Apple CarPlay and Android Auto exist for a reason, and they’re not the ones you think. Sure, these phone-screen-in-your-car emulators appear to just be there for interface convenience. And it’s true that having the apps and especially the layout of apps you stare at a few hundred times mirrored on the screen in your car makes these systems not just convenient for drivers, but arguably Apple CarPlay and Android Auto should be safer, because the consistency of the interfaces means more familiarity and less distraction.
But don’t forget that Apple and Google want to control every environment, because serving you ads and selling you apps—or constantly charging you for music you thought you bought once already, in the case of Apple Music—makes them yet more money, no matter whether you’re driving or at home.
And money is at the root of what General Motors CEO Mary Barra told the Verge Decoder Podcast, when she said that CarPlay and Android Auto are going to disappear not just in General Motors’ EVs, which proved to be rather controversial already, but eventually, in every Cadillac, GMC, Chevy, and Buick product. Here’s how this is likely to play out—and why there are other carmakers itching to make the same move.
Duh, It’s About Money
General Motors’ Q3 earnings showed the carmaker has made $2 billion from software so far this year, with $5 billion in deferred revenue via subscriptions from 11 million OnStar customers and 500,000 Super Cruise customers. It’s very obvious that GM would like to generate even more revenue this way. Barra explained that GM is working with Google on an Android-based AI infotainment “assistant” (a.k.a., voice will likely be the primary form of interface between the driver and the vehicle) and that GM cars would get custom apps, likely as throughput for everything from navigation to what carmakers like to call “concierge” services. These are tie-ups with, say, Grubhub to allow ordering meals from your car, or, perhaps, pre-booking a parking space at a garage before a ballgame or a charging location for your EV.
And Yet More Money
Many carmakers have already switched to Google-derived back-ends that allow you to download apps directly to your vehicle, so GM isn’t alone here. And there’s also the emergence of Apple’s competing CarPlay Ultra, in Aston Martin now, and coming to Hyundai Group products in the future. However, thus far, GM is the only major carmaker to outright ditch both Android Auto and Apple CarPlay.
Barra didn’t quite say this part out loud, but there are other pieces to this puzzle—that are likely all about money, too. By working directly with Google to develop a new platform, there’s no doubt pressure from that tech giant to squeeze out Apple.
The Timing Of The Shift
Barra told Decoder that the rollout won’t occur all at once, but rather as there are major model updates into 2028. That’s to allow the software to develop, and because over-the-air updates for an extant car instead would be pretty jarring to existing customers. (Just imagine getting behind the wheel of your 2026 GMC Sierra and suddenly Android Auto just plain didn’t work. GM isn’t being tone-deaf to that notion.)
Disgruntled Customers
Still, GM’s decision in 2023 to shut the door on phone-based systems in its EVs made a lot of customers angry. Some went so far as to seek “hacks” to get around GM’s decision, including seeking installation of hardware that enables phone projections. In some cases, these were installed by dealers until GM shut that down. But as we’ve already seen with Rivian customers, having the choice to use phone-based projections still appears to be something people want. There’s a $400 workaround called EV Play that Rivian buyers can install in their cars that acts as a workaround for Rivian’s otherwise Android Auto/Apple CarPlay-free environment.
The Flimsy Excuse: “It’s About An ‘Elevated’ User Experience”
Remember: This is all about money. GM’s Barra is following Elon Musk’s original argument with Tesla, that by ditching buttons in his cars he was protecting the “user experience.” Nope: He was reducing parts costs for his bottom line. Rivian’s RJ Scaringe has since said many times that Rivian’s not ceding their sanctified ground because they want to control the customer’s experience, too. Ditto, Polestar, which was the first carmaker to work with Google on an Android-based system and only reluctantly backtracked to allow Apple CarPlay into its proprietary sandbox.
TopSpeed’s Take
The reality is that even if the interface is great—and at least on both Polestar and Rivian it is indeed—customers are customers. If we “own” the car, we should be able to wrap our Cybertrucks in hideous camo and not have to pay for the “privilege” of “curation.”
Still, expect other carmakers to follow GM’s lead. After all, the forthcoming software backend for every single product in the Volkswagen Group, from Audi, to Bentley, will be crafted by Rivian. And don’t forget, too, that even though Ford’s CEO Jim Farley said they won’t follow GM, all carmakers are surely going to be tempted. Because their shareholders (not the actual buyers of their cars), are always pressuring them for greater profits. And billions in potential revenue from “concierge services” is mighty tempting.
Source: The Verge Decoder Podcast