Rivian Activates Apple Car Key Support in Second-Generation Vehicles [Update: Coming Soon]

[Nekronos]

My phone is the center of my digital life. It's with me almost constantly.

My car needs to bend over backwards to work seamlessly with my phone. This is what car manufacturers who shun CarPlay don't get. It's not about your maps being better than Apple's. It's about accessing everything on my phone while I drive.

Sorry Rivian, Tesla, and GM ... Cars are commodity. I'll find one that makes my life easier, not harder.

And actually it's not that they don't get it ... it's about charging customers for services. And I 100% won't do that either.

Calling cars a commodity is a stretch.

At the end of the day, you as a customer is getting charged one way or another, however, that's not driving Rivian's decision to exclude carplay.

They just don't share you mindset.

I appreciate manufacturers like Tesla and Rivian who invest in their own systems prioritizing a seamless user experience - something carplay doesn't offer. BMW also has an excellent system - carplay to me is pretty underwhelming compared to Rivian, Tesla and BMW's own systems.

People are way too obsessed and addicted to their phone these days and that's honestly not conducive to driving safely.

 

[quietstormSD]

My phone is the center of my digital life. It's with me almost constantly.

My car needs to bend over backwards to work seamlessly with my phone. This is what car manufacturers who shun CarPlay don't get. It's not about your maps being better than Apple's. It's about accessing everything on my phone while I drive.

Sorry Rivian, Tesla, and GM ... Cars are commodity. I'll find one that makes my life easier, not harder.

And actually it's not that they don't get it ... it's about charging customers for services. And I 100% won't do that either.

Cars are a commodity? What do you think your phone is? You'll find a car that makes your life easier, but not a phone which you say is at the center of your (digital) life? You are beholden the brand and type of phone so much that you can't and won't ever deviate? You need to get your priorities in order my friend.

 

[jole]

I would love to have this in my gen1 R1T. I am ok without UWB (needed HW is missing) and just have NFC in my watch. Please Rivian 🥹

 

[Attirex]

MR forum members use car article to flex about the fleet of overpriced and rapidly depreciating cars they own in 3..2...oh wait.

 

[Robert.Walter]

Really can’t see my next vehicle as being one w/o Apple features. Their absence would be a dealbreaker.

Imagine Cadillac is offering a 400,000$ Celestique w/o Apple integration; it’s a great looking machine and a joke.

 

[Robert.Walter]

Early days but Apple’s car key system seems to work very reliably on my new Polestar.

The only problem is that I keep forgetting to take my door key with me when I go for a drive. Doh!

Oh, and Google is the default map and voice system so CarPlay doesn’t come front and centre.

Four candles! Fork Handles is a great handle. Hahaha.

 

[artifex]

Having both a tesla and rivian, rivian has a better software/interface. I feel like carplay is great if you have a 5" screen. For these full screen vehicles, a much bigger interface is needed. Would be cool if it had some carplay ultra features, but can see why they don't use it.

Tesla has better self driving
Rivian has better interior and UX
Pick your poison

Side note:
Scout could be the coolest EV brand if they could launch with carplay ultra and if their vehicles look as good as the prototypes.

Finally saw a Rivian for sure a few days ago in Dallas; made a very nice change from the handful of Cybertrucks I see daily. Recognized it from the "eyes" while I was driving past I'll definitely want to check out their software interface, because I'm not excited by the one on our family's Y. Is there any Rivian fan/news site you feel is pretty good?

While CarPlay would be a nice option, I don't have an iPhone, and none of our cars use the Android Auto or the other Android (weird that there seems to be 2) interface for my current phone, either. I want a vehicle with a good standalone interface no matter what I plug in, or don't. Preferably with a speedometer in the traditional spot instead of off to the side.

I LOVE CarPlay, but I have a Tesla and that system is honestly perfectly fine. You don't really miss CarPlay apart from being able to choose your maps application.

