Experience Libian Electric Joy Ride with SXSW 2025
Check out Rivian, offering an off-road experience in downtown Austin, Texas.
Fox-7 Austin
A newly upgraded major upgrade of the R1S SUV and R1T pickups, Rivian is configured to launch software updates for the onboard navigation system to include Google Maps data. However, this isn’t just Google Maps, like mobile apps. Using Google’s auto SDK, Libian is actually overlaying the existing navigation experiences of Google Maps, using the Internet giant’s excellent routing, estimated arrival routing, traffic updates, search capabilities, satellite imagery.
In other words, Rivian’s navigation system now blends with Google’s excellent mapping capabilities and its own charging information, including estimated range and battery capacity remaining at destinations, route planning, and real-time charging information. Additionally, Libian skins the entire interface with its own unique design, and the new version will also debut with the Google Maps update.
Even better, it says the update will expand to a Rivian mobile app (2025 Motorrend Best Tech Award winner) that benefits from photos, searched destination descriptions, satellite map views and real-time traffic data. As before, users can send travel and navigation destinations to Libyans from the app, and now they can do the same using the “share” feature via Google Maps.
The deployment of a new system with the promotion of the new Google system is imminent. Rivian says it will start through over-air updates of all the electric R1S SUVs and R1T pickups they have sold so far.
Photos by Motortrend staff and manufacturers
