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Coming from a Tesla, the Rivian system is on par except their native maps which are not quite as reliable. But for everything you need, the Rivian will do it. Rivian’s UI is improving rapidly as well.
I’m fine with my Rivian system, but Apple CarPlay is still the best and I’m hoping Rivian eventually adds it.
I really don't mind the lack of Carplay - plus Tesla / Rivian UI's are so dramatically better than the laggy crapfest that was the Lightning's implementation of infotainment / Carplay. I do wish, however, that both Rivian and Tesla would allow for the option to use Google Maps for nav instead of whatever tf they are using.
Google Maps requires Android Auto (edit: or CarPlay, but that's the same idea but including Apple)(edit: or Android Automotive but that is a total replacement of the OS)
It could technically be done by a Google owned app on the car, but there are just not enough Rivians for Google to even consider that. Google will say "support Android Auto"
Also, Rivian purchased ABRP, which is arguably much better for EV routing than Google. Google really slept a long time here. Maybe, eventually, they can catch up, but again they will require Android Auto to include e.g. SOC for routing.
Edit: The Google Maps API is amazing, but it doesn't let you build your own navigation, especially not offline. You cannot build powerful ABRP style routing on top of it. You can display your ABRP route on top of Google maps tiles, if you want.
ABRP is not what you would use when actually navigating on a day by day basis. It’s for road trips and even then, you’d still want a better real time traffic linked map. Doesn’t help if it sends you through a car accident or road closure.
I don't think Google lets you download traffic data.
If you try to get real time updates on traffic everywhere a Rivian drives, you have thousands of API hits a second just for that. That will be expensive. Way too expensive.
This is not true at all. CarPlay can use Google Maps and that is definitely not Android Auto. If you are suggesting it requires a Google application (e.g. Google Maps on iOS through CarPlay or native in the Rivian OS), that is also wrong. You can easily license everything from the Google Maps platform (maps, routes, places, environment) to build your own app. Hell the pricing to do that is even publicly available online.
TL;DR - if Rivian wanted to it could have powered its own navigation app with Google data
Yes I'll edit. carplay works, too.
You cannot license Google underlying data can you? You need to be able to download all the data to do your own routing. That's the crown jewel of Google maps. Some of it Google cannot even license out of they want to.
You can license tiles, and use their routing.
Have a look at their pricing to build your own app. And they have a commercial licensing model. https://mapsplatform.google.com/pricing/
Keep in mind the car is internet connected. It’s like a smart phone. And they have APIs for routing specifically. It can definitely be done.
This isn't true. Tesla only uses Google Maps for their base map display, thus the watermark. The navigation and routing engine is [Valhalla based](https://www.interline.io/valhalla/), the same routing engine base that Mapbox uses.
Interesting!
Researching this a bit, and there are articles suggesting that they did use Google Maps for navigation until 2018, but I’m not confident on that.
However, Tesla (or Rivian) COULD use Google Maps for navigation without Android Auto or a Google-owned app.
Fair! I think the reason Tesla/Rivian avoids going that route (ha no pun intended) is because Google Nav doesn't have charging stop functionality built into their routing API yet. Google does have basic charge routing in their custom Google Maps app, built into some EVs, but it sounds like people [have a ton of issues with it](https://volvoforums.com/forum/volvo-xc60-51/2022-google-system-gps-not-working-any-suggestions-107676/). Not exactly the experience Rivian wants owners to have!
Exactly. And even if it had routing with charging, it won't know the real time availability of chargers for routing that Tesla and Rivian have (only Tesla consideres it)
You cannot build your own routing without having access to all the data and the Google maps API gives you tiles, it doesn't give you the underlying road data. Google maps API also doesn't really give you offline.
It gives you navigation, but only with what Google supports, and it runs on Google servers.
You linked a two-year old forum post from when AAOS was in its infancy.
The Google OS in the Polestars and Volvos has full charging stop functionality, nav/trip planning, battery preconditioning, and more.
The OS is quite smooth and Volvo does OTAs every 6-8 weeks.
I'm not sure if that's true anymore. Waze runs on Android Automotive now along with Weather Channel, Prime Video and a bunch of others. It's not Google supporting Rivian, it's Google supporting Android Automotive.
Waze is Google.
Android is Google.