Mapping is the only feature I actually think is cool in the Tesla interface. Which mapping app would you prefer? I don't have a lot of other car map experience except for a Toyota system that uses DVDs and has no net connection I tried Waze on my phone on a car mount, but it was just distracting more than anything else.

 

[8281]

I actually got into an R1S before and it had one of the worst interiors I've ever seen in a car. No amount of Apple integration (Car Key/CarPlay) is going to get me to buy a Rivian.

Like a bad color combination? Every review has praised the interior and Motortrend reported that engineers at Range Rover were impressed.

 

[germanbeer007]

Sorry but Rivian has one of the most luxurious interiors on the market for an EV.

"luxurious"

you know what else is "luxurious"? having an entire condo made out of gold. doesn't mean it's good.

 

[germanbeer007]

Like a bad color combination? Every review has praised the interior and Motortrend reported that engineers at Range Rover were impressed.

it's normal to praise an underdog, foregoing objectivity. Tesla was like that in the early days.

 

[jayb3]

Just like Apple builds custom software to integrate into their hardware, so should car manufacturers. I find it best when the UX for the car interface is highly integrated for the car's capabilities. CarPlay is fine but that's for manufacturers who don't put effort into their own UX. CarPlay, dare I say, is the Windows/PC approach for cars.

 

[Student of Life]

Thanks to this thread I learned about Scout EV which looks good.

Tesla is the only company in my experience that has made CarPlay a non issue because there system works great.

 

[rizzo41999]

I haven't missed Carplay since getting my Tesla in 2023. There's an Apple Music app and I'm able to use Tesla's commands to do everything I need to do.

 

[skiguy45]

Cars are a commodity? What do you think your phone is? You'll find a car that makes your life easier, but not a phone which you say is at the center of your (digital) life? You are beholden the brand and type of phone so much that you can't and won't ever deviate? You need to get your priorities in order my friend.

You’re right, my phone is also a commodity. That’s exactly the point. I can swap phones every couple of years and migrate everything with a few taps. Apple, Samsung, Google ... doesn’t matter, my data comes with me.

Cars are a commodity too. They all get me from point A to point B, with similar performance, safety, and features. What sets them apart is how well they fit into the rest of my life. If one brand makes that easier by respecting the ecosystem where my data already lives, that’s the one I’ll pick.

And that’s exactly where Rivian, Tesla, and GM are failing. Their new cars refuse to work seamlessly with any phone, because they want to wall off my data and resell me access through their own services.

CarPlay isn’t about Apple’s maps versus theirs. It’s about continuity. My messages, calls, music, navigation history, payments. The threads of my life already live on my phone. The car should extend that, not try to replace it.

So yes, cars are a commodity. Which is exactly why I’ll choose the one that respects where my data lives over one that makes me pay again for what I already own.

 

[quietstormSD]

This is why Tesla's solution is the best. You don't even need this Wallet feature. If you are near your car

You’re right, my phone is also a commodity. That’s exactly the point. I can swap phones every couple of years and migrate everything with a few taps. Apple, Samsung, Google ... doesn’t matter, my data comes with me.

Cars are a commodity too. They all get me from point A to point B, with similar performance, safety, and features. What sets them apart is how well they fit into the rest of my life. If one brand makes that easier by respecting the ecosystem where my data already lives, that’s the one I’ll pick.

And that’s exactly where Rivian, Tesla, and GM are failing. Their new cars refuse to work seamlessly with any phone, because they want to wall off my data and resell me access through their own services.

CarPlay isn’t about Apple’s maps versus theirs. It’s about continuity. My messages, calls, music, navigation history, payments. The threads of my life already live on my phone. The car should extend that, not try to replace it.

So yes, cars are a commodity. Which is exactly why I’ll choose the one that respects where my data lives over one that makes me pay again for what I already own.

That makes a lot more sense!

 

[8281]

it's normal to praise an underdog, foregoing objectivity. Tesla was like that in the early days.

That was an initial review years ago. Not sure they’re underdogs anymore considering they’re inking multibillion dollar deals with VW Group. Still under financial pressure, although I haven’t heard anything other than that they’re very well engineered.

