Rivian CEO Doubles Down on Decision to Not Offer Apple CarPlay

[patlee2000]

VW bought Rivian software not long ago... BMW and its brands have an upcoming version of their software that will be pretty great with a panoramic display. Tesla has its own software / hardware so vertically integrated that's pretty hard to beat. Others will eventually catch up.

Vehicle brands are starting to wake up and realize how crappy it is to outsource everything when it comes to electronics.

Apple missed the boat. Forest for the trees on this one.

All the downvotes are coming from people who have no clue what vertical integration vs outsourcing looks like in the auto business. Literally group think. How's that new iPhone treating ya? The one you get every single year to show it off to your friends?

The BMW Panoramic iDrive will support Apple CarPlay. In fact it will be integrated on the main screen, the panoramic vision display and the 3D heads-up display.

I understand Rivian's position but I feel like their point makes more sense for CarPlay Ultra. The regular Carplay is not that different from using WeChat (an app that has multiple apps).

Their approach to make other companies make an app under Rivian doesn't make sense in the car industry because there are just too many software. It makes sense on your phone because it's Apple or Android.

 

[idahohand]

On the latest episode of The Verge's Decoder podcast, Rivian CEO RJ Scaringe told guest host Joanna Stern why the EV maker continues to pass on Apple's CarPlay — both the standard version and the more advanced CarPlay Ultra.

Echoing his previous comments on the matter, Scaringe said Rivian is focused on offering a "seamless digital experience," where customers do not need to switch between its own software and CarPlay. Instead, he said Rivian prefers to provide an à-la-carte selection of built-in apps, such as Apple Music, Google Maps, Spotify, and YouTube.

Scaringe said he is "very confident" in Rivian's decision to skip CarPlay, especially as it plans to integrate AI into its vehicles over the next 18 months. For example, he said Rivian is planning a native AI-powered voice-to-text feature for messaging.

"We're really convicted on this," he said.

Nevertheless, Scaringe acknowledged that some customers will not purchase a Rivian given the lack of CarPlay. "We accept that," he said.

"Some of those decisions not everyone's going to agree with," he said. "That's okay."

​

Article Link: Rivian CEO Doubles Down on Decision to Not Offer Apple CarPlay

Kudos to him for sticking to his ideas; and I will be one of the people who passes on Rivian vehicles due to this very issue. We have multiple cars and I do not want to have to switch from multiple experiences with the interfaces. And when I rent a car, I want a similar experience to when I'm at home. CarPlay solves that issue for me and the Rivian interface is not an improvement over CarPlay so there is no motivation to adapt. I wish them luck continuing to evolve their market.

 

[frenchcamp49er]

Rivian will be an unknown company in a few years.

 

[AgentOSX]

Rivian won't exist in a few more years so who cares.

 

[Anonymous Freak]

...planning a native AI-powered voice-to-text feature for messaging...

Why?

Why do you need "native AI-powered" to do something that has been possible without "AI" for decades? My old 2012 vehicle could do voice-to-text for messaging. Without claiming to be "AI". Continuous-natural-language voice-to-text has been available for over 25 years.

Stop slapping "AI" on things that don't need - or likely even use - AI.

 

[centauratlas]

Rivian wants their software to be perfectly integrated with their hardware. They are no different from Apple in that regard.

Why let the phone people tell you what Car UX should be like?

I get your point.

BUT
I'd say that it is a lot easier to update a $1000 phone every year (or 2 or 3 or 4 years) vs a car that frequently and when a 8 year old car suddenly can't use some functions that it came with, you are stuck without them until you replace the car (e.g. at 2017 Mercedes GLS 450 can't use their mbrace stuff any more (e.g. GPS, remote unlock/lock, start, SOS etc). Some of that wouldn't be useful since you don't leave the phone in the car, but some like the GPS, SOS is. At least the iPhone has it.

The smart stuff either needs to be swappable in the car or in the phone which you update much more frequently (at least we do).

 

[Hildy]

Everyone wants to control the user experience. Why should car manufacturers be an exception?

Because they are historically terrible at it and many consumers with choice will exercise that choice. I’ve refused vehicles not offering CarPlay for the last 4 I’ve purchased…

 

[twolf2919]

Off course they do. The same way Apple wants to control your data for their benefit.

bs analpgy. tell me how data gets money from my data? See another comment in which I debunk this nonsense.

 

[Smith288]

So anti-consumer thinking. A customer likes carplay/google auto. Give them the option. Its just a video target for the phone. Literally childs play to implement. People will find ways to roll carplay into these locked down interfaces.

 

[Terry2023]

Toyota learned that not offering car play is choice they had the power to make. They also learned people were making buying decisions based on that choice.

Tesla can get away with blowing off Apple Users because they are Tesla. Rivian is NOT Tesla!!!

In the end I was never going to buy a Rivian. But this makes it even more certain. For the foreseeable future a vehicle without Car Play is not on my list. Period. I won’t drive it and fall in love because I won’t get in it without that.

They are free to make any choice they want. But so am I.

 

[bd700pilot]

Without CarPlay or Android you are tied to a subscription service from the car company for apps. As with anything else, follow the money

My thoughts exactly. I used to have the opinion that "no CarPlay - no purchase" but not anymore. For me the fact that you have to sign up for yet another company's privacy nightmares and possible even pay a subscription for vehicle features is my biggest objection, but I am over it. I have been eyeing the Rivian for some time, and I feel I could just get a mount and keep using my Maxipad phone for maps or maybe an iPad mini and be perfectly happy. Or just wind up using the OEM maps and not care anymore.

