GM exec believes ditching Apple CarPlay in EVs is the trail forward

• GM is phasing out Apple CarPlay in its lineup
• Recent Chevy, Cadillac, GMC, and Buick EVs won’t have Apple CarPlay
• GM’s software boss believes the automaker’s making the best call

General Motors remains to be committed to phasing out Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone connectivity in future EVs, software boss Baris Cetinok said in a recent interview with The Verge.

Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, which permit users to “project” features from their smartphones onto in-car displays—plus more for EVs, including route planning—have proven popular with customers. But GM announced last yr that it might stop including them in future EVs because it shifts to a brand new Google-based infotainment system.

That is still the very best path forward, Cetinok told The Verge, since it allows GM “to create probably the most deeply integrated experience which you could create with the vehicle,” moderately than counting on interfaces ported in from smartphone apps.

“We should not shipping devices with just monitors; we’re not a monitor company,” said Cetinok, who previously worked at Apple in product management and marketing for features like Apple Pay and iCloud. Abandoning deeper smartphone connectivity will create a seamless experience across different features, similar to driver aids like GM’s Super Cruise and entertainment features like podcast apps, he claimed.

2024 Chevrolet Blazer EV RS

The 2024 Chevrolet Blazer EV was the primary GM vehicle to launch without Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and subsequent EV launches just like the Chevy Equinox EV and Chevy Silverado EV have also gone without those features. It’s likely more of an adjustment for users preferring Apple features like Apple Maps. Google-based infotainment systems in newer GM EVs incorporate lots of the same features as Android Auto, similar to Google Maps and Google Assistant voice recognition—but it surely’s value noting that every one of those services require a separate vehicle data connection that may cost extra to owners in the longer term and supply GM with an additional revenue stream.

Deep integration of software features might be essential for route planning, as access to the vehicle’s state of charge and other data is required to find out charging stops and precondition battery packs for the quickest possible charge. But as other automakers have demonstrated, that doesn’t suggest taking functionality away. As an illustration, Ford EVs offer a selection, with these abilities integrated with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, in addition to via its own built-in navigation systems.