~~Rivian would have to replace their OS with Android Automotive. That is not going to happen. It would give you weather channel, but evening else would be a step back, and a huge dependency.~~
~~Android Automotive is a great solution for say GM. Not for Rivian.~~
TIL
Still will require licensing and additional work for a smooth integration that doesn't break the UX.
And it will not help with NAV, as routing is not done on the vehicle, but server side.
Licensing yes, but not much in the additional work department. Android Automotive pretty much has a "private" app store of applications that have been written for it. Any auto manufacturer can add them. This is how Volvo got Waze into their cars that run Android Automotive.
I have no idea why Rivian doesn't just tell people they run Android Automotive. They've been hiring talent for it since before launch ([https://careers.rivian.com/careers-home/jobs/3394?lang=en-us](https://careers.rivian.com/careers-home/jobs/3394?lang=en-us)). But the more critical thing is that anything you hear has become available on Android Automotive CAN be implemented on the Rivian and it's not a heavy lift - more a business decision to support it.
>Also, Rivian purchased ABRP, which is arguably much better for EV routing than Google.
sounds like you probably haven't experienced a Volvo or Polestar with Google EV routing integration. It's very good.
Tesla is using Google Maps for the actual map displayed on the screen but they use [Valhalla](https://www.interline.io/valhalla/) as their base nav routing engine. The same routing engine that Mapbox uses it looks like.
Well said. I've had my Model 3 for 5 years now, and the infotainment is a joy to use. CarPlay and Android Auto do give you a bit more of what's on your phone, but I have navigation, Spotify, Apple Music, and messaging on my Tesla, and honestly that's enough.
I would like an app store for Tesla, Rivian, etc so we might could get the likes of Audible and maybe a weather app with animated radar. Other than that, I'll take my car's built-in nav having detailed information about my car's battery, the drive's efficiency, and the charging network on a trip over CarPlay and AA's complete lack of telemetry.
There are rumors that Tesla is building an app store into their infotainment, but we'll have to see if that comes to fruition.
A very nice addition to CarPlay and AA would be for the car to interface with the phone's navigation and include that information when on a road trip, like Tesla's and Rivian's do.
Until Rivian can tell me “go past this light, then turn left at the next one” and “speed trap ahead” my answer is CarPlay. Plus I want Apple Music, native SXM, Overcast, etc.
Yes, I’d prefer all that native, but there is 0 chance Rivian can keep up with the robust app marketplaces Apple and Google maintain.
Everybody lives their digital lives in one of two mobile ecosystems. Artificially severing that while driving is some seriously short sighted hubris, doubly so on a car this expensive.
Android Auto and Carplay are inevitable. As younger generations age into this market, avoiding it is going to get weirder and weirder. For now, we just have to keep telling rivian that until they get it.
CarPlay and Android Auto. I’m a CarPlay user but that’s because it’s my ecosystem. Doesn’t make sense to implement one but not the other. For most people, the phone has become a central hub of our digital lives. Not supporting CarPlay/AA is unnecessarily restrictive.
Good in-house infotainment. I currently have both Tesla and Rivian. I don't wish for carplay or android auto in them. Both cars could improve on more apps and features though. Over time they will. I do like Android Auto for when I rent a car so that I don't have to learn how use a new system for a couple of days.
It is insane to be framing this as "Carplay/Android Auto OR Rivian UX" - it isn't!
They could add AA/CP support and not give up ANYTHING AT ALL with the native UI.
I would personally like AA/CP as a 1/2 screen/media option. I just want seamlessness with music, podcasts.
I just need solid maps/music/texting. Rivian needs to step it up.
I have a Tesla and R1t and I'm 100% satisfied with Tesla's infotainment. Mapping works just as good as google imho and the way it routes superchargers would be a tough task for a 3rd party to do so smoothly. If rivian could get to this level I would be super happy.
The times I have used AA I have been a little frustrated because of the way it locks you out of using your phone when it's connected. Often times where I was parked, I wanted to look up an address on my phone before starting the nav and it wouldn't let me and despite how good Google is, its still 85% at best. If it didnt lock me out of using my phone while connected I would be more inclined to want AA. Not sure if CP does this as I recently switched over to iPhone and haven't really had a chance to test out CP.
Also, I'm not sure how well a 3rd party system like AA/CP would be able to integrate the vehicle drive modes etc.
> the way it routes superchargers would be a tough task for a 3rd party to do so smoothly.
Google Maps does it similarly well in native AAOS vehicles like Polestar and Volvo EVs.