 

[MidwestMacGuy]

not surprised again. Aesthetically Apple CarPlay looks a little childish to me. Rivian is an expensive high end EV brand and personally think CarPlay is a little bland and out of place in a high tech car. The more high tech a car is the more I think they don't need CarPlay.

Um, have you heard of Lucid Motors? They sell two vehicles that are more high tech and run circles around the Rivian, the Sapphire is one of the fastest cars in the world for around $250,000, and they have Car Play. High tech and Car Play can work together. It should be about freedom of choice. That simple.

 

[csdesigns]

Well I wish them all the best... I haven't experienced the Rivian connected integration, so I can't speak directly to how well or how poorly the current-gen system/software is, but I sure do hope the knowledge that they're alienating at least some segment of the market is worth it for them. Though I'm sure if I was on the board of Rivian and my CEO told me, "I know we're barely making a dent in terms of market share, but hear me out on this idea I have to make sure a certain segment of the market won't ever buy one of our vehicles...", then I would know exactly what my next phone call would be!

Whatever the integrated experience they offer is, I can't imagine it's any worse than some of the 'Google built-in' vehicles I've rented. That has to be the most frustrating infotainment system in the industry! I first rented a Polestar a few years ago and absolutely hated the entire ecosystem of it. I rented a brand new Equinox last week and drove 600 miles in it, yet I'd consider my experience to be even a step back from what I went through back then. From apps crashing, to onerous sign in requirements and so-called forced 'safety' measures, cars with Google built-in have not improved one bit IMHO. Standard Carplay may not be perfect, but at least you have a back up option if all hell goes wild and the native system starts crapping the bed!

 

[jimmy_john]

Why hasn't Tesla allowed me to run Rivian apps in their cars?

 

[Allen_Wentz]

Totally fair—knowing what a consumer wants isn’t entitlement; the debate is about whether automakers should be required to offer it versus retaining control over their own software and data, and that’s where opinions split

Off course they do. The same way Apple wants to control your data for their benefit.

Not at all. Apple does not harvest our data even remotely similar to the way others do.

 

[skiguy45]

Because they are historically terrible at it and many consumers with choice will exercise that choice. I’ve refused vehicles not offering CarPlay for the last 4 I’ve purchased…

Again, it's not about the experience ... it's about letting me interface with my phone while in the car.

 

[Kr0019]

This isn't the 90s. "in house GPS" on Rivian is just a wrapper on google maps live data

Love to see that if you have the details of it?

 

[bpb]

VW bought Rivian software not long ago... BMW and its brands have an upcoming version of their software that will be pretty great with a panoramic display. Tesla has its own software / hardware so vertically integrated that's pretty hard to beat. Others will eventually catch up.

Vehicle brands are starting to wake up and realize how crappy it is to outsource everything when it comes to electronics.

Apple missed the boat. Forest for the trees on this one.

All the downvotes are coming from people who have no clue what vertical integration vs outsourcing looks like in the auto business. Literally group think. How's that new iPhone treating ya? The one you get every single year to show it off to your friends?

This is complete nonsense. 1) I haven't bought a new iphone in five years and don't plan on it for at least one or two more. 2) without fail the infotainment systems offered by car manufacturers have UI and UX that are hot garbage. Personally I prefer an old-style radio with buttons and just mounting my iPhone for maps, etc. But if I have to get saddled with a touch screen then I want that touch screen (in every car I buy or rent) to have car play so that it's always the way I want it. I suspect a pretty large contingent of Android users feel the same way about Android Auto.

The car manufacturers should focus on making cars and leave the software and UX to people who know and care about what they're doing.

 

[Newbee2025]

Rip whatever this ev brand was called.

 

[jimmy_john]

Love to see that if you have the details of it?

Introducing Rivian Navigation with Google Maps - Rivian Stories | Electric Vehicle Adventures

stories.rivian.com

 

[jimmy_john]

Anyway I suspect that CarPlay will continue to be the proverbial (and appreciated!) glass of ice water for those stuck in the hell of legacy automakers. None of the next generation brands are going to bother with it though.

 

[CapitalIdea]

Apple execs should not be surprised by this. They are also very cagey when it comes to deep integration of third-party code into their operating systems and hardware. Everyone wants to control the user experience. Why should car manufacturers be an exception?

They want to sell the driver’s data to “trusted partners,” nothing more. GM basically came right out and said it, and I’m not at all interested in a “closer relationship” with an auto manufacturer.

 

[turbineseaplane]

They want to sell the driver’s data to “trusted partners,” nothing more. GM basically came right out and said it, and I’m not at all interested in a “closer relationship” with an auto manufacturer.

Nor their "trusted partners"

I can't believe people are OK with this and just ready to give away all their App and service usage data to entities that are KNOWN to hawk it to the highest bidder.

I thought folks were at least partially into Apple for the "privacy" angle?

 

[QuarterSwede]

What he doesn’t understand is that it’s not about the experience Rivian is trying to create for its customers. It’s about the experience their customers want to bring with them.

 

[PowerButton]

There will be a lot of people who will not buy the car specifically because it doesn't have CarPlay. I sure wouldn't, as I like the experience of my phone. So so hate trying to use different company GPS's software, they never work well, are harder to use and don't have the best experience. So what will happen is the people who buy this car will either buy an ugly external CarPlay screen or a holder for their phone so that they can still use their better phone GPS. Kind of defeats the experience of having one of these cars.

CarPlay is on the bottom of my list of car features. Perhaps working from home contributes to this, but when I used to commute, it was podcasts and the occasional call/text, which I managed without CarPlay quite well.