Photo: Bogdan Popa/autoevolution/Rivian
Rivian has reportedly reached a deal to take over A Better Routeplanner, arguably the most popular EV route planning app for Android, iPhone, and the web.
While no confirmation exists at the time of writing, Rivian and ABRP's parent company Iternio are expected to publish a press release announcing the deal in the coming days. Of course, the financial details haven't been disclosed just yet.
The deal has been in the works for quite some time. The first time I heard about a potential ABRP from an unidentified carmaker was in April, but at that point, most details were unclear, and my sources in the software world couldn’t corroborate the existing speculation.
Public details leaked to the web in May when alleged sources close to the matter revealed the name of the mysterious carmaker interested in ABRP. Rivian was already in advanced takeover talks with the app's owners, so an announcement was imminent. Furthermore, company employees allegedly told Rivian customers that a major update was already in the works to integrate ABRP into the navigation UI.
While Rivian purchasing ABRP makes perfect sense, especially because the company could eventually integrate the route planning system into its navigation engine, it is worth knowing that the application will continue to run independently and be available for other users.
In other words, even if you don't own a Rivian, you'll be able to use ABRP just like before. The carmaker will just integrate its route planning engine into its own sat-nav system (based on the comments I've seen lately online, I must set things clear on this one: Rivian will not replace its current navigation system with ABRP but only integrate some of its features; this is the reason ABRP will also continue to exist separately).
Sure enough, Rivian will also try to improve ABRP in the long term, though it'll be interesting if all the new features eventually become available for all EV owners, regardless of the car brand.
And one more interesting tidbit. ABRP is available on the majority of platforms, including not only iPhone and Android but also Android Auto, CarPlay, and Android Automotive. Rivian has already said loud and clear that it has no intentions to bring CarPlay to its vehicles, but the carmaker's strategy is unlikely to produce any change to ABRP's future from a support platform perspective. In other words, the app will continue to be available on all platforms where it's already available today.
Rivian getting the data and features from ABRP will significantly improve the route planning system in its vehicles, and the imminent release of a software update confirms the talks have been underway for quite some time. Today's report doesn't reveal when an official announcement is expected, but it should be released in just a few days.
The deal has been in the works for quite some time. The first time I heard about a potential ABRP from an unidentified carmaker was in April, but at that point, most details were unclear, and my sources in the software world couldn’t corroborate the existing speculation.
Public details leaked to the web in May when alleged sources close to the matter revealed the name of the mysterious carmaker interested in ABRP. Rivian was already in advanced takeover talks with the app's owners, so an announcement was imminent. Furthermore, company employees allegedly told Rivian customers that a major update was already in the works to integrate ABRP into the navigation UI.
While Rivian purchasing ABRP makes perfect sense, especially because the company could eventually integrate the route planning system into its navigation engine, it is worth knowing that the application will continue to run independently and be available for other users.
In other words, even if you don't own a Rivian, you'll be able to use ABRP just like before. The carmaker will just integrate its route planning engine into its own sat-nav system (based on the comments I've seen lately online, I must set things clear on this one: Rivian will not replace its current navigation system with ABRP but only integrate some of its features; this is the reason ABRP will also continue to exist separately).
Sure enough, Rivian will also try to improve ABRP in the long term, though it'll be interesting if all the new features eventually become available for all EV owners, regardless of the car brand.
And one more interesting tidbit. ABRP is available on the majority of platforms, including not only iPhone and Android but also Android Auto, CarPlay, and Android Automotive. Rivian has already said loud and clear that it has no intentions to bring CarPlay to its vehicles, but the carmaker's strategy is unlikely to produce any change to ABRP's future from a support platform perspective. In other words, the app will continue to be available on all platforms where it's already available today.
Rivian getting the data and features from ABRP will significantly improve the route planning system in its vehicles, and the imminent release of a software update confirms the talks have been underway for quite some time. Today's report doesn't reveal when an official announcement is expected, but it should be released in just a few days.
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