Connect+.... I call bullshit

[Biturbowned]

Tesla does the same thing.

Sponsored

 

[devildog125]

OP there’s honestly no arguing or conversing with anyone on this forum with regards to Connect+. I’ve begrudgingly subscribed to Connect+ although I’ll NEVER use the hotspot because now I’m paying for a hotspot aleast twice. I wish Rivian would make a plan without hotspot and I’d be fine. People on here are like “omg this is the greatest thing since sliced bread. I’d pay for Rivian just for this when I’m out off-roading or on a long road trip with the kids.” ? Most of these vehicles are grocery getters and on top of that, the icing on my cake is that new cars made in the last 10 years have a hotspot built in and get this most of you never bothered to activate it….

 

[godfodder0901]

Yes, setting up the automated hot spot connection via shortcut app with iPhone works seamlessly and Apple Music works great. I haven't tried Amazon Music with Alexa yet because wife can't remember her Amazon account password.

Amazon Music and all Alexa functions work great.

 

[Schroederhc]

In the land of the blind, the one-eyed man is a genius!

 

[Rgrin]

Keep in mind that Rivian needs the LTE connection for their own purposes, whether the customer needs it or not. They suck huge amounts of data from the vehicles, like telemetry (road/map info, how HWA is working, to help improve HWA), diagnostics. They also use it for OTA updates, remote operations (eg pre-cooling car).

So Rivian has to pay for the LTE connection even if no customer needs it. This is a fixed cost for them. Connect+ can help defray this cost. And hopefully also add value for customers.

 

[ThirteenElectrics]

Google Maps is actually a paid service. Rivian has to pay Google for the Maps API usage that users incur. Back in the heyday of Web 2.0, that was free (Google was covering the cost). But as of 2016ish, it's actually quite expensive:
https://mapsplatform.google.com/pricing/

I’m not sure they’re paying much, if anything, because in return Google gets access to Rivian users’ maps queries, which is useful for enhancing search relevance and also the business of various locations by time of day (restaurants). They can also perhaps sell ads in the search results (featured businesses).

Rivian navigation is so shit, though, that they cannot be using Google for turn by turn, so there must be significant cost or restriction for that (like mandating the use of Android Auto).

 

[ThirteenElectrics]

Keep in mind that Rivian needs the LTE connection for their own purposes, whether the customer needs it or not. They suck huge amounts of data from the vehicles, like telemetry (road/map info, how HWA is working, to help improve HWA), diagnostics. They also use it for OTA updates, remote operations (eg pre-cooling car).

As an aside, Rivian uses my WiFi for most of these uploads, which I pay for. Is Rivian going to pay me for the use of my bandwidth? I don’t use Driver+ so I don’t get much value from it otherwise. They’re monetizing my camera data, they could at least give me free LTE.

 

[Cbristow]

They forward it on through, wait for it, INTERNET ACCESS. That’s what you’re paying for with connect plus. Is this really that difficult a concept?

Right. But I am bringing my own access by using my phone's hotspot.

 

[Cbristow]

As an aside, Rivian uses my WiFi for most of these uploads, which I pay for. Is Rivian going to pay me for the use of my bandwidth? I don’t use Driver+ so I don’t get much value from it otherwise. They’re monetizing my camera data, they could at least give me free LTE.

 

[Cbristow]

This.

 

[Cbristow]

What you're really paying for with Connect+ is the LTE data connection. Image-based map basemaps (e.g. satellite/aerial photography) are much more data intensive then vector-based basemaps (e.g. road outlines). Makes total sense that they would limit the data consumed over the internet for free customers vs. paid ones. Not bullshit at all.

ETA: It's unclear if you are tethering or not - it makes sense if you are not tethering.

Also, these are not Google basemaps. Rivian uses Google for POI search, but the basemaps come from MapBox.

 

[André]

I don’t get why people get mad about a 150$ annual fee for a service add-on to their 100k$ car ? Do these people work for free ?

 

[Cbristow]

That's the point. I am "tethering" by allowing the car to use my cellphone as the Internet gateway.

 

[RivAW]

I understand that providing data service to cars costs money, and I think it's appropriate to charge a nominal fee for that. Some of the Connect+ features should cost extra if Rivian incurs additional costs to provide them. I think Rivian made the right move in enabling some data features to continue if the user chooses to use a mobile data connection.

However...

Satellite maps uses existing data that is provided by Google. Rivian doesn't have to create this content, they merely forward it on. Not allowing satellite image data to come through is akin to not allowing music streaming through Alexa, which works just fine with a mobile hotspot.

I call bullshit.

Stop whining… Tesla does exactly the same thing… More data is consumed to render the satellite images… And whether you agree with it or not, they’ve been consistently saying what was going to happen since the start

 

[RIV206]

Audi does the same thing I believe

Sponsored