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As a happy Rivian R1T owner and a “product guy” I’ve been really impressed with what they’ve done from a product perspective. The truck is awesome. You can tel
by mikeryan 3y ago
As a happy Rivian R1T owner and a “product guy” I’ve been really impressed with what they’ve done from a product perspective.
The truck is awesome. You can tell they spent the time from initial prototyping to getting to production just hammering on it from a product perspective.
Most of its issues I’ve had are things that are going to take time and data to fine tune (it’s PAAK sensing for unlocking with your phone is a common complaint).
My biggest issue is the lack of CarPlay/Android auto. And the only real pain point there is the bad traffic data for routing. I still use my phone to get directions on anything that would be traffic impacted.
- kevinventullo 3y agoYou had me seriously considering one until mentioning the lack of CarPlay. Maps are hard! Car manufacturers should leave it to the professionals.
- sircastor 3y ago> Maps are hard! Car manufacturers should leave it to the professionals. I hate this sentiment. This kind of thinking essentially says that anyone whose primary product isn't software should not be writing software. And what it's really saying is "If you're not FANG, you have no business writing write software" Full Disclosure: I worked in infotainment writing software for several years.
- troupo 3y ago> This kind of thinking essentially says that anyone whose primary product isn't software should not be writing software In the absolutely vast majority of cases yes, they shouldn't write their own software. Especially user-facing software. > Full Disclosure: I worked in infotainment writing software for several years. I've yet to see one that doesn't count as an unmitigated disaster
- kevinventullo 3y agoI was thinking specifically about routing. Making a competitive state-of-the-art routing app requires a massive investment which most car manufacturers are unwilling to make. You don’t have to be FANG, there are companies like Waze and TomTom which do this. But, yeah looking more broadly, this is one of many issues which become a solved problem with CarPlay and Android Auto. The investment in smartphone functionality will always be orders of magnitude larger than whatever car manufacturers can build. E.g. I can choose which routing app I use! By the way, I have worked for non-dominant FANGs in this space who also did not want to make that kind of investment. There’s a reason Facebook and Amazon don’t have their own routing apps.
- resolutebat 3y agoWaze was acquired by Google years ago. Tomtom powered Apple Maps until Apple rolled their own and unceremoniously dumped them in 2020, at this point they're a dead man walking. The only "indie" map providers left are OpenStreetMap and HERE, fka Navteq/Nokia, now run by Daimler and some other car companies
- flashback2199 3y agoI thought the nav in rivians was the same system they built for Amazons vans in which case they are the professionals
- mikeryan 3y agoThe navigation and maps UI works great. The traffic data and routing based on traffic is bad. 80%+ of the time if I’m using maps it’s simply to find the fastest route and it’s not been good for that.
- flashback2199 3y agoYeah, read a little bit after commenting and it looks like they now use the Google maps API to get POIs but not for routing
- Grazester 3y agoWait, these companies don't just use Google maps data for their mapping software?
- resolutebat 3y agoGoogle does not license its map data for navigation (sole exception: Tesla). It's Android Auto or nothing.
- disillusioned 3y agoEven Tesla uses its own navigation, it's simply presented on Google Maps, was my long-held understanding.
- flashback2199 3y agoApparently rivian now uses Google maps API to get points of interest, but not currently for routing, according to one thread I found yesterday - this thread had got me curious :) Edit: here's the link: https://www.reddit.com/r/Rivian/comments/16fkli5/comment/k03gwqb/ https://www.reddit.com/r/Rivian/comments/16fkli5/comment/k03...
- rnk 3y agoLegacy auto gave up their UI to Google and Apple, they gave up a lot of value. Top tier new auto EV companies are going their own way, Tesla and Rivian have very high quality UIs. Tesla does a little better, rivian is catching up.
- troupo 3y ago> Legacy auto gave up their UI to Google and Apple, they gave up a lot of value Define "value".
- local_crmdgeon 3y agoOpportunities to charge + advertise to you, while providing a worse service.
- rnk 3y agoI disagree about worse service. I really love the ui on tesla and rivian. When I've had rental cars with carplay or aa it's been fine. The latter two mobile apps have also added more 3rd party streaming services. Tesla & rivian had added things too.
- troupo 3y agoEvery time Tesla updates their UI there's no end of complaints about random changes or how oft-used functionality is now moved to obscure menus behind small tap targets.
- dzhiurgis 3y agoAFAIK Tesla only had 1 major UI update during past decade
- troupo 3y agoThe question isn't about major UI updates. See, for example, this: https://www.thedrive.com/tech/43710/teslas-v11-update-blasted-for-hiding-things-like-defroster-button-in-pointless-menus https://www.thedrive.com/tech/43710/teslas-v11-update-blaste...
- nonethewiser 3y ago> Most of its issues I’ve had are things that are going to take time and data to fine tune (it’s PAAK sensing for unlocking with your phone is a common complaint). Ugh. Even if it works.