Rivian Automotive Inc., based in Irvine, California, is emerging as a viable alternative to Tesla.

Tesla Inc. is facing challenges that have made it less appealing to current and potential buyers.

Volkswagen AG has invested $5 billion in Rivian to establish a joint venture, providing crucial financial support.

Despite this investment, Rivian continues to face profitability challenges, reporting a $2.7 billion deficit and nearly 50,000 preorders.

Currently, Rivian is losing approximately $32,705 for each vehicle sold.

The company has recently experienced plant shutdowns and has reported disappointing quarterly losses.

This financial strain is exacerbated by customer dissatisfaction and the need for a reliable charging infrastructure, which is currently lacking in the U.S.

In a bid to improve compatibility with Tesla's Supercharger stations, Rivian is repositioning its vehicle charge ports.

Recent showings of Rivian's upcoming R2 and R3X models revealed a new charging port location at the left rear of the vehicle, differing from the previous right rear position.

While this new charge port position may benefit curbside charging, it poses challenges for users who tow or use equipment racks.

To facilitate this transition, Rivian will offer an adapter for its current CCS plug while moving towards NACS compatibility for R1 models in 2025 and R2 models in 2026.

Nearly all EV manufacturers plan to adopt Tesla's North American Charging System (NACS) charger connector by 2025, shifting from the Combined Charging System (CCS).

Despite these challenges, Rivian is making positive strides, such as rescuing vehicles stuck in difficult situations and using owner data to identify poor public chargers.