What has angered General Motors, one of America’s largest automakers? Portal reports that GM plans to end CarPlay support from the Chevrolet Blazer EV, due out in Q3 2023. Consolation, meager, for Apple: Android Auto will no longer play along, but for Google it will be a blessing in disguise.
The Chevrolet Blazer and its interior.
Indeed, the industrial giant is developing a new infotainment system based on Android Automotive, a real operating system that manages all the functions of the vehicle. We are far from remotely viewing applications from a smartphone. GM is by no means the first manufacturer to rely on this Google technology: Renault, BMW and Honda work to varying degrees with Android Automotive for their electric vehicles.
Android Automotive: Google on course to win the battle for the car operating systems
Something odd about this story is that Android Automotive, being very flexible, doesn’t ban the use of CarPlay. But GM seems determined not to let others use the screens on its future electric cars (even if Google benefits from them anyway). “We don’t want to develop functions that depend on the user’s smartphone,” says Mike Himche, Director of Digital Cabin Experience.
Future Blazer drivers have 8 years of free access to Google Maps and Google Assistant, while the system is compatible with Spotify, Audible and other services typically used in-car via an iPhone or Android. GM relies heavily on subscription revenue. For many automakers, this is the new Eldorado…
Listening to music or making phone calls from the iPhone to the vehicle audio system via Bluetooth is still possible. Additionally, CarPlay and Android Auto remain available in GM’s thermal models, which are progressing on a siding: the manufacturer plans to end production of thermal cars for individuals in 2035.
This is bad news for Apple, which during the last WWDC presented the new generation of CarPlay that operates closer to Android Automotive. The first compatible vehicles should be announced by the end of this year. Will the candidates be there?
Automakers are still not excited about next-gen CarPlay