Rivian adds Google Maps features to its navigation app

Rivian, the American EV manufacturer, is integrating Google Maps into its navigation app. The update should provide Rivian owners with more detailed information about their route, disruptions and places they’re passing.

These new features include updated traffic data and reroutes if another option turns out to be quicker along your journey. Drivers will also have access to real-time road disruption reports from the Google Maps community. Plus, places of interest should now be available right on the map. Rivian already used Google Maps’ information for searching places, but now everything from hours to ratings should show up on the display. The newly available 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 your route. The update comes with a new design that Rivian claims has better “glanceability” and “access to information.”

The company has faced some setbacks and concerns. In February 2024, Rivian laid off 10 percent of its salaried workforce due to a $1.5 billion loss in the fourth quarter of 2023. Then, in October, reports emerged that the EV maker’s only factory received 16 initially serious violations in 21 months from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). According to Bloomberg, injuries included an amputated finger, a broken skull, and having symptoms like vomiting and dizziness after having to paint without protections. Rivian has disputed these claims.