Overview

• On The Verge’s Decoder podcast, CEO RJ Scaringe restated that Rivian will forgo both standard CarPlay and the more integrated CarPlay Ultra.
• He said Rivian wants a seamless in‑car experience without switching between interfaces, delivered through native apps like Apple Music, Google Maps, Spotify, and YouTube.
• Scaringe detailed plans to add AI features over the next 18 months, including a built‑in voice‑to‑text capability for messaging.
• He acknowledged that the decision may deter some buyers and said the company accepts that trade‑off.
• The comments were widely reported by tech outlets, as CarPlay continues to be available across hundreds of models from many other brands.