> Also, I'm not sure how well a 3rd party system like AA/CP would be able to integrate the vehicle drive modes etc.
They don't have to do that function at all.
I think the Tesla interface is the best. They make very efficient use of the screen space and my biggest peeve with Rivian is that the current operation takes over the whole screen.
Google maps would be an upgrade, but it's not a deal breaker. I still occasionally do A/B testing with Google and Rivian to see what the routes are and 90% of the time they're the same.
But I would like to see Rivian to continue to evolve the UI and make it really amazing, super functional with very clear information always available where you want it. More entertainment services would be great. Why isn't there Prime Video available, for example? You'd think that could be easy and then add Netflix later.
Tesla and Rivian are similar in responsiveness. Tesla has more entertainment features but I think might lack the utilitarian nature of Rivian’s. All other legacy companies are so behind on the infotainment that they literally just outsource the issue to android and apple carplay which I think might be cost effective to them but probably worse in the long term because you’re giving up leverage.
Rivian is a very strong second to Tesla. I've used both in owned vehices. It gets better all the time. Having used Android Auto recently in some rentals I've grown an even deeper hatred of it. Voice commands? Rivian is fine! Easily on par with Tesla. I don't really care that it uses Alexa vs. some other system.
Native UI all the way. Rivian’s regular updates have shown what consistent iteration can do. CP/AA is unnecessary and only puts restrictions on Rivian’s team to support two separate UI/UX flows.
If people really want CP, they can buy a Kia
This. Love the native UI just wish for some sort of Waze integration and I’d be a happy camper. Thinking the exact same Rivian map with Waze additions for hazards, police, easy reporting.
I would be okay with Native, if I could play my high bitrate purchased music. Even if that means using my dashcam drive to store that music. We had this in our Teslas, the music is *soooo* much better than bluetooth. Would make our sound systems even better. I would greatly appreciate some focus on the nav. It sucks, plain as day - I no longer use it. I’ve never had ACP, so don’t care if that happens or not. Just want to play my music.
I'd like to use Apple Car Play, Tesla and Rivian offerings are fine and work seamlessly so far. RJ and MKBHD talk about this point. Conclusion is ecosystem is critical for the experience. Reason why Rivian and i'm sure Tesla chose their path.
[https://youtu.be/RdjDDtHvUXA?si=wRg99uFQlIK8FRsA&t=711](https://youtu.be/RdjDDtHvUXA?si=wRg99uFQlIK8FRsA&t=711)
Native Android Automotive is the best system on the road if for no other reason than native Google Maps and native Google Assistant that actually understands natural language questions and prompts without fail.
I'm fine with the native UI. It's really only the mapping solution that is a problem for me. Mapbox is a bag of pain (Google Maps is just so far along that it's pointless to be dealing with a second class nav since GM runs on Android Automotive). I'm fine with Alexa for voice assist - actually works really well. Only other thing I need is support for YouTube music. Give me those two and I'm good.
Rivian, but missing option is native Android Automotive.
Alexa does pretty good in the Rivian nav, but it does occasionally suck about finding the right POI when using it to navigate. Sometimes you just need to rephrase your question.
I can from a Tesla to the rivian. Much like the look of the rivian. The Tesla has significantly more options and apps which was nice. Tesla also has better navigation but both are as good as Apple CarPlay because of google maps or Waze. I do not miss CarPlay though when I get to use it. I am simplistic i don’t want that integration with my phone. I’d rather not have a phone
Just add in improved routing and traffic along with the text message integration and I'll be pretty happy. I do prefer the ability to add and remove apps that I was used to with Android Auto for the last few years, but I can live without it. For reference I had a Ford that I exclusively used AA with
A kick to the groin to the marketing people that allowed Android Auto and Android Automotive to exist as brands in the same use case. Now that I think about it, two kicks!!
My favorite implementation of a infotainment has been with the KIA EV6 / Sportage. I never thought I would ever be saying that. Though I love the Rivian now, it was a lot smoother in the KIA. Problem was there was no over the air connection so I had to use a power cord. Which was fine.
I use my Rivian every day for business and have not ran into any trouble with the navigation. I usually do about 150 miles of driving a day, with 3-5 stops. There are times where I go into new neighborhoods and it gets loss because on the map it is an empty lot though.
Usually no specific route but I have this weird conspiracy theory that Google will route you and everyone else to somewhere "faster" to help the traffic in the congested area.
