Photo: Bogdan Popa/autoevolution/Rivian
CarPlay has become a must-have system for modern drivers, and Apple's data shows that nearly 8 in 10 new-car buyers wouldn't even consider a new car without it. People love to connect their iPhones to their cars for one-tap access to navigation apps, phone calls, messages, and music.
Now that we've established that everybody loves CarPlay, it's important not to forget that some carmakers aren't offering Apple's system.
Rivian is one of them, and while the company has previously said that CarPlay could make its way to its cars if customers want it, founder and CEO RJ Scaringe has recently explained in a way that painfully makes sense why Apple's software isn't always the best option.
Scaringe noted on the Decoder podcast that Rivian's main focus is to provide customers with an experience that feels consistent and "holistically harmonious." While people love to connect their iPhones to their cars, CarPlay is exactly the opposite of what Rivian aims to achieve.
This is because CarPlay doesn't have access to all vehicle functions (and carmakers aren't willing to give full control to Apple), so whenever drivers want to access a feature outside CarPlay, they must leave the interface and connect to a new experience that they might not consider familiar.
Scaringe also offered an example that makes sense. If you want to open the front trunk, you must leave CarPlay and access the native car software. This is because CarPlay doesn't have access to all functions like OEM software. Google is trying to resolve part of this shortcoming with Android Auto by integrating radio support in its app. However, phone projection systems are still far from the point where they could completely replace pre-loaded vehicle software.
While CarPlay won't come to Rivian cars, the company's CEO says the long-term goal is to add features that Apple users consider essential to the vehicle's software. New capabilities with land in Rivian cars one feature at a time, and Scaringe notes that the company is particularly focused on improving mapping and integration with testing.
Scaringe admits that that "it'll take us time to fully capture every feature that's in CarPlay," but once the work is completed, users should no longer feel the need for Apple's software experience.
Scaringe's reasoning makes perfect sense, as CarPlay can't provide drivers with full access to all vehicle functions. I experience this limitation every day when I listen to the radio, as instead of controlling everything from the CarPlay UI, I have to jump between two separate interfaces. It doesn't feel consistent, but I eventually got used to it, albeit this isn't something everybody is willing to do.
While Rivian hasn't explicitly opposed CarPlay in its cars, these efforts suggest that the long-term goal doesn't include Apple's driving experience.
Rivian is one of them, and while the company has previously said that CarPlay could make its way to its cars if customers want it, founder and CEO RJ Scaringe has recently explained in a way that painfully makes sense why Apple's software isn't always the best option.
Scaringe noted on the Decoder podcast that Rivian's main focus is to provide customers with an experience that feels consistent and "holistically harmonious." While people love to connect their iPhones to their cars, CarPlay is exactly the opposite of what Rivian aims to achieve.
This is because CarPlay doesn't have access to all vehicle functions (and carmakers aren't willing to give full control to Apple), so whenever drivers want to access a feature outside CarPlay, they must leave the interface and connect to a new experience that they might not consider familiar.
Scaringe also offered an example that makes sense. If you want to open the front trunk, you must leave CarPlay and access the native car software. This is because CarPlay doesn't have access to all functions like OEM software. Google is trying to resolve part of this shortcoming with Android Auto by integrating radio support in its app. However, phone projection systems are still far from the point where they could completely replace pre-loaded vehicle software.
While CarPlay won't come to Rivian cars, the company's CEO says the long-term goal is to add features that Apple users consider essential to the vehicle's software. New capabilities with land in Rivian cars one feature at a time, and Scaringe notes that the company is particularly focused on improving mapping and integration with testing.
Scaringe admits that that "it'll take us time to fully capture every feature that's in CarPlay," but once the work is completed, users should no longer feel the need for Apple's software experience.
Scaringe's reasoning makes perfect sense, as CarPlay can't provide drivers with full access to all vehicle functions. I experience this limitation every day when I listen to the radio, as instead of controlling everything from the CarPlay UI, I have to jump between two separate interfaces. It doesn't feel consistent, but I eventually got used to it, albeit this isn't something everybody is willing to do.
While Rivian hasn't explicitly opposed CarPlay in its cars, these efforts suggest that the long-term goal doesn't include Apple's driving experience.
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