Rivian survey regarding AA/CarPlay

[SANZC02]

I mentioned AA/ACP as well in the survey. I'm lucky that I have been a subscriber to Spotify for 5 years. AA/ACP would not help during charging sessions. I really need them to Tesla up their infotainment (YouTube, internet browser, Netflix, etc) because when you are sitting around while 'fast' charging without those, time crawls. That is what I miss most about my MYP.

I just use my iPad when public charging my EVs.

Sponsored

 

[dleepnw]

not sure if this has been said but the other advantage of AC and AA is that we'll be able to use our mobile data plan for routing, traffic, music, and other services that need internet connection. and i suspect that's another reason Rivian is hesitant on adding them as it'd be a revenue stream/space lost.

don't forget, at the end of this year our free data plan with Rivian ends and were gonna have to start paying for it. id much rather be using a plan i already pay for then add another monthly cost for a system i only use when driving.

 

[elektrode]

don't forget, at the end of this year our free data plan with Rivian ends and were gonna have to start paying for it.

Then they better come up with something worth paying their subscription for.

A phone mount is pretty cheap and I won’t pay for their service if they can’t do better than they are now. I’m already having to use my phone and phone data for my preferred music subscription service (user experience be damned). I’m not going to pay for the opportunity to pay for another music sub.

 

[NineElectrics]

This article is apropos. It’s like the author has been lurking here on this very forum. The call is coming from inside the house!

https://www.thedrive.com/features/people-want-apple-carplay

 

[tk21]

I think we should be careful using apple carplay and Android Auto as the answer all the time if all we really want is Google maps and traffic.

Maybe I'm in the minority and everybody here really does want the full suite. I liked the Google search they implemented. If they were to implement Google maps with traffic I would be satisfied. I am confident that they can make their own music, phone, and texting solutions. There's no getting around the level of accuracy for Google maps and traffic though, even apple has really given up that fight.

Based on the q&A session they just posted to YouTube the other day from Venice it seems they have plans to implement their own "waze like" interface where Rivian owners will be able to rate chargers and destinations and so many other things. I think that's why they don't want to go into the full suite.

On my last car Android auto had it tissues plenty of times too. Bottom line I would like to see Google maps but no need to see Android Auto or Apple CarPlay.

I think what Car Play brings is the mature functionality to use the apps we want and use regularly on our phones. For me it’s Waze, Siri voice to iMessage/call, Spotify (yes I know it has it), and a few others. If you’re a google person then cool you get google maps, apple fanatic then Apple Maps, etc….

 

[jakef801]

I can’t stand CarPlay where’s my survey?

I can't stand Apple in general. Where's my survey?

 

[Donald Stanfield]

I can't stand Apple in general. Where's my survey?

I have an iPhone, but I don't need more than simple bluetooth integration. I'm also typing this on a Mac. I don't hate Apple in general they make some very high quality albeit expensive electronics. They are also decent when it comes to data harvesting/ privacy because they make their money on the aforementioned expensive hardware. I just don't see a need to have my phone in use while I'm driving somewhere. Also my main objection to CarPlay at this point is how much CarPlay whining there is on here.

 

[Deleted member 11292]

I don’t think AA/CP is the answer, but I still think Rivian should offer it to keep their customers happy. I can just choose to not use it if I don’t want to.

I’ve had 3 vehicles with CP, including wireless CP in my Tacoma via a higher end Pioneer receiver. My conclusion is that it’s buggy and unreliable. I think Waze is ok on long trips and I am a heavy Apple Music user, but it freezes up sometimes if I skip a couple songs in a row. The native Pioneer music player app doesn’t do the same thing.

It also doesn’t recognize even a wired connection sometimes and I have to power cycle my phone and the receiver to reconnect. I don’t expect perfection with any system but I also don’t think CP lives up to the hype.

There was a time that I thought I needed to have AA in every new car, but now I realize it's not even close to a substitute for a well-designed factory entertainment system. It's wirelessly available in our Audi, but I hardly ever use it. Mostly just to check traffic against the factory system or to listen to a podcast, but I could do that through bluetooth just as easy.