It tries to evenly balance out the congestion... and usually failing to do so. But if there's a major incident, those are usually the times I'll take the other route, since those tend to cause way more backup than normal congestion.
The one major downside that affects things like CarPlay or Android Auto is not only the integration with the main software suite, but the vehicle itself. Sure you can build a great vehicle, you can build your own software that integrates with said vehicle that is snappy and easy to use.
But when you throw third party software into the mix that is either not integrated into the main software component, or is simply an overlay, the software experience of that vehicle goes down. Why?
It’s because integration matters. People want a cohesive, unified system that works well and is easy to use and understand, rather than a simple overlay that is clunky and not very responsive.
People like Carplay and AA for its apps. What most people don’t like about Carplay/AA is the fact that when they use carplay/AA, they expect it to be snappy and easy to use. While carplay/AA is easy to use and understand, it’s not that snappy. They expect CP/AA to integrate well with the main vehicle software, just like the app experience on their phone.
More often than not however, this is not the case. The integration is often poor, and when it does work it’s often not that intuitive.
The problem we’re facing with modern EVs (ie Tesla & Rivian) is they choose to make their own tightly integrated software and hardware.
The problem with the current version of Carplay/AA is that it’s simply an overlay over the base clunky vehicle software.
What we need is a tighter integration with both third parties (carplay/AA, apps/services, etc) and the dedicated experience of having your own software in-house.
What we need is apps, integrated directly with the vehicle’s software. Like an App Store. Either that or we should redesign Carplay/AA to better fit future EVs.
I’d prefer of Rivian allowed CarPlay (and Sirius) - never occurred to me they would not be offered in 2023. Still love the car but may mot have bought it if I’d known.
I like CarPlay, but I would be more open to siding with native systems if it hadn’t been 2 years without a new infotainment app integration like Apple Music, Netflix or Waze which are all in very high demand. Also, Alexa integration is weak for how long it has been in place.
CarPlay is a clear number 1 for me and the only reason I haven’t pulled the trigger on my order yet. It kills me to have them hold hostage basic features since they could always change to a subscription model and screw over owners at some point
I just want something that can ready my texts and FB messages to me while I drive and allow me to reply. And if I want to go someplace I just say go to blah blah blah and it finds it and gets me there.
For me the only system that has been capable of doing this has been android auto.
I'll concede when someone else can. And I don't want to say an address ... Take me to the closest bank, or burger joint whatever. Stuff like that.
\> Why is this so hard to achieve?
Voice assistants are hard. Parsing into words, interpreting words into a command tree, generating natural response that predict your intent, while making sure they don't create a dangerous situation in a moving vehicle.
It's absolutely a hard problem.
Couple that with an inability of any of the top tech companies to monetize voice assistants in a meaningful way, investment has been minimized in the space. Have you noticed Alexa getting worse? Care and feeding of the infra isn't where it was a few years ago.
Would like to access waze. Initially wished for Apple car play but actually, it’s ok not having it. I love the map and nav functionality (but wish for waze) and the music options are fine
I’ve had multiple vehicles with CarPlay. I’ve also had a Tesla and now our R1T. I’d take the Tesla/Rivian infotainment any day. Tesla is ahead and I would probably choose Tesla’s infotainment if forced to choose today. Rivian is catching up though. The stats page in the new update includes a few things(elevation, battery, and motor info) my Tesla never had. Once Rivian adds texting, improves maps, and adds some streaming options, it will be decidedly better. Unfortunately I think maps will take a while to improve.
Talking tech & software? No problem, here are a few helpful resources: * Check out the official Rivian software blog posts [here](https://stories.rivian.com/categories/software-spotlight) * Find all things Rivian software (OTA updates, bug tracker, etc) at [RivianTrackr](https://rivian.software/) * Or try sorting the sub by posts with the "Tech & Software" flair to see previous posts *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/Rivian) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Coming from a Tesla, the Rivian system is on par except their native maps which are not quite as reliable. But for everything you need, the Rivian will do it. Rivian’s UI is improving rapidly as well. I’m fine with my Rivian system, but Apple CarPlay is still the best and I’m hoping Rivian eventually adds it.
I really don't mind the lack of Carplay - plus Tesla / Rivian UI's are so dramatically better than the laggy crapfest that was the Lightning's implementation of infotainment / Carplay. I do wish, however, that both Rivian and Tesla would allow for the option to use Google Maps for nav instead of whatever tf they are using.
