Last week, General Motors shocked the automotive world by announcing that it would be restrict access to Apple CarPlay and Android Auto in its future range of electric vehicles. And so far, he seems to be alone in this decision.
GM said it wants to move away from smartphone projection systems to give customers a more integrated experience that sees Google Maps, Google Assistant, Spotify and other apps running natively on the car’s infotainment screen. car.
But CarPlay and Android Auto are hugely popular; Apple says almost 80% of new car buyers insist on this feature before making a purchase, while independent investigations suggest slightly lower but still robust levels of demand.
The rest of the auto industry gets it. The edge contacted all major automakers to see if they planned to follow GM in ditching CarPlay and Android Auto, and unsurprisingly none answered in the affirmative.
“We continue to offer Apple Carplay and Android Auto because customers appreciate the capability that allows easy access and control of their smartphone apps, especially our EV customers, as some EVs currently do not offer these features. “said Alan Hall, spokesman for Ford.
“We continue to offer Apple Carplay and Android Auto because customers appreciate the capability that allows easy access and control of their smartphone apps”
Volvo responded by forwarding a LinkedIn post from CEO Jim Rowan 10 months ago in response to Apple’s announcement that future versions of CarPlay would be more deeply integrated in the vehicle.
“Having a choice is important,” wrote Rowan at the time. “We want our cars to adapt to the lives and devices of our customers.”
Honda, which also adopts Google’s built-in software integration for the next Agreementsaid it does not plan to do so at the expense of CarPlay and Android Auto.
“Our customers find value in our support for integrated CarPlay, Android Auto and Google and we now offer these connected solutions across our lineup,” said Honda spokeswoman Jessica Fini. “We will continue to offer a range of high-quality interactive solutions to provide our customers with value that matches their own technology choices.”
“Having a choice is important”
Spokespeople for Stellantis, BMW, Mercedes, Toyota and Hyundai have yet to comment, but the trend lines are clear. Almost every car on sale today offers CarPlay and Android Auto. Customers grew up to expect it, and GM is taking a huge risk in betting it can deliver an infotainment experience equal to or better than what people expect on their phones.
But GM isn’t quite alone in rejecting phone projection for its future EV lineup. Two pure EV automakers, Rivian and Tesla, don’t offer access to CarPlay and Android Auto, despite strong customer protests. Both still manage to sell cars – in Tesla’s case, many cars – so it’s safe to say that it’s not exactly a deciding factor. Lucid thought it could get away with a similar tactic, but the company recently backtracked and added CarPlay accessibility in its latest software update.
But Tesla and Rivian never offered projection over the phone; GM will actively take away something its customers have valued for years. In fact, GM’s current line of electric vehicles, including the Cadillac Lyriq, which comes with native Google apps like Maps and Assistant, still allows CarPlay and Android Auto. The 2024 Lyriq will also always have it, as will the 2024 model year Chevy Silverado, the GMC Hummer EV truck and SUV, and the Chevy Bolt and Bolt EUV.
The future without GM’s CarPlay and Android-Auto begins with the 2024 Chevy Blazer EV. While GM will continue to offer Apple CarPlay and Android Auto in its gas-powered vehicles, the automaker has pledged to stop selling cars altogether. combustion vehicles by 2025. After that, it’s uncharted waters for North America’s largest automaker.