What EV Charger Do You Need for a 2023 Rivian R1S?
Wiring a 60 amp breaker and hardwiring a 48 amp EVSE requires a licensed electrician to pull permits and inspect your panel. Your R1S pulls a maximum of 48 amps on Level 2 AC power. You need a 48 amp EVSE to hit that speed. No household receptacle handles 48 amps.
The numbers
| Maximum AC charging rate | 11.5 kW (48 A) |
|---|---|
| Charger size to buy | 48 A |
| Circuit breaker required | 60 A |
| Outlet / connection | hardwired (a 48 A EVSE must be hardwired -- no household receptacle is rated for it) |
| Charge port | J1772 |
| Full charge on Level 2 | about 13.2 hours |
| Range added per hour (Level 2) | about 27 miles |
| Full charge on a 120 V outlet | about 106 hours |
| Range added per hour (120 V) | about 3.3 miles |
| EPA rated range | 352 miles |
| Energy for a full charge | about 152.2 kWh at the wall |
Why 48 amps and not more
Your car accepts up to 11.5 kW through its onboard charger. Pumping 48 amps into the 152.2 kWh battery pack restores the full range in 13.2 hours. A smaller 32 amp circuit takes longer and drops your recovery speed. Buying a 50 amp or 80 amp charger changes nothing because the car caps its intake at 48 amps anyway. Match the equipment to the vehicle limit to avoid wasted money on capacity your battery cannot accept.
What the install involves
Code requires hardwiring for any continuous 48 amp load because NEMA 14-50 wall outlets degrade under prolonged thermal stress at that draw. The run needs a dedicated 60 amp breaker paired with heavy gauge copper wiring. Call an electrician to verify your main service panel has the physical space and load capacity for the new circuit. Skip DIY attempts here since mistakes cause melted terminals or house fires.
Chargers that match this car
Energy monitoring built in. Hardwire it for the full 48 A.
Compact unit, good for tight garages.
Adjustable from 16 A to 50 A in the app, which helps if your panel is tight.
Worth having as well
Common questions
- What plug does the car use?
- The vehicle uses a J1772 connector for standard Level 2 AC charging. This plug fits every non-Tesla EV sold in North America through 2024.
- How many miles of range do I get per hour?
- Level 2 charging adds 27 miles of range for every hour plugged in. Standard Level 1 household trickle charging crawls at 3.3 miles per hour.
- Can I use a regular wall outlet?
- Plugging into a standard household outlet gives you Level 1 speeds. That takes 106 hours to fill the battery from empty.
- What is the EPA charge time?
- The EPA rates a full Level 2 charge at 13.0 hours. That test tracks slightly differently than the raw math on the vehicle's 11.5 kW peak rate.
Other vehicles
Charging times derived from EPA data for the 2023 Rivian R1S (covering 10 EPA trim listings). Electrical requirements follow NEC 625.41, which sizes a circuit at 125% of a continuous load. Always have a licensed electrician verify your panel.