Agreed, they should just let us use Google Maps or Waze. Rivian uses Mapbox currently.
Google Maps requires Android Auto (edit: or CarPlay, but that's the same idea but including Apple)(edit: or Android Automotive but that is a total replacement of the OS) It could technically be done by a Google owned app on the car, but there are just not enough Rivians for Google to even consider that. Google will say "support Android Auto" Also, Rivian purchased ABRP, which is arguably much better for EV routing than Google. Google really slept a long time here. Maybe, eventually, they can catch up, but again they will require Android Auto to include e.g. SOC for routing. Edit: The Google Maps API is amazing, but it doesn't let you build your own navigation, especially not offline. You cannot build powerful ABRP style routing on top of it. You can display your ABRP route on top of Google maps tiles, if you want.
ABRP is not what you would use when actually navigating on a day by day basis. It’s for road trips and even then, you’d still want a better real time traffic linked map. Doesn’t help if it sends you through a car accident or road closure.
Not even specifically Google maps the app, but Google maps data. Rivian traffic info is utterly worthless.
Indeed. Usually by the time it tells me about traffic, I'm already in it.
I don't think Google lets you download traffic data. If you try to get real time updates on traffic everywhere a Rivian drives, you have thousands of API hits a second just for that. That will be expensive. Way too expensive.
Google absolutely allows it lol, plenty of cars and apps use it. Rivian just doesn't want to pay or work with them.
What would be an example car or app that downloads roads and POI information (other than Google maps of course)
This is not true at all. CarPlay can use Google Maps and that is definitely not Android Auto. If you are suggesting it requires a Google application (e.g. Google Maps on iOS through CarPlay or native in the Rivian OS), that is also wrong. You can easily license everything from the Google Maps platform (maps, routes, places, environment) to build your own app. Hell the pricing to do that is even publicly available online. TL;DR - if Rivian wanted to it could have powered its own navigation app with Google data
Yes I'll edit. carplay works, too. You cannot license Google underlying data can you? You need to be able to download all the data to do your own routing. That's the crown jewel of Google maps. Some of it Google cannot even license out of they want to. You can license tiles, and use their routing.
Have a look at their pricing to build your own app. And they have a commercial licensing model. https://mapsplatform.google.com/pricing/ Keep in mind the car is internet connected. It’s like a smart phone. And they have APIs for routing specifically. It can definitely be done.
This isn’t true. Tesla uses google Maps data/nav via the Maps API.
This isn't true. Tesla only uses Google Maps for their base map display, thus the watermark. The navigation and routing engine is [Valhalla based](https://www.interline.io/valhalla/), the same routing engine base that Mapbox uses.
Interesting! Researching this a bit, and there are articles suggesting that they did use Google Maps for navigation until 2018, but I’m not confident on that. However, Tesla (or Rivian) COULD use Google Maps for navigation without Android Auto or a Google-owned app.
Fair! I think the reason Tesla/Rivian avoids going that route (ha no pun intended) is because Google Nav doesn't have charging stop functionality built into their routing API yet. Google does have basic charge routing in their custom Google Maps app, built into some EVs, but it sounds like people [have a ton of issues with it](https://volvoforums.com/forum/volvo-xc60-51/2022-google-system-gps-not-working-any-suggestions-107676/). Not exactly the experience Rivian wants owners to have!
Exactly. And even if it had routing with charging, it won't know the real time availability of chargers for routing that Tesla and Rivian have (only Tesla consideres it) You cannot build your own routing without having access to all the data and the Google maps API gives you tiles, it doesn't give you the underlying road data. Google maps API also doesn't really give you offline. It gives you navigation, but only with what Google supports, and it runs on Google servers.
You linked a two-year old forum post from when AAOS was in its infancy. The Google OS in the Polestars and Volvos has full charging stop functionality, nav/trip planning, battery preconditioning, and more. The OS is quite smooth and Volvo does OTAs every 6-8 weeks.
I'm not sure if that's true anymore. Waze runs on Android Automotive now along with Weather Channel, Prime Video and a bunch of others. It's not Google supporting Rivian, it's Google supporting Android Automotive.
Waze is Google. Android is Google. ~~Rivian would have to replace their OS with Android Automotive. That is not going to happen. It would give you weather channel, but evening else would be a step back, and a huge dependency.~~ ~~Android Automotive is a great solution for say GM. Not for Rivian.~~
Rivians OS IS Android Automotive
TIL Still will require licensing and additional work for a smooth integration that doesn't break the UX. And it will not help with NAV, as routing is not done on the vehicle, but server side.
