Rivian has distinctively shaped cars and their corresponding software have helped them establish a solid reputation in the expanding BEV market. However, several R1T or R1S drivers point out that Rivian lacks Apple CarPlay compatibility. Although there was still some wiggle room for CarPlay integration, Rivian CEO RJ Scaringe seems to have closed the door permanently.
The US carmaker Rivian ($RIVN) is still working hard to establish itself as a competitive player in the SUV industry. Rivian started reporting positive sales figures and an increasing demand for its distinctive outdoor-centric models after (finally) finding its footing in BEV manufacture in Normal, IL.
To date, the automaker has only launched a delivery van, the R1T pickup, and the R1S SUV, but has already publicly unveiled three impressive new models as an encore – the R2, R3, and rally-inspired R3X.
In addition to delivering impressive BEVs, Rivian develops its own software and infotainment technology in-house, which is no easy task. Due to this fact, Rivian has never offered the ever-popular Apple CarPlay as an infotainment option. Although the automaker has since added apps like YouTube and Apple Music, CarPlay has remained off the table… and off Rivian’s center tablet.
Rivian CEO RJ Scaringe has to be tired of questions about CarPlay integration by now and has often had to justify why the company continues to forego the API that seamlessly connects a driver’s iPhone to the vehicle.
In a recent interview with Nilay Patel on The Verge’s Decoder podcast, Scaringe denounced Apple CarPlay plans for good, and his reasoning is quite understandable.
Rivian wants to control its own UI, not Apple or CarPlay
At its most basic level, Apple CarPlay is a universal UI for automakers that cannot or have yet to develop viable infotainment software. Some automakers have embraced it, while others, like Tesla, have avoided it from day one.
In the past year, we’ve seen legacy automakers like GM move on from CarPlay, while others like Mercedes-Benz continue to dodge it in favor of its own technology. According to the interview with RJ Scaringe, Rivian will continue to pave new paths in the EV market without the customer appeal (for some) of Apple CarPlay.
Instead, Scaringe expressed confidence in the American automaker’s own in-cabin UI and compared the adoption of CarPlay to Apple using Microsoft Windows instead of developing its own OS – something that will NEVER happen. Per Scaringe:
We have a great relationship with Apple. As much as I love their products, there’s a reason that ironically is very consistent with Apple ethos for us to want to control the ecosystem. (CarPlay) isn’t consistent with how we think about really creating a pure product experience.
It’s about control and the vertically integrated auto makers (Tesla, Rivian) aren’t going to cede an inch of control to a 3rd party like Apple or Google. I remember discussions with software engineers working on Microsoft’s Sync system that Ford was unhappy with the MSFT branding.
It’s admirable to hear that Rivian would rather control its own destiny in terms of its user experience. Based on what we’ve seen to date, the company has the development experience in its software department to deliver a UI that is even better suited for its BEVs.
The Rivian CEO cited the multiple tap-throughs CarPlay would require its drivers and passengers to endure to use both the Apple API and its own software and said CarPlay cannot “leverage other parts of the vehicle experience.”
Instead, Scaringe would prefer to keep all UI software development in-house to present a product catered specifically to the rest of its proprietary EV technology. It will take time and effort to match or even surpass a software juggernaut like the minds at Apple, but the company is continuing those efforts as it looks to R2 and beyond.
Per Scaringe:
We recognize that it’ll take us time to fully capture every feature that’s in CarPlay, and hopefully, customers are seeing that. I think it often gets more noise than it deserves. The other thing beyond mapping that’s coming is better integration with texting. We know that needs to come, and it’s something that teams are actively working on.
Rivian recently shared that its upcoming R2 SUV has garnered over 100,000 pre-orders and is climbing. From what we’ve seen of that Rivian model, it looks like a bonafide winner—just don’t expect it to support Apple CarPlay.
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