Electric charging station sought

- Alberto Gilman
Posted 1/19/22

Rivian, an electric automobile company, proposed to the Newburgh Planning Board on Thursday, January 6 a new charging station site for their vehicles in the Town of Newburgh. Rivian, based in …

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Electric charging station sought

Posted

Rivian, an electric automobile company, proposed to the Newburgh Planning Board on Thursday, January 6 a new charging station site for their vehicles in the Town of Newburgh. Rivian, based in California, produces both vehicles and car charging technology and is dedicated to environmental conservation and preservation. For the proposed site, the company is looking to construct these stations at 1219 to 1221 New York Route 300.

The charging stations would be installed in a wooded area behind the proposed site. Currently on-site, several Tesla car charging stations are already located in Cosimo’s Newburgh parking lot.

The Wal-Mart along Route 300 also has a universal charging station for various electric vehicles from other brands.

The proposed Rivian charging station and units are intended to be part of a company system called the Rivian Adventure Network.

Rivian Corporate Communications Manager Peebles Squire shared that these Rivian charging stations are placed in hand-picked spots across the country. Rivian customers will then be able to venture out and enjoy their immediate natural surroundings.

Planning Board Chairman John Ewasutyn asked the applicant what vehicles are currently on the road or would they be introduced to the public soon?

Bradley Some, who serves as a Real Estate Charging Manager for Rivian, introduced himself to the board and addressed Ewasutyn’s questions.

“We do currently have two consumer facing vehicles out on the road today,” Some said. They are the R1T, a full-size pickup truck, and R1S, a full-size SUV.

“These charging stations are only through your cars,” member Frank Galli asked the applicants. Some replied yes.

The Rivian charging stations are exclusive to the Rivian brand. Some later noted the reasoning for the specific charging stations is because of the Rivian software design for the car and stations.

Member Clifford Browne asked if the site plan would incorporate a Rivian facility for customers to utilize while waiting for their cars to charge.

Some noted the specific site in Newburgh was chosen with the intention of customers utilizing the several businesses and services already around the area.

Browne also asked the applicants for the projection of how many vehicles the company would be producing over the next year and the percentage of the vehicles from the company projection that would be sent to the various parts in the country.

Some said he did not know the specific numbers. He said 55,000 vehicles were already pre-ordered and the number has gone up.

Planning Board Vice Chairman Kenneth Mennerich asked how long a charge would take for the customers.

“It’s 20 to 40 minutes depending on how much battery you come into the station with,” Some said. The network of direct current (DC) fast charging stations can give Rivian customers an additional 140 miles in a 20 minute charge for their vehicle.

By 2023, Rivian anticipates the Rivian Adventure Network to grow to 600 sites with more than 3,500 charging stations in North America.

“Our goal is to electrify the main thoroughfares throughout the country,” Rivian Project Manager Ankur Doshi said. “We find that this a great location [1219 to 1221 Route 300], also right off the highway [Interstates 84 and 87], has the amenities we need.”
Squire said no specific updates on the construction site, project timeline, or operational dates are available at this time.