Apple CarPlay & Android Auto Solution is Coming Soon... (seriously) -- by EV Play

[mclark2112]

I assume this is similar to the carplay mmi boxes for BMWs. I had one in a 2011 335, and it worked pretty well. A little wonky sometimes, but I'm an IT guy, nothing I'm not used to.

Sponsored

 

[Woo]

I haven't checked but there must be an audio app available for Android that plays Dolby Atmos music? There will be extra USB ports for thumb drives and accessories, and also available on-board storage for audio and video files.

I will think of you kindly, and often, if this works out.

 

[dleepnw]

This sounds like something that might void the warranty. You can’t just hack the infotainment without bringing attention to Rivian.

Also why would you create a whole separate infotainment? It’s one thing to add AA or CP. And how is one person going to maintain this over time? Is this going to be a side hobby or a real business?

 

[SoCal Rob]

Hello everyone, my name is Alex and I've been working over the past 5 months to get Apple CarPlay and Android working on my Rivian center display. I'm happy to announce that I have recently cracked the code, and I'm currently trying to bring this functionality to all Rivian owners. To do this, I have created an Android-based hardware device called "EV Play," which I'll be producing and selling in the next month or so.

While working on this process, I started to realize that EV Play could be a lot more than just CarPlay and Android Auto. The Rivian screen and sound system are amazing, and so the project quickly morphed in to a full-blown infotainment system.

At the end of the day, I certainly don't have all the answers. And so in addition to the physical device I would like to eventually build a community where all of us can discuss new ideas and propose new features.

I still have a few bugs to work out, but I'm pretty close to getting them resolved. In the meantime, I have put up a website with a short video I made, along with some additional information and an interest form. It is located here. Please help spread the word on other sites and groups, as this is a very exciting time for Rivian owners.

Here is the video as well:



I have to leave for my job but I'll try to get to the boards later in the day, should you have questions. The website also has my email address if you need to reach out. I expect a fair amount of messages so your patience is appreciated.

Cheers,
Alex

Bravo, Alex!

I have a question about the phone connection: is it wireless only or is wired available, too? I think a wired option would be fantastic for those of us with a Connect+ subscription. In addition, if there is pass through charging, then it solves the problem of the sketchy wireless charging pad. Finally, it makes the process of determining which phone to project simple and consistent for those of us with two drivers who often travel together.

I know some people consider the act of plugging a wire in to be something from the Stone Age, but I’ve worked with tech for a long time and in my experience wireless is very convenient but wired is very reliable.

I suspect that Rivian won’t push back much if you provide a solution which ends all the grumbling about CarPlay and Android Auto, requires no development from them, requires no support from them, and gives people a reason to maintain a Connect+ subscription.

 

[SoCal Rob]

This sounds like something that might void the warranty. You can’t just hack the infotainment without bringing attention to Rivian.

Also why would you create a whole separate infotainment? It’s one thing to add AA or CP. And how is one person going to maintain this over time? Is this going to be a side hobby or a real business?

It sounds like hardware which goes between one or more connected components. Separate infotainment is probably needed because with this method there is no way for the projected screen to be integrated into the existing Rivian interface because Rivian won’t implement it.

If it’s hardware, there shouldn’t be any need for updates or maintenance. There are plenty of cars from legacy manufacturers which supported CP starting in 2016 and haven’t gotten a single update since then. The updates are only on the phone. That’s the beauty of screen projection: it gives a consistent way for the vehicle to receive audio and video and for the phone to receive touch data from the vehicle.

 

[R1Thor]

I suspect that Rivian won’t push back much if you provide a solution which ends all the grumbling about CarPlay and Android Auto, requires no development from them, requires no support from them, and gives people a reason to maintain a Connect+ subscription.

I'm a bit more dubious about this than you. Especially when you consider how incredulous Rivian is about 1- aftermarket/non Rivian-owned-SC repairs, 2- side steps and sliders, 3- aftermarket wheels/tires, 4-reticense to allow 3rd party development of replacement parts (12V batteries anyone?)...

THAT said, the real magic would be if you could uninstall this as easily as install it. What I mean is: my truck's in for service. TO save myself the headache of "what if," I just removed my rock sliders. Took less than an hour and will save me the $400 hassle. When I get my truck back, I'll easily reinstall them.

