What EV Charger Do You Need for a 2024 Rivian R1S AT?
You need a 48 amp Level 2 home charger to fill your battery overnight. The onboard charger caps your AC intake at 11.5 kilowatts. Going past 48 amps buys you nothing because the vehicle limits current draw. Your pack holds 143.1 kWh of energy.
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 12.4 hours |
| Range added per hour (Level 2) | about 22 miles |
| Full charge on a 120 V outlet | about 99 hours |
| Range added per hour (120 V) | about 2.8 miles |
| EPA rated range | 277 miles |
| Energy for a full charge | about 143.1 kWh at the wall |
Why 48 amps and not more
Pairing your vehicle with a 48 amp supply delivers 22 miles of range per hour. A full recharge takes 12.4 hours from empty. Plugging into a smaller 30 amp or 40 amp breaker slows that recovery time down. The car draws 48 amps flat and refuses any higher current. Feeding it a 50 amp or 60 amp EVSE changes nothing since the onboard hardware dictates the limit.
What the install involves
A 48 amp continuous load demands a 60 amp breaker paired with heavy gauge wiring. Hardwiring is mandatory because no standard household wall receptacle handles 48 amps safely over long cycles. Code requires a dedicated line straight from your main electrical panel. Hire a licensed electrician to run the conduit, mount the unit, and pull the local permits.
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
- Can I use a normal wall outlet?
- No. Standard household receptacles max out at 15 or 20 amps and will melt under a continuous 48 amp load. You need a hardwired connection.
- What plug type does the car use?
- Your vehicle uses a J1772 connector for Level 2 AC charging. Every non-Tesla EV sold in North America through 2024 uses this standard.
- How long does a standard 120 volt outlet take?
- Level 1 charging takes 99 hours to fill the pack from empty. It adds 2.8 miles of range per hour.
- What do the EPA charge time numbers mean?
- The EPA tested the vehicle at 12.5 hours for a full charge, which is nearly identical to the theoretical 12.4 hour max rate. Both methods yield 22 miles of range per hour.
Other vehicles
Charging times derived from EPA data for the 2024 Rivian R1S AT. Electrical requirements follow NEC 625.41, which sizes a circuit at 125% of a continuous load. Always have a licensed electrician verify your panel.