lovely coffee table books to peruse. There are local products for sale along with free coffee provided by Joshua Tree Coffee Company. I’m not a coffee drinker myself, but folks tell me it’s quite good. Snacks and drinks are available to buy, but don’t look for your standard gas station fare. You can buy roasted garlic Spanish white anchovies, lemon caper mackerel, organic crackers, and pesto. There’s everything you need for a bougie charcuterie board. Even the sodas are organic.

There is a deck off the back door with some lovely landscaping and a play area for both adults and kids. It wasn’t quite finished when I stopped by, but the manager told me there would be hammocks and some playground equipment. The only thing ready was a four-foot-high boulder with rock climbing holds for the little ones to conquer. The deck looks out onto a gorgeous view of the Mojave Desert, complete with chollas and Joshua trees.

You can even test-drive a Rivian if you’re in the market, and an Adventure Lab serves to educate consumers on the vehicles and will also function as a meeting place for future classes and seminars. All indoor spaces are air-conditioned — it can get pretty scorching out here in the summer — and there is plenty of outdoor shade space.

Unfortunately, the outpost isn’t quite in the middle of the hippy-dippy, desert-chic Joshua Tree vibe. While the Joshua Tree Inn is across the highway for those on overnight trips, the Joshua Tree Saloon and other eating and shopping venues are at least a half-mile away on a busy two-lane highway with no sidewalk. 

As a local, I see plenty of Rivians and other EVs cruising through town, and up until now, there haven’t been too many charging options. There is a Tesla Supercharger station that is open to all EVs, and GM just installed four 350kW chargers as well as two 100kW units, but both are in nearby Yucca Valley. The Rivian outpost is the first charging station in Joshua Tree proper. In a town that relies on tourists, many of whom drive out from Los Angeles in their EVs, it’s a wonder it took this long.

The charging station will make off-roading in Rivians much easier. Joshua Tree is adjacent to acres and acres of open desert with everything from rock crawling to soft sand. There are also off-road trails in Joshua Tree National Park that are quite lovely. I’ve spent plenty of time in the R1T out here, and it performs really well, despite not having mechanical differential lockers or a low range. 

If you’re curious if your state will get a fancy-pants charging outpost, Rivian says it will soon open locations in Texas, Colorado, Illinois, Montana, Pennsylvania, Michigan, and New York. I’m seeing a Rivian road trip in my future, full of practical charging stations where I can grab a soda, use the restroom, and put together a trendy charcuterie board.

Photography by Emme Hall for The Verge