AA in the car is an app, so if I need to leave it for any reason I have to go back home and find it again which is a kludge. Plus, Google is WAY more concerned about being sued for me paying too much attention to the infotainment so it's very limiting in what you can do while driving. Can't set or change your maps destination except by voice. Doesn't even show your saved locations on the map. If I need to make destination changes while I'm driving, I actually go to my phone which is way more distracting. Same with searching for a podcast to listen to,. And it will only let you browse a subset of your YouTube Music library. Plus I'm never sure if the voice system is going to go to the car or to AA when I press the button. I do like the new split-screen thing it has going on but it's still just an app.

In contrast the factory system is built for the hardware, so I can have the factory map on the center display, the virtual cockpit and the heads up display (which is awesome and full color, BTW) while AA only works on the center display. Plus, using the steering wheel controls (and each button has a specific purpose and is
marked and lit, BTW), I can do everything I need to do, from music to nav to phone calls and check trip info on the virtual cockpit without even taking my hands off the wheel. And the center NAV screen has WAY more info than AA about where you're going and what's around you. More options for map views. Info for upcoming gas stations and restaurants is right on screen rather than something you have to search for. Shows you the total amount of traffic delays you're going to experience on your trip. Your current elevation.

Because it's a big screen and the car knows it's a big screen so it isn't trying to do a one-size-fits-all display. And when you need to make changes, the climate touchscreen below it turns into an input device where you can type on a keyboard or write with your finger. All while you're driving.

So much easier to use. Because Audi controls the hardware and the software and isn't just making an app that has to work on every kind of car and any size of display. I'd much rather a manufacturer spent time getting their own system dialed in than waste time trying to accommodate Apple and Google. It's a nice to have option, but nothing close to a dealbreaker if it's not available.

 

[COdogman]

There was a time that I thought I needed to have AA in every new car, but now I realize it's not even close to a substitute for a well-designed factory entertainment system. It's wirelessly available in our Audi, but I hardly ever use it. Mostly just to check traffic against the factory system or to listen to a podcast, but I could do that through bluetooth just as easy.

AA in the car is an app, so if I need to leave it for any reason I have to go back home and find it again which is a kludge. Plus, Google is WAY more concerned about being sued for me paying too much attention to the infotainment so it's very limiting in what you can do while driving. Can't set or change your maps destination except by voice. Doesn't even show your saved locations on the map. If I need to make destination changes while I'm driving, I actually go to my phone which is way more distracting. Same with searching for a podcast to listen to,. And it will only let you browse a subset of your YouTube Music library. Plus I'm never sure if the voice system is going to go to the car or to AA when I press the button. I do like the new split-screen thing it has going on but it's still just an app.

In contrast the factory system is built for the hardware, so I can have the factory map on the center display, the virtual cockpit and the headup display (which is awesome and full color, BTW) while AA only works on the center display. Plus, using the steering wheel controls (which all have a specific purpose and are marked and lit, BTW), I can do everything I need to do, from music to nav to phone calls and check trip info on the virtual cockpit without even taking my hands off the wheel. And the center NAV screen has WAY more info than AA about where you're going and what's around you. More options for map views. Info for upcoming gas stations and restaurants is right on screen rather than something you have to search for. Show's you the total amount of traffic delays you're going to experience on your trip. Your current elevation.

Because it's a big screen and the car knows it's a big screen so it isn't trying to do a one-size-fits-all display. And when you need to make changes, the climate touchscreen below it turns into an input device where you can type on a keyboard or write with your finger. All while you're driving.

So much easier to use. Because Audi controls the hardware and the software and isn't just making an app that has to work on every kind of car and any size of display. I'd much rather a manufacturer spent time getting their own system dialed in than waste time trying to accommodate Apple and Google. It's a nice to have option, but nothing close to a dealbreaker if it's not available.

