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Apple Says CarPlay Now Available in Over 800 Vehicle Models as GM Plans to Phase Out Support in EVs
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Apologies if a similar take has been made earlier in the thread--I'll just admit upfront I don't have the time to read through 8 previous pages of responses.
I'll first clarify that I'm a huge proponent of CarPlay/Android Auto and like most commenters here, I won't get another car in the immediate future without it. I've refused rental options because of it. It's just great to have basically the same user experience in every car I drive--3 of the 4 cars in our family have it and it's always a bit jarring when I have to drive my daughter's car without it.
And yeah, I won't be considering any future GM models that don't have it (though that likely wouldn't have happened anyways
).
That being said, I sadly think this is just the first drop in the bucket. In much the same way so many other tech companies mimic Apple's changes (headphone jack, etc), I think you're going to see many other car companies start to follow suit, especially if it means making more money via options/subscriptions. And once a bunch more adopt this position, it'll be like a snowball rolling downhill. At that point, car's with CarPlay may be significantly outnumbered by those lacking it and there will not be a big enough consumer outcry to make a difference. Apple may tout some statistic about roughly 80% claiming their next car must have CarPlay but in reality, most people will just use whatever a car has. Us nerds will have CarPlay near the top of our 'must-haves' but general consumers will car more about the style, color and other features far more that if a car has CarPlay. A casual glance into most cars and I see vehicle phone mounts in more than those without one. People will just put their phone in a mount and be done with it. Teslas are everywhere yet we've yet to see the consumer boycott because of their lack of CarPlay.
I'm going to vote with my wallet whenever I next need to purchase a new car but I don't think it'll make much difference.
I'll first clarify that I'm a huge proponent of CarPlay/Android Auto and like most commenters here, I won't get another car in the immediate future without it. I've refused rental options because of it. It's just great to have basically the same user experience in every car I drive--3 of the 4 cars in our family have it and it's always a bit jarring when I have to drive my daughter's car without it.
And yeah, I won't be considering any future GM models that don't have it (though that likely wouldn't have happened anyways
).That being said, I sadly think this is just the first drop in the bucket. In much the same way so many other tech companies mimic Apple's changes (headphone jack, etc), I think you're going to see many other car companies start to follow suit, especially if it means making more money via options/subscriptions. And once a bunch more adopt this position, it'll be like a snowball rolling downhill. At that point, car's with CarPlay may be significantly outnumbered by those lacking it and there will not be a big enough consumer outcry to make a difference. Apple may tout some statistic about roughly 80% claiming their next car must have CarPlay but in reality, most people will just use whatever a car has. Us nerds will have CarPlay near the top of our 'must-haves' but general consumers will car more about the style, color and other features far more that if a car has CarPlay. A casual glance into most cars and I see vehicle phone mounts in more than those without one. People will just put their phone in a mount and be done with it. Teslas are everywhere yet we've yet to see the consumer boycott because of their lack of CarPlay.
I'm going to vote with my wallet whenever I next need to purchase a new car but I don't think it'll make much difference.
That all sounds good on paper. I have a friend who has an F-150 Lightning and he said the range drops by more than half in our cold winters. I think most people who are pro-EV live in more temperate urban environments. I live in the mountains and they just don't make sense up here (for now).
Solar is a great option, but it doesn't make sense in all environments. I wanted to put solar on my house. We get 300+ days of sunshine here (usually, not this past year!), but because of the very high trees around my house, solar will only be efficient for about 7 months out of the year. It's also a huge investment that takes decades to pay off (although given the direction energy prices are headed, that timeframe will no doubt shrink in coming years).
I wanted my electrician to install a battery backup system for my house but he talked me out of it. He said every one of his clients who has gone battery backup has regretted it. Again, I think this is location/climate related. If I lived in southern California instead of the Sierra Nevada mountains, solar + battery backup would probably be a great solution.
I'm all for going solar, but it's not the answer for everyone.
Lol. Thanks for the laugh!
I just picked up my new vehicle the other day. I bought it in a city that's about 7 hours away. The drive is very desolate. I wanted to explore an area I hadn't visited so I punched the destination into Apple Maps. It took me on this very long route. I tried Google. It identified a state maintained gravel road that cut the time by several hours.
This is yet another example of Apple Maps providing either incorrect or inefficient routing. I experience this sort of thing all the time with Apple Maps. So many years after launch, this shouldn't still be the norm.
I still have a single din. A single din flip out display with the CarPlay is like $700. My car is 2002. I would do aftermarket if possible for CarPlay even if I miss out on some functions
You sound like someone that has read a lot, but not actually driven one. After a day or two all of those things become second nature. You train you eyes where to look and become familiar with the screen. The same way you would with a knob in a car. I still look for a knob in the car and never just blind reach for it.
The better way is better training/education.
Require what most consider "advanced" driving instruction before getting a license (at 16). Require annual training until the age of 21.
(There are a few programs out there... Many local police departments have... something. The most affordable national program I can think of with certified in-car coaches in Tire Rack Street Survival - in partnership with the BMWCCA and the SCCA. The main limitation there is the car clubs finding suitable large open paved sites with owners/operators who will allow the sites to be used for these events.)
And, then, require additional/refresher training every 5 years, moving forward.
