Automakers Pull Back From Apple CarPlay as GM Leads Shift to In-House Software

GM has already begun dropping both CarPlay and Android Auto from its newest electric models, including the Chevrolet Blazer EV. The company is expected to start removing support from gasoline-powered cars once its centralized computing platform is released around 2028. Existing vehicles will not lose support abruptly, but newer models will be left only with GM's own system.

That alternative is built on Android Automotive, Google's standalone car operating system, rather than Android Auto, which mirrors a phone's apps on the dashboard. Android Automotive runs apps directly on the car, so no smartphone connection is required. GM argues this gives its software a deeper understanding of the vehicle. Navigation is one example: Google Maps can factor an EV's remaining charge and estimated range into route planning and direct the driver to suitable charging stops. GM executive Mike Hichme said in a 2023 interview that he did not want the company's infotainment system to be "dependent on a person having a cellphone."

Keeping the software native also gives GM more control over data generated when drivers use those services. For manufacturers, handing the most-used parts of the on-screen experience to Apple has become a problem, particularly in electric cars, where dashboard software and the vehicle are more tightly linked. Battery preconditioning and manufacturer-specific charging controls do not fit neatly into standard CarPlay, which sits on top of the car's own software and largely mirrors a phone. Drivers may have to leave it to reach features Apple's system does not support.

Tesla and Rivian have never offered CarPlay support, although Tesla has reportedly tested it, Engadget reported. CarPlay now works in more than 800 models, and its main strength has been consistency: the same interface, apps and contacts appear regardless of display size or type. Before CarPlay and Android Auto, drivers were stuck with whatever system a manufacturer installed. Ford and Lincoln's MyFord Touch lasted five years, and BMW tried to charge $80 a year for CarPlay access. Built-in navigation often went out of date and sometimes required a paid update.

Apple said at its 2022 developers conference that 79 percent of car buyers would not choose a model without CarPlay, and a more recent survey indicated that losing it was a "deal breaker" for 55 percent of users. With CarPlay Ultra aimed at closing the integration gap, the dispute over who controls the dashboard is likely to widen rather than settle.

Editor's Summary

General Motors is stripping CarPlay and Android Auto from its newest electric vehicles and expects to extend the removal to gasoline models when a centralized computing platform arrives around 2028, replacing them with a system built on Google's Android Automotive. Tesla and Rivian have never supported CarPlay, and the shift gives automakers more control over in-car data and services while removing a familiar interface that Apple says most buyers expect.