Our First Winter Road Trip in a Rivian R1S: What Worked, What Didn’t, and What We Learned

We’re no strangers to winter road trips. Cold temperatures, snowstorms, and windy bridges have never stopped us from hitting the road. But this January road trip to Rhode Island was different for one big reason: it was our first long-distance winter road trip in a fully electric vehicle—our Rivian R1S.

After years of waiting, we finally took delivery of our Rivian R1S in the summer of 2024. Since then, we’ve kept things pretty local—camping trips, nearby adventures, and getting familiar with all the incredible features. That caution mostly came from one not-so-great fast-charging experience that resulted in a battery error and very limited charging options.

But recently, everything changed.

We finally received our NACS adapter, allowing us to charge at select Tesla Superchargers—and that opened the door to longer road trips. So we decided to rip off the Band-Aid and take our Rivian on a January winter road trip.

Instead of walking through every mile of the drive, we’re focusing on the three things people ask about most when it comes to EV road trips in winter:

Weather, Charging, and Navigation.

Winter Weather & Cold-Weather Efficiency

Our trip kicked off just days after a major snowstorm hit our home, with another storm looming in the forecast. Luckily, that second storm fizzled out—but the cold didn’t. Temperatures stayed below freezing for most of the trip, and wind was definitely a factor.

One of the most noticeable moments was crossing the Bay Bridge, where wind can usually make driving exhausting.

Surprisingly, the Rivian handled it beautifully.

The vehicle’s weight and Conserve Mode (which lowers the ride height) made a huge difference. You could hear the wind, but you didn’t feel it. No white-knuckle steering. No fighting the wheel.

And despite the cold, efficiency exceeded our expectations.

• Average efficiency: 2.05 miles per kWh

• Total energy used: 217 kWh

• Overnight cold soak: Only a 2-mile range loss while parked outside

Given how many stories we’ve heard about EV batteries draining rapidly in cold weather, we were honestly impressed.

Charging on the Road: Tesla Superchargers, Costs, and Anxiety

Our first charging stop was at a Tesla Supercharger in Mount Laurel, New Jersey—our first real test of the NACS adapter.

The good news?
It worked.

And not just worked—it worked really well.

We were able to pull in like a normal vehicle thanks to the longer cables on the newer Superchargers (no awkward parking or blocking stalls). Charging speeds peaked around 530–550 miles per hour, compared to the 16 miles per hour we get charging at home.

That said… charging wasn’t completely drama-free.

A Few Charging Challenges We Faced:

• Confusing guidance on what percentage to charge to, especially when switching between Conserve and All-Purpose modes

• A temporary charging fault that required unplugging and restarting

• A brief but stressful battery system error that put the Rivian into Turtle Mode

Thankfully, a hard reset cleared the issue, and Rivian’s 24/7 service team walked us through the process. Once resolved, the rest of the trip—including the return drive—was smooth.

We did make one additional unplanned charging stop to avoid cutting it too close near New York City (because no one wants low battery anxiety there).

Charging Stats for the Entire Trip:

• Total charging time: ~3 hours (round trip)

• Total cost: $172

• Average cost on the road: ~$0.49 per kWh

• Home charging cost: ~$0.12 per kWh

The price difference was shocking—but we were able to make charging stops productive with meals, bathroom breaks, and catching up on YouTube.

Lesson learned: EV road trips can still be cost-effective, but fast charging on the road is something you really need to budget for.

Navigation: Rivian, We Need to Talk

Before we say anything else—we love our Rivian.

It’s comfortable, feels incredibly safe, and is hands-down one of the best vehicles we’ve ever driven.

But… the navigation system needs work.

From the start, Rivian’s navigation kept trying to route us far out of the way just to hit Rivian Adventure Network chargers. Once we switched to A Better Route Planner, things improved dramatically.

Other navigation challenges we noticed:

• Some chargers Rivian routed us to didn’t appear on Tesla’s app or Google Maps

• Chargers with poor reviews or difficult access

• Occasional routing errors (like trying to send us north just to eventually go south)

More than once, we had to double-check Rivian’s navigation against Google Maps—and every time something felt off, Google was right.

Big takeaway:
Always double-check your route, especially if you’re relying on charging stops. EV navigation still requires more involvement than a traditional gas-powered road trip.

Final Thoughts: Would We Do It Again?

Absolutely.

Despite freezing temperatures, wind, charging hiccups, and navigation frustrations, the trip was a success. The ride was smooth, efficiency was better than expected, and the experience helped build our confidence in taking the Rivian on longer adventures.

Charging and navigation simply require more planning—but that’s part of the EV learning curve.

The good news? Rivian continues to push over-the-air updates, and we’re optimistic that navigation and charging logic will keep improving.

This winter road trip did exactly what we hoped it would do:
It made us more comfortable taking our EV farther from home.

And that’s the whole point.