General Motors will phase out Apple CarPlay and Android Auto in its electric cars, starting with the 2024 Chevrolet Blazer, preferring to retain information about drivers’ habits and load. The news was reported on Friday by Reuters and said the internal combustion models will still offer the popular smartphone software. GM engineers said they were developing navigation assistance with Google’s Alphabet for integration with its assisted driving systems, such as Super Cruise.
“We have a lot of new driver assistance features that are more closely related to navigation,” said Mike Hemiche, GM’s executive director of digital cockpit experience. Reuters. “We don’t want to design these features in a way that depends on the person having a cell phone.”
While it is largely unknown what information Android Auto and Apple CarPlay collect about drivers and their habits, it is widely assumed that information such as traffic conditions, throttle positions and location are sent to companies which they can use later for development. Google subsidiary Waymo is developing its own self-driving systems, and Apple has reportedly offered its own self-driving software for vehicles.
GM is working with Alphabet and using its Android Automotive operating system as a platform for its future infotainment systems, although this is separate from the smartphone mirror system called Android Auto. The Android Automotive operating system used in future Chevy electric cars may offer Google Maps and Google Assistant built into those systems, but likely without the same information-sharing burdens that Android Auto would require.
Android Auto and Apple CarPlay are widely standard in most new cars sold today, with hundreds of millions of users worldwide. Last year, Apple introduced its next-generation infotainment concept for new cars and said that more than 98 percent of new cars sold today offer CarPlay compatibility. GM said it plans to phase out internal combustion models by 2035, so it appears the clock may be ticking on plug-and-play systems, at least for one automaker.
