Legacy carmakers may have struggled to build up new and user - favorable software system for their vehicles , but a crop of new car companies have come along with different ideas on how car computer software should be come near . The likes of Tesla and , more recently , Rivian are just as much technical school company as they are elevator car companies , putting a sound stress on the software program in their vehicles and how it can be amend in the wider self-propelling industry . And traditional carmakers are taking notice . Rivian and Volkswagen just ratify a enceinte mess to create next - multiplication software platforms , a move that ’s likely to do good Volkswagen a whole spate .
So , when Rivian executives constantly get require about adding CarPlay to their vehicles , it makes sense that the answer is a resounding “ no . ” Rivian has put in its software package , and it does n’t want to turn over over that panorama of the equipment driver experience to the likes of Apple and Google . client still regularly ask for CarPlay , but I do n’t see Rivian ever add Apple ’s automotive infotainment arrangement . And after exam driving asecond - generation Rivian R1Sfor a calendar week , I ’m OK with that .
Rivian may not ever add CarPlay , but I do n’t really reckon it needs to .
The Rivian software experience
The freehanded reasonableness why I do n’t care if Rivian never add CarPlay to its vehicles is the fact that Rivian ’s software is actually quite effective . Now , to be clear , the car manufacture in universal is still forecast out exactly what make car software great , and I guess even the Rivian software of 2030 is potential to be a whole muckle unlike than it is today . But at least compared to almost every other auto manufacturer , Rivian ’s infotainment softwareis splendid .
The main interface that you ’ll likely spend clip with in your Rivian is the map port . From here , it ’s easy to search for locating , add stop along the way , and follow directions . The way that Rivian ’s mathematical function rapid growth in and out when you get close to bout has been hold confusing by other self-propelled journalists , but I did n’t really have that experience . I found it perfectly intuitive . But the well thing about the function is n’t that it ’s a good mapping system ; it ’s the fact that it still allows you to easily get at other controls and setting with a simple rap . Media playback control can be witness on the display itself , along with information like record album art or whatever podcast you ’re listening to . Initially , I did n’t love the fact that the media see to it on the exhibit were all the way on the right of the projection screen , but after a mean solar day or two ofdriving the R1S , I got used to using the control on the steering bicycle rather , and it made a whole mountain more sense .
The other independent interfaces in the software of 2d - contemporaries Rivian vehicles are the media interface , which allow you to control EQ and audio options ; the railcar entropy interface , which lets you transfer drive modes and see information about thing like tire pressure and Department of Energy consumption ; and the photographic camera interface , which can easily be accessed by tapping the television camera button and kick in mechanically when you put the auto in reverse .
Another ingredient of what make water Rivian software so great is that it ’s so tied to you as the driver . All sort of presets can be saved in the software , include things like seat position , which is n’t that uncommon , but also affair like devotee position , which is very rare . The drawback to having motorise lover positioning is the fact that you have to ensure it from inside the screen . But when it ’s always set to your preference , you may not want to control it at all .
To be exonerated , evenRivian ’s 2nd - generationsoftware is n’t perfect . It ’s nice that there are always control for climate temperature on the exhibit , but I would have also like perpetual access to fan hurrying , which you ’ll have to open a menu to access , for object lesson .
iPhone integration
come from drivingcars with CarPlay , I was a little implicated about how the Rivian package would desegregate with the quietus of the software I practice on a day - to - daytime basis . However , I found it very leisurely to get used to controlling aspects of Rivian software flat from my phone . That starts with the Rivian app , which is slightly bare - bones , but very easy to navigate . It offers a solid selection of features to those who want to be able to control their fomite remotely . From the Rivian app , you could get at information like the location of your car and its charge status , but you could also initiate cool down or heating so that the fomite is comfortable when you get in . And you could open and fill up the tailboard and the front automobile trunk .
