Rivian faucets Google to carry customized maps into its EVs and app

For 18 months, Rivian and Google engineers labored collectively. Right now, they’re displaying off their work.

Rivian is pushing out a software program replace that may carry a novel model of Google Maps into its EVs. It’s the newest step in Rivian’s continued effort to differentiate its autos with software program — an effort that has helped it strike up a three way partnership with one of many world’s greatest automakers, Volkswagen.

This isn’t a typical Google Maps integration and it’s not like the tech firm’s different collaborations within the automotive sector. For years, Google has pushed into automotive by way of its smartphone projection app known as Android Auto, in addition to Google Constructed-In, an Android Automotive working system that integrates Google providers instantly into the car and is utilized by automakers like Volvo.

The collaboration with Rivian is neither. As a substitute, Rivian prospects who use the in-car navigation will not see the Mapbox-based maps. Now, they’ll see Google Maps, however with a number of Rivian DNA sprinkled on high, together with its journey planner, person interface, and design, and EV charger areas, in accordance with Rivian’s chief of software program, Wassym Bensaid.

“We clearly intently watch buyer suggestions, and I believe one of many areas the place we had some degree of criticism was navigation,” Bensaid mentioned. The corporate might have tried to incrementally enhance its present in-car navigation. As a substitute, it began working with Google to launch a brand new product.

Rivian’s problem: It didn’t simply need the default Google Maps software.

“Google actually wished to embrace a brand new mannequin of collaboration with a extra open integration right down to the API ranges for Google Maps, and that required working with a tech accomplice on that journey to combine each options, and I believe we’re actually tremendous pleased with the results of this collaboration,” he mentioned.

The brand new maps characteristic will embrace estimated time of arrival, visitors updates, place data, and satellite tv for pc imagery from Google Maps, all of which is built-in into Rivian’s navigation system. The in-car navigation can even embrace tappable factors of curiosity.

Carrying over Rivian’s journey planner is essential because it showcases EV vary estimates and charging cease choice, all powered by A Higher Routeplanner. Different Rivian options like its “vary on arrival,” charging stops and preferences, and the EV maker’s charging rating, which provides a score for particular person charging websites primarily based on plug-in information from Rivian autos, have additionally been folded into Google Maps.

The brand new Google-based maps will begin to roll out at the moment through a software program replace in Rivian autos and its cellular app.

The up to date Rivian cellular app will embrace extra journey planning options as properly. Rivian mentioned it added place pictures, place descriptions, and satellite tv for pc view (with a Join+ subscription), in addition to the flexibility to see visitors and visitors incidents within the app. Customers may proceed to share locations and journeys from the Rivian cellular app to their car.