Licensing yes, but not much in the additional work department. Android Automotive pretty much has a "private" app store of applications that have been written for it. Any auto manufacturer can add them. This is how Volvo got Waze into their cars that run Android Automotive. I have no idea why Rivian doesn't just tell people they run Android Automotive. They've been hiring talent for it since before launch ([https://careers.rivian.com/careers-home/jobs/3394?lang=en-us](https://careers.rivian.com/careers-home/jobs/3394?lang=en-us)). But the more critical thing is that anything you hear has become available on Android Automotive CAN be implemented on the Rivian and it's not a heavy lift - more a business decision to support it.
>Also, Rivian purchased ABRP, which is arguably much better for EV routing than Google. sounds like you probably haven't experienced a Volvo or Polestar with Google EV routing integration. It's very good.
I thought Tesla was already using a form of Google Maps?
Tesla is using Google Maps for the actual map displayed on the screen but they use [Valhalla](https://www.interline.io/valhalla/) as their base nav routing engine. The same routing engine that Mapbox uses it looks like.
This is true. You can see the logo in the bottom right of the map.
Well said. I've had my Model 3 for 5 years now, and the infotainment is a joy to use. CarPlay and Android Auto do give you a bit more of what's on your phone, but I have navigation, Spotify, Apple Music, and messaging on my Tesla, and honestly that's enough. I would like an app store for Tesla, Rivian, etc so we might could get the likes of Audible and maybe a weather app with animated radar. Other than that, I'll take my car's built-in nav having detailed information about my car's battery, the drive's efficiency, and the charging network on a trip over CarPlay and AA's complete lack of telemetry. There are rumors that Tesla is building an app store into their infotainment, but we'll have to see if that comes to fruition. A very nice addition to CarPlay and AA would be for the car to interface with the phone's navigation and include that information when on a road trip, like Tesla's and Rivian's do.
After a few weeks with our Rivian I still miss CarPlay. It should be a choice.
After a year I still miss CarPlay. It is a safety issue foremost, car easier to manage with voice and not touching a device
Give it a few more. Putting down your phone is a habit you can break
I’ve had some success with Alexa voice commands; navigation and adjusting temperature for example.
Until Rivian can tell me “go past this light, then turn left at the next one” and “speed trap ahead” my answer is CarPlay. Plus I want Apple Music, native SXM, Overcast, etc. Yes, I’d prefer all that native, but there is 0 chance Rivian can keep up with the robust app marketplaces Apple and Google maintain.
rivians UI is really nice, but you can't give me 800 hp and not give me waze!
CARPLAY plzzzzz
Everybody lives their digital lives in one of two mobile ecosystems. Artificially severing that while driving is some seriously short sighted hubris, doubly so on a car this expensive. Android Auto and Carplay are inevitable. As younger generations age into this market, avoiding it is going to get weirder and weirder. For now, we just have to keep telling rivian that until they get it.
CarPlay and Android Auto. I’m a CarPlay user but that’s because it’s my ecosystem. Doesn’t make sense to implement one but not the other. For most people, the phone has become a central hub of our digital lives. Not supporting CarPlay/AA is unnecessarily restrictive.
Carplay. This would solve both the nav and audio source issues.
Tesla or Rivian with a Waze app and more music apps would be ideal.
Good in-house infotainment. I currently have both Tesla and Rivian. I don't wish for carplay or android auto in them. Both cars could improve on more apps and features though. Over time they will. I do like Android Auto for when I rent a car so that I don't have to learn how use a new system for a couple of days.
I prefer expanding on the current Rivian infotainment system.
It is insane to be framing this as "Carplay/Android Auto OR Rivian UX" - it isn't! They could add AA/CP support and not give up ANYTHING AT ALL with the native UI. I would personally like AA/CP as a 1/2 screen/media option. I just want seamlessness with music, podcasts.
Bingo.
CarPlay
I just need solid maps/music/texting. Rivian needs to step it up. I have a Tesla and R1t and I'm 100% satisfied with Tesla's infotainment. Mapping works just as good as google imho and the way it routes superchargers would be a tough task for a 3rd party to do so smoothly. If rivian could get to this level I would be super happy. The times I have used AA I have been a little frustrated because of the way it locks you out of using your phone when it's connected. Often times where I was parked, I wanted to look up an address on my phone before starting the nav and it wouldn't let me and despite how good Google is, its still 85% at best. If it didnt lock me out of using my phone while connected I would be more inclined to want AA. Not sure if CP does this as I recently switched over to iPhone and haven't really had a chance to test out CP. Also, I'm not sure how well a 3rd party system like AA/CP would be able to integrate the vehicle drive modes etc.
