For 18 months, Rivian and Google engineers labored collectively. Immediately, they’re displaying off their work.
Rivian is pushing out a software program replace that can convey a singular 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 largest automakers, Volkswagen.
This isn’t a typical the Google Maps integration and it’s in contrast to the tech firm’s different collaborations within the automotive sector. For years, Google has pushed into automotive by way of its smartphone projection app referred to as Android Auto in addition to Google built-in, an Android Automotive working system that integrates Google providers immediately into the car and is utilized by automakers like Volvo.
The collaboration with Rivian is neither. As a substitute, Rivian clients who use the in-car navigation will now not see the Mapbox-based maps. Now, they’ll see Google Maps, however with plenty of Rivian DNA sprinkled on high, together with its journey planner, consumer 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 stage of criticism was navigation,” Bensaid mentioned. The corporate may have tried to incrementally enhance its current 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 utility.
“Google actually needed to embrace a brand new mannequin of collaboration with a extra open integration all the way down to the API ranges for Google Maps, and that required working with a tech associate 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 function will embody estimated time of arrival, site 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 may even embody 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 the Google Maps.
The brand new Google-based maps will begin to roll out at the moment by way of a software program replace in Rivian autos and its cell app.
The up to date Rivian cell app will embody extra journey planning options as nicely. Rivian mentioned it added place images, place descriptions and satellite tv for pc view (with a Join+ subscription), in addition to the power to see site visitors and site visitors incidents within the app. Customers may also proceed to share locations and journeys from the Rivian cell app to their car.
