GM snubs CarPlay
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General Motors plans to gradually replace CarPlay and Android Auto in its vehicles, in favor of an in-house infotainment system developed with Google, leaning on subscription services.
As Apple prepares to launch the next generation of CarPlay it teased in 2022, some automobile manufacturers are taking a step back. For example, after being late to the game in integrating third-party systems, GM will no longer offer CarPlay and Android Auto in future electric vehicles, starting with the 2024 Chevrolet Blazer.
The automaker plans to keep CarPlay and Android Auto in its combustion vehicles. Owners of vehicles equipped with the mirroring technologies will still be able to use the systems.
But according to Reuters, the company has been working with Google to develop its own infotainment system. The move could help GM collect more data on how people drive and charge their electric vehicles.
GM has been working with Google since 2019 to create the software foundations for infotainment systems that will be more closely integrated with other car systems, such as GM's Super Cruise driving assistance system. The car company also plans to use its electric vehicles as platforms for digital subscription services.
In an interview, Edward Kummer, GM's chief digital officer, and Mike Himche, executive director of digital cockpit experience, explained that GM benefits from focusing engineers and investment on one approach to an infotainment system.
"We have a lot of new driver assistance features coming that are more tightly coupled with navigation," Himche said. "We don't want to design these features in a way that are dependent on a person having a cellphone."
It's not clear why Himche believes that the owner of an electric vehicle that retails for $40,000 and up won't have a cellphone of some sort.
Regardless, drivers will still be able to listen in their GM vehicles to music or make phone calls on iPhone or Android smartphones using Bluetooth.
People who buy a GM electric vehicle will get access to Google Maps and Google Assistant at no cost for eight years. The future GM system will also offer apps like Spotify, Audible, and other services.
"We do believe there are subscription revenue opportunities for us," Kummer said. By 2030, GM CEO Mary Barra hopes to generate $20 to $25 billion in revenue from yearly subscription fees.
The report stops short of directly quoting a GM executive saying that they were cutting out CarPlay in its entirety. AppleInsider has reached out to Apple and GM for comment on the report.
GM was not included amongst the list of next-generation CarPlay partners. That list includes Land Rover, Audi, Lincoln, Porsche, Nissan, Ford, Jaguar, Acura, Volvo, Honda, Polestar, and Infiniti.