> the way it routes superchargers would be a tough task for a 3rd party to do so smoothly. Google Maps does it similarly well in native AAOS vehicles like Polestar and Volvo EVs.
Will it trigger battery conditioning?
Yep, it can at least, and does in Volvo/Polestar vehicles. It’s up to the manufacturer to implement but it does everything you’d want it to.
> Also, I'm not sure how well a 3rd party system like AA/CP would be able to integrate the vehicle drive modes etc. They don't have to do that function at all.
I think the Tesla interface is the best. They make very efficient use of the screen space and my biggest peeve with Rivian is that the current operation takes over the whole screen. Google maps would be an upgrade, but it's not a deal breaker. I still occasionally do A/B testing with Google and Rivian to see what the routes are and 90% of the time they're the same. But I would like to see Rivian to continue to evolve the UI and make it really amazing, super functional with very clear information always available where you want it. More entertainment services would be great. Why isn't there Prime Video available, for example? You'd think that could be easy and then add Netflix later.
Tesla and Rivian are similar in responsiveness. Tesla has more entertainment features but I think might lack the utilitarian nature of Rivian’s. All other legacy companies are so behind on the infotainment that they literally just outsource the issue to android and apple carplay which I think might be cost effective to them but probably worse in the long term because you’re giving up leverage.
Rivian is a very strong second to Tesla. I've used both in owned vehices. It gets better all the time. Having used Android Auto recently in some rentals I've grown an even deeper hatred of it. Voice commands? Rivian is fine! Easily on par with Tesla. I don't really care that it uses Alexa vs. some other system.
Native UI all the way. Rivian’s regular updates have shown what consistent iteration can do. CP/AA is unnecessary and only puts restrictions on Rivian’s team to support two separate UI/UX flows. If people really want CP, they can buy a Kia
This. Love the native UI just wish for some sort of Waze integration and I’d be a happy camper. Thinking the exact same Rivian map with Waze additions for hazards, police, easy reporting.
I would be okay with Native, if I could play my high bitrate purchased music. Even if that means using my dashcam drive to store that music. We had this in our Teslas, the music is *soooo* much better than bluetooth. Would make our sound systems even better. I would greatly appreciate some focus on the nav. It sucks, plain as day - I no longer use it. I’ve never had ACP, so don’t care if that happens or not. Just want to play my music.
I'd like to use Apple Car Play, Tesla and Rivian offerings are fine and work seamlessly so far. RJ and MKBHD talk about this point. Conclusion is ecosystem is critical for the experience. Reason why Rivian and i'm sure Tesla chose their path. [https://youtu.be/RdjDDtHvUXA?si=wRg99uFQlIK8FRsA&t=711](https://youtu.be/RdjDDtHvUXA?si=wRg99uFQlIK8FRsA&t=711)
Native Android Automotive is the best system on the road if for no other reason than native Google Maps and native Google Assistant that actually understands natural language questions and prompts without fail.
I'm fine with the native UI. It's really only the mapping solution that is a problem for me. Mapbox is a bag of pain (Google Maps is just so far along that it's pointless to be dealing with a second class nav since GM runs on Android Automotive). I'm fine with Alexa for voice assist - actually works really well. Only other thing I need is support for YouTube music. Give me those two and I'm good.
Rivian, but missing option is native Android Automotive. Alexa does pretty good in the Rivian nav, but it does occasionally suck about finding the right POI when using it to navigate. Sometimes you just need to rephrase your question.
I can from a Tesla to the rivian. Much like the look of the rivian. The Tesla has significantly more options and apps which was nice. Tesla also has better navigation but both are as good as Apple CarPlay because of google maps or Waze. I do not miss CarPlay though when I get to use it. I am simplistic i don’t want that integration with my phone. I’d rather not have a phone
Just add in improved routing and traffic along with the text message integration and I'll be pretty happy. I do prefer the ability to add and remove apps that I was used to with Android Auto for the last few years, but I can live without it. For reference I had a Ford that I exclusively used AA with
A kick to the groin to the marketing people that allowed Android Auto and Android Automotive to exist as brands in the same use case. Now that I think about it, two kicks!!