Your earphone even serves as a key to the fomite , meaning that you do n’t have to actually carry keys with you to drive it . As someone who already uses a voguish lock for my front doorand Apple Walletfor my credit cards , this think that I did n’t have to take anything with me except for my phone — along with a few credits cards for reliever and my number one wood ’s permit attach to the back of my telephone set with a MagSafe wallet . loosely , the R1S unlock mechanically when it find my earphone nearby . However , you will have to keep the Rivian app open in the setting , and from time to time , you may find that it does n’t unlock quite as rapidly . These few instances were a little annoying , but not a major issue .
I also really like the widget that accompanies the Rivian app . This widget offers fast access to things like climate setting , as well as opening and shut the tailgate and front trunk . Plus , it ’ll show charging status . I did find that this widget was occasionally not the most responsive , but to be average , I ’m alsorunning an iOS 18 beta , so it ’s a minuscule unclear what ’s to blame for that .
In CarPlay , I ’m used to opening up a map on my headphone and pop out navigation before I even get in the car . And while you ca n’t do that just with a car like the Rivian R1S , you canopen up Apple Mapson an iPhone and share the destination to your Rivian through the iPhone ’s portion menu . It worked seamlessly every prison term and meant that as presently as I got in the cable car , it was ready to navigate . And , when it came to medium playback , all I had to do was get in the automobile and public press playing period on the steerage wheel to keep playing my latest podcasts — though for anything that is n’t already playing on your twist , you will have to use Siri or your phone itself to start playback . That will exchange a little when the announced Apple Music app is released to Rivian vehicles later this year — though it wo n’t help with my podcast habituation .
What will you miss?
Of course , there are still things that you ’ll drop in Rivian software if you move from a fomite with CarPlay . Perhaps the bad of these relates to message . In CarPlay , when you get a message , a presentment pops up on the screen that you’re able to tap tohave Siri record itto you . No such thing happens on a Rivian , of course , because your phone is really only connected to the car through Bluetooth , and Apple ’s Announce Notifications feature only works with AirPods . This is n’t as big of a problem when you want tosenda message , as you may simply postulate Siri to do so . But when you welcome a reply , you ’re out of luck . Even if Announce Notifications did turn on canonic Bluetooth connections , I ’m not sure I ’d desire to use it , as it would stand for having Siri mechanically read message as they come in , even when others are in the vehicle .
Using Siri for other things also does n’t work all that well in Rivian vehicle . you may habituate live words to activate Siri , but there are no buttons that can trigger the voice helper , unlike plenty of other Bluetooth machine out there . This seems like an issue that could be resolve , and to be just , it ’s not a major problem deal the fact that you could still spark Siri with your voice , and you ’re going to have to utilize your voice to make the command anyway . But , Siri is a slight slow over Bluetooth , compare to in CarPlay .
There are other small things that you ’ll miss too . My married woman and I on a regular basis employ the Share ETA feature article in Apple Maps , but of course of instruction , you wo n’t be using Apple Maps whenyou’re drive a Rivian , so you wo n’t have access to that feature . alternatively , you ’re back to the honest honest-to-goodness days of just telling multitude when you carry to arrive over text message or speech sound call . This actually seems like something Rivian and others could find a workaround for , such as through a service that message recipient role with updates to an ETA .
The future of car software
More and more driver want touse CarPlay , but over time , it ’s actually more probable that more carmaker will do away with support for it . Whether or not this is a good thought hinges completely on the carmaker ’s ability to really build right software . GM , for example , announced that it was moving away from CarPlaylast class , and that was clearly a terrible decision as GM seemingly has no idea how to build well - plan package .
But if car software is as good as it is in Rivian vehicle , not only could it dampen the blow of not having access to CarPlay , but it could help push machine software to the next level and to a point of competition for railway car manufacturers . As drivers , we ’ll just have to get used to not having those super Apple - specific feature article or push car manufacturer to find workarounds . In the meantime , rest promise that if you get a Rivian , you ’re getting a vehicle with what could be the skilful car computer software out there properly now .
