Rivian, an American electric car manufacturer, is integrating Google Maps into its navigation app. The update should provide Rivian electric vehicle owners with more detailed information about their route, obstacles, and places they pass.
These new features include updated traffic data and route rerouting if another option proves to be faster during a trip. Drivers will also have access to real-time traffic reports from the Google Maps community. In addition, points of interest will now be available directly on the map. Rivian has already been using information from Google Maps to find places, but now everything from opening hours to ratings should be available on the display. The new technology also extends to Google Maps satellite images.
Rivian’s navigation app already included features such as range on arrival, charging information and charging stops along the route. The update features a new design that Rivian says has better “visibility” and “access to information.”
The company has faced some setbacks and concerns. In February 2024, Rivian laid off 10 percent of its employees due to a $1.5 billion loss in the fourth quarter of 2023. Then, in October, a Bloomberg report questioned the level of safety at the electric car manufacturer’s plant in Illinois. The report cited a number of injuries at the plant, including an amputated finger, a fractured skull, and vomiting and dizziness after being painted without proper protective equipment.
Rivian denied many of Bloomberg’s allegations, saying at the time that the publication “misrepresented the facts” and that “initial quotes should not be confused with final quotes.” Bloomberg reported 16 initially serious OSHA violations over a 21-month period and claimed that there were more violations, although Rivian received only two serious final warnings from OSHA during the period. A Rivian spokesperson also explained that the data in the article was two years old at the time of publication and did not reflect the current state of the company’s plant.