Agree 100%. That tracks with my experience with CP too. In the beginning they heavily restricted what people could do and which apps would even appear in CP. They waited a long time to add Waze because of how most people interact with it while driving. Over time they have loosened that up, probably because like you said people will just use their phones instead of CP for the things that CP doesn’t offer or allow.

I agree it’s a nice option but definitely would not base a purchase on it. I never text while driving and I do my best to not even take phone calls while driving so that kind of thing is not important to me at all. I turn up my music and try to enjoy my drive time because it might be the only time all day people aren’t bugging me nonstop

 

[Deleted member 7086]

I have been told by the SC that there is no satellite antenna in the Rivian.

 

[Riv_Ian]

I thought lack of CarPlay would be a big issue for me and it was an initial source of disappointment. I’m a heavy duty Apple user (iPhone, iWatch ultra, Mac Studio, MacBook Pro, iPad Pro), somfigured this would be a big deal. Now, I’m pretty indifferent to whether it ends up being included. I never use texting while driving in vehicles that have CarPlay and only answer the phone if hands free (which we have). I used to listen to news or podcasts, but now almost exclusively listen to Tidal. Driving is a joy and I use my attention to try and avoid the kamikaze distracted masses. The roll out of new functionality to date and road map laid out sounds great to me.

 

[Underwhirled]

Options for screen mirroring would be welcome. AA and CarPlay would be nice additions. I have taken my iPad Pro with me on trips so that I can watch movies and play games during charging sessions.

 

[Cypress]

I think we should be careful using apple carplay and Android Auto as the answer all the time if all we really want is Google maps and traffic.

Maybe I'm in the minority and everybody here really does want the full suite. I liked the Google search they implemented. If they were to implement Google maps with traffic I would be satisfied. I am confident that they can make their own music, phone, and texting solutions. There's no getting around the level of accuracy for Google maps and traffic though, even apple has really given up that fight.

Based on the q&A session they just posted to YouTube the other day from Venice it seems they have plans to implement their own "waze like" interface where Rivian owners will be able to rate chargers and destinations and so many other things. I think that's why they don't want to go into the full suite.

On my last car Android auto had it tissues plenty of times too. Bottom line I would like to see Google maps but no need to see Android Auto or Apple CarPlay.

Apple Maps gets a better routing solution over google maps for me on a couple common routes I do, google doesn’t seem to know about the main streetside entrances to the facilities and keeps wanting to route me through back neighborshoods to the backside entrances.

its weird. But Apple Maps has really improved.

 

[Cypress]

So

I don’t think AA/CP is the answer, but I still think Rivian should offer it to keep their customers happy. I can just choose to not use it if I don’t want to.

I’ve had 3 vehicles with CP, including wireless CP in my Tacoma via a higher end Pioneer receiver. My conclusion is that it’s buggy and unreliable. I think Waze is ok on long trips and I am a heavy Apple Music user, but it freezes up sometimes if I skip a couple songs in a row. The native Pioneer music player app doesn’t do the same thing.

It also doesn’t recognize even a wired connection sometimes and I have to power cycle my phone and the receiver to reconnect. I don’t expect perfection with any system but I also don’t think CP lives up to the hype.

sounds more like a Toyota problem. Dont have those issues in our Pacifica with CarPlay.

 

[Riviaenz]

It’s been nearly a year on this thread - any insight or movement on the CarPlay/AA front?

I’m astounded at the number of people that “hate” CarPlay - seems to be predominantly from Android users or ex or current Teslarites but to discourage a feature that they would retain the option of not using to entire others that would appreciate and further enhance their Rivian experience is incomprehensible. It would further open Rivian to additional customers which they need. I know several friends that aren’t jumping onboard for the single reason it lacks CarPlay. I was in that camp as well and only jumped the fence out of necessity (we had to replace our XC90 T8 due to a crash and we needed an EV and Rivian was one of a few that met our use needs). After purchase I was quickly reminded how limiting it is to not have CarPlay. While I would love a second one to replace our older car I’m holding out for more options that become available this year and all have CarPlay.

Sponsored