Future General Motors EVs won't feature standalone Apple CarPlay or Android Auto smartphone connectivity as the automaker switches to Google-based infotainment systems.
EVs and internal-combustion vehicles currently on sale will retain Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, but new EV models will drop those features in favor of a new infotainment system that "will be an evolution" of the Google built-in systems already available in some GM models, like the GMC Hummer EV, the automaker announced last week.
Apple CarPlay and Android Auto have proven popular because they project familiar smartphone interfaces onto a car's infotainment system, allowing drivers to sidestep the eccentricities of the native systems. But GM claims Google built-in systems will provide a more streamlined experience.
"We believe a simple, seamless and built-in experience that integrates basic infotainment features with key vehicle systems is the best path forward," GM spokesperson Anna Yu told Motor Authority. "Requiring our customers to navigate in and out of different solutions and go back and forth for different needs is not seamless."
2024 Chevrolet Blazer EV
Some of the same Android features, such as Google Maps and Google Assistant voice recognition, will carry over to the new infotainment systems "at no additional cost" for the first 8 years of ownership, according to GM. Spotify will be natively available as well, while other third-party apps will be available through the Google Play Store, GM confirmed. Bluetooth and Siri support will continue as well, but GM would not comment on future availability of Apple Music.
The first vehicle affected by this strategy shift is the 2024 Chevrolet Blazer EV, scheduled to go on sale in the U.S. this summer. The 2024 Chevrolet Equinox EV, 2024 Cadillac Celestiq, and 2025 GMC Sierra EV will also launch without Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.
2024 Cadillac Celestiq
Other EVs will keep Apple CarPlay and Android Auto for at least the 2024 model year. That includes the 2024 GMC Hummer EV SUV and Pickup, 2024 Cadillac Lyriq, 2024 Chevrolet Bolt EV and EUV, and the 2024 Chevrolet Silverado EV, which is scheduled to go on sale this fall.
The decision also doesn't apply to internal-combustion vehicles, but GM has indicated it will phase most of those out in the coming years. The automaker in 2021 announced an "aspiration" to make all of its light-duty vehicles electric by 2035, and it's expected to make the Buick and Cadillac brands electric by the end of the decade.