Charging a Rivian R1S with a Portable Solar Battery Power Station

Rivian Mom · 2025-05-15T14:45:12+00:00

I've been using my phone's hotspot for months, and my Rivian connects to it automatically to run TuneIn and Spotify through the built-in apps on the main display. To be clear, this wasn’t Bluetooth streaming but actual phone data, and the apps worked perfectly without any issues. In Monday for the first time, I saw a Connect+ message pop up, even though the truck was linked to my phone’s data. I can still stream from my phone using Bluetooth, but the sound quality and user experience weren’t as good. This issue started between over-the-air software updates, though it might be tied to a specific date in the system. I tried a soft reset, but nothing changed. Has anyone heard if Rivian changed their policy on this? I remember Connect+ used to mention it provided "data" for streaming apps, suggesting you could use your own data instead. Now, it seems like you need Connect+ just to access the apps at all. I was surprised they allowed phone hotspots to work before, so this might be a deliberate change. I’m okay with paying for Connect+ if this isn’t just a temporary glitch. Any insights would be appreciated.

Rivian Mom

Active Wheeler

Mar 8, 2025

Rivian battery pack: 135kwh
Portable battery: 4kwh, around 100lb. SOC on the portable battery went from 88% to 10% Rivian gained 5 miles.

Could be a neat way to stop phantom drain if you camp out somewhere super sunny for a few days, or give some range to a more efficient EV like Tesla model 3/Y 10 miles to let it hit a charger.

I do have a great time driving the Rivian R1S. Love to death the yellow color first and foremost, but also its power and comfortable suspension. There are some minor issues here and there like liftgate alignment but I’ve always had service center take care of it very well.

Rivian has since discontinued compass yellow but it’s truly one of the most striking color in the EV world. It’s flashy but not over the top and perfectly suited for the off road image.

I am using a beta unit power station that I am testing called delta pro 3. It has an integrated 240v output up to 16A and allow direct integration with an EV charger. I had to use a 14-30 to 14-50 converter to enable usage with the rivian portable charger.