Emerging automaker Rivian firmly believes that Apple CarPlay isn’t the way forward. The leadership team is so determined about this that they have created a homegrown solution to provide users with the features they’ve been requesting.
At the company’s Autonomy and AI day event in Palo Alto, California on Thursday, Rivian introduced Rivian Assistant, which aims to offer text messaging features, among other functionalities, directly in its vehicles. The rollout for this feature is planned to commence in stages in early 2026 for both first- and second-generation R1 models, and it will be included in the upcoming R2 upon its release in 2026.
Rivian Assistant is a voice-controlled system that manages the entire vehicle, fully integrated with AI, although Rivian has not disclosed which AI technology powers it. This new system will enable texting capabilities, extending far beyond the mere act of texting.
The functionality will allow users to send text messages using voice commands and read incoming messages. Additionally, there will be an on-screen display that shows the messages, whether sent or received, providing visual confirmation of the conversation, unlike Apple CarPlay’s current offerings.
Rivian Assistant is designed to work with third-party applications, such as Google Calendar, integrating these features into the vehicle’s native navigation system and enabling changes to those apps, like adjusting an appointment on Google Calendar.
The ultimate aim is to “reduce phone usage,” a Rivian representative stated to The Drive.
Drivers will be able to ask, “can you navigate to my next meeting,” or “what’s scheduled for today,” or instruct the system to send a text, all while viewing the message in a dialog on the screen.
“This is not merely phone mirroring, this is advanced technology,” remarked a Rivian representative to The Drive.
Since the assistant is vehicle-based, tasks that previously required numerous taps and swipes on modern systems through touchscreens can now be accomplished with simple voice commands, such as saying, “heat all the seats except mine.”
“We are moving beyond the era where our interaction with applications is screen-dependent. We are transitioning to a future focused on context,” a Rivian representative explained to The Drive when questioned about the superiority of this voice-activated system to phone mirroring like Apple CarPlay.
Robby DeGraff, AutoPacific’s product and consumer insights manager, told The Drive, “Familiarity is a primary reason why features like Apple CarPlay/Android Auto can be deal-breakers for consumers. We’re attached to our smartphones and tablets all day, so we’ve become accustomed to their operating systems and want to maintain that ease while driving.”
“If more car manufacturers can replicate that level of seamless intuitiveness in their software and infotainment operating systems, we may see consumers willing to step outside their comfort zones and reconsider the necessity for standard Apple CarPlay/Android Auto connectivity in their vehicles. The approach and alternative must be executed flawlessly; it cannot be half-hearted,” DeGraff added.
Rivian Assistant will utilize the vehicle’s data connection and will be part of the automaker’s Connect+ data plan, which is priced at $14.99 monthly or $149.99 annually after an initial free 60-day trial.
Rivian indicated that the integration with third-party services would be implemented “a bit later” following the initial phased rollout of Rivian Assistant in early 2026.
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