Rivian Explains Why CarPlay Debate Will Become 'Completely Obsolete'

[MacRumors]

On the latest episode of The Verge's Decoder podcast, Rivian's software chief Wassym Bensaid explained why the EV maker still refuses to offer Apple CarPlay.

In short, Bensaid said Rivian does not want CarPlay to fully take over the software experience.

"The challenge with screen mirroring solutions is that they take over every single pixel in the car," he said.

Instead, Rivian prefers to offer its own interface with "end-to-end integration."

Bensaid added that "deep AI integration into the car" will eventually make the debate over offering CarPlay in vehicles "completely obsolete." He believes that Rivian owners will be able to access the core functionality of many apps through an AI agent, rather than needing to rely on CarPlay or Android Auto.

"I really believe that the way you interact with apps which are mono-threaded, single buttons, single icons, a lot of that will be now completely reshaped into a world where it will become an agentic integration that presents itself into a wholesome user experience to the user," Bensaid explained. However, he admitted that an AI agent becoming an "alternative solution" to CarPlay apps will take time to materialize.

Already, Rivian owners are increasingly less interested in CarPlay, according to Bensaid. He said that Rivian's internal statistics showed that more than 70% of customers wanted CarPlay when their vehicles first launched around five years ago, but he said a recent survey showed that figure is apparently less than 25% now.

"With the level of features that we have shipped to customers, with the level of end-to-end integration, with the level of convenience that we are bringing, CarPlay is, or Android Auto to that extent, is no longer the topic of discussion," he said.

Article Link: Rivian Explains Why CarPlay Debate Will Become 'Completely Obsolete'

 

[flyingember]

Read- we want to sell your data

They sell 0.2% of vehicles.

 

[CorePrime]

You don't want it. You don't need it. Goodbye Rivian.

 

[KENESS]

Now that I've used CarPlay in my new car, I will never even consider a car without CarPlay.

 

[isaiahmontoya]

On the latest episode of The Verge's Decoder podcast, Rivian's software chief Wassym Bensaid explained why the EV maker still refuses to offer Apple CarPlay.

In short, Bensaid said Rivian does not want CarPlay to fully take over the software experience.

"The challenge with screen mirroring solutions is that they take over every single pixel in the car," he said.

Instead, Rivian prefers to offer its own interface with "end-to-end integration."

Bensaid added that "deep AI integration into the car" will eventually make the debate over offering CarPlay in vehicles "completely obsolete." He believes that Rivian owners will be able to access the core functionality of many apps through an AI agent, rather than needing to rely on CarPlay or Android Auto.

"I really believe that the way you interact with apps which are mono-threaded, single buttons, single icons, a lot of that will be now completely reshaped into a world where it will become an agentic integration that presents itself into a wholesome user experience to the user," Bensaid explained. However, he admitted that an AI agent becoming an "alternative solution" to CarPlay apps will take time to materialize.

Already, Rivian owners are increasingly less interested in CarPlay, according to Bensaid. He said that Rivian's internal statistics showed that more than 70% of customers wanted CarPlay when their vehicles first launched around five years ago, but he said a recent survey showed that figure is apparently less than 25% now.

"With the level of features that we have shipped to customers, with the level of end-to-end integration, with the level of convenience that we are bringing, CarPlay is, or Android Auto to that extent, is no longer the topic of discussion," he said.

Article Link: Rivian Explains Why CarPlay Debate Will Become 'Completely Obsolete'

Good luck starting your own music service and map service. Woof.

 

[sully54]

It's because offering CarPlay eats into any potential subscription services they may offer in the future. I will never buy a car without a screen mirroring solution.

 

[aj8690]

His reasoning is not even valid. CarPlay doesn’t have to take over every pixel. There are plenty of cars that implement CarPlay next to their own interface.

 

[swm]

we're back at it: let us shove more AI-driven stuff down through your throat, regardless of whether you need it or asked for it. we know better.

to me the only reason agains CarPlay is the lack of ability to integrate physical buttons into the control flow.
sure, volume controls and track skipping works, but I want more: I wanna be able to assign certain CarPlay functions to programmable buttons in my car.

but wait, somehow the OEM already decided the function of those buttons and doesn't let me to change them.

 

[KENESS]

When it comes to trying to convince us that what they want is actually what we want also, others have done a much better job.