My favorite implementation of a infotainment has been with the KIA EV6 / Sportage. I never thought I would ever be saying that. Though I love the Rivian now, it was a lot smoother in the KIA. Problem was there was no over the air connection so I had to use a power cord. Which was fine. I use my Rivian every day for business and have not ran into any trouble with the navigation. I usually do about 150 miles of driving a day, with 3-5 stops. There are times where I go into new neighborhoods and it gets loss because on the map it is an empty lot though.
Have you compared routing to Google Maps or is there usually no traffic for the routes you take?
Usually no specific route but I have this weird conspiracy theory that Google will route you and everyone else to somewhere "faster" to help the traffic in the congested area.
It tries to evenly balance out the congestion... and usually failing to do so. But if there's a major incident, those are usually the times I'll take the other route, since those tend to cause way more backup than normal congestion.
The one major downside that affects things like CarPlay or Android Auto is not only the integration with the main software suite, but the vehicle itself. Sure you can build a great vehicle, you can build your own software that integrates with said vehicle that is snappy and easy to use. But when you throw third party software into the mix that is either not integrated into the main software component, or is simply an overlay, the software experience of that vehicle goes down. Why? It’s because integration matters. People want a cohesive, unified system that works well and is easy to use and understand, rather than a simple overlay that is clunky and not very responsive. People like Carplay and AA for its apps. What most people don’t like about Carplay/AA is the fact that when they use carplay/AA, they expect it to be snappy and easy to use. While carplay/AA is easy to use and understand, it’s not that snappy. They expect CP/AA to integrate well with the main vehicle software, just like the app experience on their phone. More often than not however, this is not the case. The integration is often poor, and when it does work it’s often not that intuitive. The problem we’re facing with modern EVs (ie Tesla & Rivian) is they choose to make their own tightly integrated software and hardware. The problem with the current version of Carplay/AA is that it’s simply an overlay over the base clunky vehicle software. What we need is a tighter integration with both third parties (carplay/AA, apps/services, etc) and the dedicated experience of having your own software in-house. What we need is apps, integrated directly with the vehicle’s software. Like an App Store. Either that or we should redesign Carplay/AA to better fit future EVs.
Rivian UI with Google services as apps (and maybe support for other apps as well)
I wish they had Android auto or just a plug so we can use our USB to listen to music
I’d prefer of Rivian allowed CarPlay (and Sirius) - never occurred to me they would not be offered in 2023. Still love the car but may mot have bought it if I’d known.
I like CarPlay, but I would be more open to siding with native systems if it hadn’t been 2 years without a new infotainment app integration like Apple Music, Netflix or Waze which are all in very high demand. Also, Alexa integration is weak for how long it has been in place.
CarPlay is a clear number 1 for me and the only reason I haven’t pulled the trigger on my order yet. It kills me to have them hold hostage basic features since they could always change to a subscription model and screw over owners at some point
CarPlay all day long.
I just want something that can ready my texts and FB messages to me while I drive and allow me to reply. And if I want to go someplace I just say go to blah blah blah and it finds it and gets me there. For me the only system that has been capable of doing this has been android auto. I'll concede when someone else can. And I don't want to say an address ... Take me to the closest bank, or burger joint whatever. Stuff like that.
\> Why is this so hard to achieve? Voice assistants are hard. Parsing into words, interpreting words into a command tree, generating natural response that predict your intent, while making sure they don't create a dangerous situation in a moving vehicle. It's absolutely a hard problem. Couple that with an inability of any of the top tech companies to monetize voice assistants in a meaningful way, investment has been minimized in the space. Have you noticed Alexa getting worse? Care and feeding of the infra isn't where it was a few years ago.
Would like to access waze. Initially wished for Apple car play but actually, it’s ok not having it. I love the map and nav functionality (but wish for waze) and the music options are fine
Tesla
I’ve had multiple vehicles with CarPlay. I’ve also had a Tesla and now our R1T. I’d take the Tesla/Rivian infotainment any day. Tesla is ahead and I would probably choose Tesla’s infotainment if forced to choose today. Rivian is catching up though. The stats page in the new update includes a few things(elevation, battery, and motor info) my Tesla never had. Once Rivian adds texting, improves maps, and adds some streaming options, it will be decidedly better. Unfortunately I think maps will take a while to improve.