Charging a Rivian R1S with a Portable Solar Battery Power Station

Rivian Mom · 2025-04-08T16:32:35+00:00

There’s this new device I heard avout called EV Play. From what I read, it promises to bring Apple CarPlay and some oretty interesting apps right to Rivian’s screen. I couldn’t find much chatter about it yet, but I read it’s a plug-and-play setup coming out this month. No clue on the price, but the thought of having my phone’s familiar layout front and center while I’m driving sounds like a dream. I’ve got my hands full with work and family, so anything that simplifies my day is a win in my book. That said, I’m not jumping in without thinking it through—years of juggling life have taught me to pause and ponder. Could there be any hiccups with adding this to my R1S? I wonder if it might mess with something down the road. And here’s a thought: could Rivian send out one of those over-the-air updates and block it after I’ve already bought it? I’d hate to invest in something only to have it fizzle out. I’d love to hear what other owners think—especially the seasoned ones like me. Is this a smart upgrade, or should I hold off?

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.