 

[filmantopia]

This is great. I will be getting my R1s in a couple weeks (switching from Tesla Model Y)!

 

[jole]

AI assessment based on specs:

Because Gen2’s CarKey is live, Rivian already has the server, Wallet, and app plumbing. Getting Gen1 there is a software-and-certification track to support CCC R2 (NFC) on the existing readers and access ECUs. It won’t deliver the Gen2 UWB hands-free magic, but tap-to-unlock/start via iPhone/Watch is technically straightforward and consistent with the hardware Rivian shipped on Gen1.

I really would love Rivian to make this effort as it seems fairly small addition to work already done.

 

[filmantopia]

CarPlay is a requirement in my next vehicle. If you don’t have that I’m not even considering your brand.

You should give cars like Tesla and Rivian a chance. Their software is a million miles ahead of standard manufacturers. Most Rivian and Tesla drivers don’t want CarPlay for a reason. It would de-integrate the full experience of the car. I say this as a mega Apple fan.

 

[Dubthedankest]

I actually got into an R1S before and it had one of the worst interiors I've ever seen in a car. No amount of Apple integration (Car Key/CarPlay) is going to get me to buy a Rivian.

Kind of dumbfounded by that statement - their interiors are beautiful. You must like the cheap plasticky interiors the other US automakers specialize in.

And sure while lacking some features that CarPlay offers, the Rivian UI is so much nicer. Interacting with CarPlay now gives me 1980's vibes.

 

[WinstonSmyth]

My phone is the center of my digital life. It's with me almost constantly.

My car needs to bend over backwards to work seamlessly with my phone. This is what car manufacturers who shun CarPlay don't get. It's not about your maps being better than Apple's. It's about accessing everything on my phone while I drive.

Sorry Rivian, Tesla, and GM ... Cars are commodity. I'll find one that makes my life easier, not harder.

And actually it's not that they don't get it ... it's about charging customers for services. And I 100% won't do that either.

What you doing with your phone while you are driving, and better yet, where do you drive? I wouldn't want to be around someone so distracted while driving. They really need to start treating people using their phones while driving the same as drunk drivers, and arrest with felony charges.

 

[WinstonSmyth]

It is about giving the consumers a damn choice.
Those automakers who shuns AA/CP are simply trying to maximize their profit and lining their pockets.
If they think their product is so superior, why are they locking out the competition?

How would Tesla self driving work with Apple Car play? It wouldn't. So much of the Tesla system is integrated into the car. It's not just about texting while you drive. In my Tesla I have Apple Music, Apple Podcasts along with the same from a bunch of other providers.

 

[B4U]

How would Tesla self driving work with Apple Car play? It wouldn't. So much of the Tesla system is integrated into the car. It's not just about texting while you drive. In my Tesla I have Apple Music, Apple Podcasts along with the same from a bunch of other providers.

Again, choices.
I was using CarPlay on a GMC Sierra with its level 2 self driving. It works fine.

 

[germanbeer007]

That was an initial review years ago. Not sure they’re underdogs anymore considering they’re inking multibillion dollar deals with VW Group. Still under financial pressure, although I haven’t heard anything other than that they’re very well engineered.

they are absolutely still underdogs. they have only 5% marketshare of the USA ev market.

 

[germanbeer007]

Kind of dumbfounded by that statement - their interiors are beautiful.

the disgusting wooden panel is already dated in my books. feels like I'm stepping back into the 90's. I'm glad Tesla switched the materials away from their wooden dashboard.

and that steering wheel...why couldn't they center the wheel better is beyond me. sticks out like a sore thumb.

the seats make look Tesla like a luxurious car too.

and don't get me started on the exterior. hands down, the new model y kills the r1s design. model y looks like the future while the r1s looks like the past, no question. it's just so bad. I can't believe what I'm seeing. the designer should be fired. it's no wonder their sales are dropping like an anvil while the model y in USA is selling like hot cakes.