It looks like Rivian owners can join the large group of Tesla owners who are waiting for Apple CarPlay or Android Auto to be added to their electric vehicles. In an email to customer a Rivian representative recently shared that adding either option is not in the cards.
Instead the automaker believes that a custom in-house software platform specifically designed for their vehicles is the “the better path.”
“We believe that to create a truly incredible digital experience, an integrated platform that is optimized for our vehicles is the better path. While we do not currently support Apple CarPlay or Android Auto integrates, stay tuned to our newsletter and Story blog postings for further insights into various features.” (via Reddit)
To be fair, Rivian has never expressed an interest in adding Apple CarPlay or Android Auto to their vehicles, even as far back as November 2018 when the R1T and the R1S were first revealed at the LA Auto Show.
Similarly, they have also never expressed why they are not interested in integrating the two systems into their vehicles. Some hopeful Rivian owners believe it is because the automaker won’t be able to analyze data from the car in the same way as if their own software was being used.
Others believe it could be the cost to license the system, and as a result they may add Apple CarPlay and Android Auto one day, but as part of a subscription service.
While Tesla has also shown no love for CarPlay or Android Auto, their owners and fans have. Elon Musk is regularly peppered with the question on Twitter, most recently in May when asked about the quality of Bluetooth audio and the option of adding Apple CarPlay. Musk didn’t mention Carplay specifically in his response, but did say he would ask his team to look at “this and other improvements.”
While you wait, you can check out this third-party hack that now enables Apple CarPlay on all Tesla vehicles.
