Rivian investigating unknown R1T blaze at Electrify America charging station

An observer posted an image of a Rivian R1T on Reddit after the electric pickup truck caught fire while charging at an Electrify America charging station. While the damage to the vehicle is significant, it doesn't appear to have originated at the high-voltage battery. The blaze appears to have started at the EV's charger or another electrical system, instead, since the damage is most severe near the front bumper and hood by the charge port.

The poster did not specify how many people were in the vehicle at the time the fire started, but it appears that all the occupants managed to get out unharmed. Rivian was alerted to the incident and responded, confirming that there is an ongoing investigation to determine the origin of the fire.

We are aware of the incident, and we are conducting a full investigation. Nobody was harmed, and at this time, it does not appear that the vehicle’s high voltage battery was involved. —Rivian

Given the state of the interior and doors of the electric pickup, the fire doesn't appear to have spread to to the high-voltage pack before it was extinguished, either. Battery fires in electric vehicles are incredibly difficult to put out, so it's important that these fires don't start at or spread to the high-voltage battery.

Eliminating sources like the high-voltage pack means that the likely source of the fire was either another electrical system, like the 12-volt system, or a short-circuit in the charging connector hardware itself.

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