 

[gaximus]

This will not end the debate. it just changes it, we don't want your version of "the thing" we want our choice of the "thing" one that we know will get updated every year, one that DOES take over every pixel of the cars display. Car manufactures keep thinking that they just need to make the interface a bit better and it'll be "just as good". That is not the issue, yes Rivian and Tesla are the closest to having the best in infotainment system. but no where near what CarPlay and AndroidAuto Offer. And the rest of the OEMs are so far behind they just need to stop trying.

 

[testcard]

I have never heard of Rivian. CarPlay does exactly what I need. I’m a happy bunny.

 

[ab2c4]

I had no plans to buy one of these but if I did that poor excuse he gave would have turned me away from buying.

 

[realdangerdan]

Someone clearly thinks a lot of themselves. Let’s see what happens.

 

[ignatius345]

You can have my CarPlay when you pry it from my cold, dead hands.

Just rented a car for a few days and was able to bring all my music, all my saved map places and everything else right there with me. Didn’t sync a damn thing with the random vehicle Avis gave me, didn’t spend a second setting anything up, didn’t log into any of my own services and worry about whether I’d signed out. When I was done with the rental, I just took my phone and walked away. This is what the Rivians of the world hate: the car being interchangable with no lock-in.

 

[fmwiz]

This is incorrect: "The challenge with screen mirroring solutions is that they take over every single pixel in the car". In my BMW, CarPlay runs in a window with BMW elements in areas where CarPlay is not.

Same in my F-150; CarPlay takes over the top, with the bottom portion the Ford UI.

 

[FyrStrike]

Bensaid - until the "alternative solution" to CarPlay apps will take time to materialize, you still need to give customers the choice.

I’d say the 70% to 25% expectancy in your vehicles are because you have very good sales people trying to convince buyers out of CarPlay.

 

[jimothyGator]

He said that Rivian's internal statistics showed that more than 70% of customers wanted CarPlay when their vehicles first launched around five years ago, but he said a recent survey showed that figure is apparently less than 25% now.

One likely explanation is that the customers most strongly interested in CarPlay are no longer interested in Rivian; the most passionate among them may have sold their Rivian if they ever bought one.

So this doesn't necessarily mean that interest in CarPlay has dropped precipitously; it could mean that Rivian customers are a self-selected group that largely don't care about CarPlay.

 

[johannnn]

He believes that Rivian owners will be able to access the core functionality of many apps through an AI agent

Ummm I'm not sure that is what the customers want lol

 

[kurtfoster]

Don't want it. Don't need it. I prefer to be in charge of whatever is happening in my car. Why can't these car companies wrap their head around that simple fact?

 

[EllZ89]

considering their stock price as it currently is has dropped nearly 92% since their all time high, i think they shouldnt be in the business of withholding features, and thinking they know best.

 

[jml12286]

You can have my CarPlay when you pry it from my cold, dead hands.

Just rented a car for a few days and was able to bring all my music, all my saved map places and everything else right there with me. Didn’t sync a damn thing with the random vehicle Avis gave me, didn’t spend a second setting anything up, didn’t log into any of my own services and worry about whether I’d signed out. When I was done with the rental, I just took my phone and walked away. This is what the Rivians of the world hate: the car being interchangable with no lock-in.

100%
This is a perfect example of why it’s loved and needed.
Even in our Tesla, I really hate the built in music crap apps and messages. I keep hoping that CarPlay will be implemented or a nice add on solution that’s better than what I’ve seen out there.

 

[cs455]

I believe Rivian, like Tesla, offers a solid UI/UX. I see this as separate from the GM debate, where they've never proven to be able to deliver software at scale.

But .... I still don't understand. Universally people prefer CarPlay/AA.

I also think the AI / autonomous agent debate for the future is too far in the future to dismiss CarPlay today.

 

[Seanm87]

That internal survey they made up doesn’t exist I imagine.

 

[Gengar]

Because they want to force you to subscribe to use the same services you could use on your phone without any added costs, AND they want to collect data on their customers. Phone service plans and data being on-device rather than in the car cannibalizes their plans, so they just block CarPlay and Android Auto to eliminate that obstacle so they can bleed their customers for more money.

 

[masterleep]

Stop spouting nonsense and give buyers what they want, which is CarPlay.