If there's an intermediary harness for this system, and it's simple enough to get to and detach (return Rivian to OEM), no one (Rivian) would be the wiser. THAT would be the best case scenario for avoiding any issues, SO LONG AS the connectors are resilient enough to manage several mate/demate cycles (certain connectors are designed for semi-permanent installation--such as in your washing machine's for example: once it's connected, it's seldom disconnected unless there's a service call. I used to work in the electrical connector industry, so this would be a cautionary concern in my opinion. I'd hate to see a situation where internal pins were bent during uninstall thus rendering the center screen completely inoperable, or worse--crossing 12V and ground or comms and shorting the system).

 

[Jonger1150]

Looks like something I would do right after that comprehensive warranty expires.

 

[SoCal Rob]

If there's an intermediary harness for this system, and it's simple enough to get to and detach (return Rivian to OEM), no one (Rivian) would be the wiser.

This is exactly what I’m picturing.

 

[atebit]

If there's an intermediary harness for this system, and it's simple enough to get to and detach (return Rivian to OEM),

Or, even just a software “stealth” mode that makes the unit invisible/transparent to the rest of the body electronics. I’ve had aftermarket “smart top” modules in convertibles that install in-line with the convertible top wiring & add extra features via key fob buttons. Most of these offer a “stealth” mode that makes them effectively disappear from the body electronics so it’s not “discovered” by a service tech. The only time you’d really need to physically remove it is if you expect the service tech to be poking around in that area.

 

[EV Play - Alex]

If you get this working, we could see an end to whining about CarPlay on this forum. I will owe you a beer if this comes to fruition.

You are on!

 

[hekhl00]

I'm confused. RJ, the world's smartest, most humble and nicest man, has repeatedly said that all the noise about Rivian not supporting CarPlay is overblown and that we don't need it. And as a Rivian fan boy (and owner) I believe everything he says, why on earth would anyone go to all this trouble to develop a work-around for it? Maybe the guy doing isn't aware of all the really cool lock sounds our vehicles can make?

 

[EV Play - Alex]

I tried going to the web site, but my spam protection blocks it. I use nextdns.io and one of the suggested blocks that I have active is:



whois.com shows emplay.io as registered on Jan 5. I am not making any claims that this is a threat, but just pointing out that you should register DNS domains well before the underlying web site goes live. Brand new domains are filled with scams and malware, so these are blocked by default by the nextdns.io service. I'm sure other malware detection tools look more closely at these NRDs as well.

I can appreciate aggressive spam protection, but it is a bit of "throwing the baby out with the bath water," at least as far as EV Play goes. Was I supposed to guess way back when that this will be a commercial venture, assumed that it would work, think of a name, and register the domain in advance? No -- I wanted to make sure it worked and that it could be commercialized. Once I did, I bought the domain and hosting.

Or, should I have registered the domain and purposely waited a bit longer to announce it in order to avoid tripping some obscure spam filter? Seems a bit wonky IMO.

 

[EV Play - Alex]

Looks familiar. I believe there was a similar solution with Tesla. It’s via the browser and there was a lot of latency. Let’s see. Good Luck.

Not web browser based. For any Tesla owners out there, I am curious about the features, performance and limitations for the web browser hack/solution. From what I have seen, you seem to be able to do a lot of cool things that EV Play can do. Is there a need for EV Play for Tesla?

 

[Kuro-Rivian]

Hello everyone, my name is Alex and I've been working over the past 5 months to get Apple CarPlay and Android working on my Rivian center display.

If you make this happen please ask admin to change your name from "EV Play - Alex" to "The Dude."

 

[EV Play - Alex]

Will it allow me to utilize AAAD so I can use video in motion?

I haven't tested AAAD to be honest, but I will add it to my list. If you can't add the app via AAAD for some reason, then you could always add it to EV Play directly. It will have on-board/expandable storage for a ton of user apps.

Are you looking for beta testers?

Yes, shoot me an email - [email protected]

Happy to “pre-order” and Beta test it for you. I have a Gen 2 Dual Max Performance.

great work!!!

Thanks, please shoot me an email. - [email protected]

Okay, but not the shut up part - we want to know more!

I want to tell you more but going to have to wait until I get closer to launch.

If it were a “woman in the middle” device it would likely work the first time even when the “man in the middle” device takes all the credit.

I just spit out my coffee!

Sponsored