Tire Rack Street Survival is an example of an amazing and affordable teen driving program, that I'd love to see as required training. I'd love it if the AARP "classes" for older drivers added (any) similar practical training with in-car coaches. The AARP classes (at least in the area my parents live) are a joke in comparison to what many local police departments offer teen drivers.
Making people dependent on tech to keep them "safe" will only make them lazier and even less attentive and less safe on the road.
Sigh.
You say you understand but continue to give examples that show you don't. You don't want heated seats, don't buy a vehicle that has them. Vehicle manufactures aren't going to give away free hardware (wiring harness and controls) in the hopes that people are going to subscribe to the heated seat feature. (And may God help us if we ever become dumb enough to want that.) If this did happen you would still be paying for the heated seat hardware at the time of purchase, plus an additional cost when you go to use them. Most vehicles now have them standard because it's cheaper for them to do it that way.
I'm about 2 1/2 hours away from the Canadian border. I'm aware of the weather they have. My home office is in Texas. I'm also aware of the weather they have there. I've used heated seats in 80+ degree weather when my back is acting up. Weather isn't the only factor of when I'm using AC or heated seats.
Hardware and software are two completely different things. You can add/take away software with a flick of a switch. You can't do that with hardware.
If you feel better paying every time you use your heated seats or AC PM me and I'll send you my Venmo account. $5 /day sounds about right to me. 😉
Commentary: I'm ready to trade in my electric car. Here's why
I love my electric car, but after more than three years I'm thinking of trading it in for a fossil-fueled model because even in California it's not easy being a green motorist.
www.latimes.com
My excitement for an EV kind of went down quite a bit after reading this article. The problem isn’t really finding a working charging spot now, well that’s still sort of a problem. But, another factor is EVs are more popular now, there just isn’t enough charging spots for everyone. A 30 minute charge time could easily double if you have to wait for a spot to open up.
I can think of two EV charging spots in my area. I’m sure there’s more, maybe?
My partner and I have been traveling a bit more for hiking and whatever else. While I’d be fortunate enough to charge at home, I just don’t think the infrastructure is quite there yet to go all in on an EV for us just yet.
I’m due for a new car soon, my aging, non-CarPlay capable 2015 Chevy Sonic has been having lots of mechanical issues. I originally wanted a Bolt EV, but I don’t want to give GM anymore money.
I stand by my opinion - anyone declaring CarPlay as a deal breaker when choosing a vehicle is 10000% daft and I guarantee you that if you want a particular model of car and it no longer has CarPlay, you'll buy it anyhow.
Does your dash-mounted iPhone have as large a screen as most vehicles that support CarPlay? Can you look at your phone as easily as the built-in display? Do turn-by-turn directions show up on your HUD, as they do in some cars? Guess those of us who think these things are important must be "daft" compared to you in your infinite wisdom.
Still, my point is valid. What is going to be the resale value of a car that’s 5 years old with 80-90,000 miles on it? Not good, if at all. Hybrids still solve a problem in that they never need to be hooked up to the grid. We don’t need them to rely on a grid that is aging and will go over capacity, and drivers don’t need to rely on expensive charging stations, especially if they live in apartments. EVs have a lot of real-world problems that many seem content to ignore.
While I don't disagree with this I don't see any training and education fixing it. It's funny even talking about age. I see people doing extremely stupid and dangerous stuff daily (Atlanta commuter) these aren't teens or young adults doing this stuff everyday. They are people who think their job/wife/whatever is more important. Last week I saw a dude going 30ish mph on a middle lane on 75N I thought he was having car trouble and was watching the traffic moving 70+ around him on approach. Nope he was a crotch talker (someone looking straight down obviously on his phone).
So what I am hearing is that GM misses being able to charge its customers obscene amounts of money for software and navigation updates in their proprietary systems.
At this moment hybrid is the way to go. The future is all electric but that is not now
I use an AppleTV because the software built into my television is garbage, and I don't want to have to upgrade my TV to have the latest and fastest interface to my content.
Same situation here - I have no reason to think a car manufacturer will get this stuff right, and their plan is to have me subscribe to their services? They can get bent.
Same situation here - I have no reason to think a car manufacturer will get this stuff right, and their plan is to have me subscribe to their services? They can get bent.
This is what escapes a lot of people who drone on about “renewables” without a complete understanding of the pros AND the cons. Like you, I’m all for solar and other renewables where it makes sense. I live in a cloudy place, but I‘m thinking of installing a couple solar panels to supplement my regular service (I like to tinker). But I can’t go 100% solar as it doesn’t make sense, especially from a financial standpoint. There really is no single ideal solution and we’re quite a few years away from being able to go 100% electric and renewable.
Interesting. I have found just the opposite
I would put one in my 2007 Jeep, but I'm just too lazy.
Totally not true. Last time we were shopping for cars, wife refused to buy one without CarPlay.
Same reason why I wouldn't buy an iMac.
The monitor is pretty much the longest lasting component on a computer. Why on Earth would I want to create any dependency on my monitor and the computer? Mac Mini? Just swap it out and keep going with the monitors I already have.
Same thing but in reverse with a car. I'll keep a car for 15 years or more. The phone that I connect to it and serves up my info needs? Not so much.
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