Sidebar Sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

Electric Vehicle Maker Polestar Announces CarPlay Support

kc9hzn said:
Well yeah, models I’ve heard of (or at least I’ve heard of the Leaf), by manufacturers I’ve heard of. These Polestar guys are Volvo backed, but I don’t understand why Volvo doesn’t just bring them in house (unless they’re not really serious about this market segment but just want to play around with it). I suppose it’s a little like when Ford was playing with the TH!NK concept.
Click to expand...

I feel exactly the same. I suspect even with CarPlay available there’s still no way to own this car without sending data to Google.
 
  • Like
Reactions: KennyYoung
DanteHicks79 said:
...Tesla has dealerships (at least, outside of Texas and New Mexico lulz)
Click to expand...
Tesla dealerships are owned by Tesla, all other dealerships are not owned by the manufacture, and is somehow illegal for them to own them. i.e. Ford could not legally own a Ford dealership.
 
  • Like
Reactions: DanteHicks79
Menel said:
Because those are not actually popular brands of EV's.

Volume, popular models would be things like the Nissan Leaf, GM Bolt, or Ford Mach E.
Click to expand...

True of ultra high end brands like Rivian and Lucid, but that person mentioned Tesla which is still the volume EV brand. Tesla sells more Model Y alone than all those models you mentioned combined, and it isn’t close!

As far as worldwide EV volume it’s:
1. Tesla
2. Chinese brands
3. VW
 
jaytv111 said:
Step one: don’t sign up for cellular service for the car. Step two: don’t connect the car to Wi-Fi. There, it can’t send anything to Google without internet.
Click to expand...
Correct, but that also means you’re locked out of software updates, so that’s not really a viable option. Plus, you paid for the car and not doing those things basically means you spent a bunch of money on a feature you’ll never use. Why go through those hoops to own this vehicle when you could just buy a car that doesn’t use Android Automotive?
 
kc9hzn said:
Correct, but that also means you’re locked out of software updates, so that’s not really a viable option. Plus, you paid for the car and not doing those things basically means you spent a bunch of money on a feature you’ll never use. Why go through those hoops to own this vehicle when you could just buy a car that doesn’t use Android Automotive?
Click to expand...
Well I kind of like Android Automotive myself, but if I didn't like it I could imagine minimizing my Google usage with an AAOS car by not using the built in apps (except car controls), and only using software updating if absolutely necessary (like updating to get Carplay of course). If I don't connect it to cellular they can't get any "live" data whatsoever, if it's just connecting to wifi for the update then all they can send is "old" data.
 
So excited for this!!! I'm out of town for work so I'm hoping the OTA update is waiting for me when I get back. When the Polestar 2 was announced in 2020, they promised wireless CarPlay, but due to "complications" it's going to be wired which is a bummer. Frankly, I never thought I'd buy a car without CarPlay, but the native AAOS in Polestar is so good, it'll be interesting to see if I actually use CarPlay....
 
  • Like
  • Wow
Reactions: KennyYoung and NoGood@Usernames
scheinderrob said:
if only tesla would follow suit with their barebones, buggy ui that breaks something with every update.
Click to expand...

Agreed. I wish the Tesla would have CarPlay. Given they’re producing their own Pi Phone they’re probably holding out to integrate it with that OS. Goodness knows how long that will take or if it would be any good. However I welcome any significant alternative to the Android and iOS duopoly.
 
bluespark said:
Interesting theory. I was also wondering what exactly Polestar is, since Volvo seems to be actively pursuing EV technology on their own with the attractive XC-40 Recharge.
Click to expand...
Thats the same car. As the C40 and P2. Same technology underneath just rebranded and another style. Just take a look at the release notes for the Volvos. It’s 99% the same. BTW Polestar was the performance branding for Volvo in recent years (it was an external tuner before they purchased them).
 
  • Like
Reactions: NoGood@Usernames and bluespark
kc9hzn said:
As alluded to in my post, I don’t drive anymore, I live in a place where it’s less of a hassle to use (mostly underground) public transportation. And the point is largely moot anyway, since I’m still mostly work from home. So I actually don’t see a wide variety of vehicles on a regular basis, and I couldn’t tell you about differences in styling.

And you seem to have missed my bigger point about trying to copy the success of Tesla with luxury EVs. Living where I do (well, not exactly where I do, but maybe a little further out), I could really see the value of an EV city car. I’m not really as keen on the idea of a full sized sedan EV personally (luxury or not). And I’d prefer to see a) some proper economy EVs that b) retain their value over time and c) still make sense in a world of higher electric prices. Basically, I’d like to see an EV that makes sense on its own terms and not just with current technology/social priorities. (IE: Personal cars don’t contribute to greenhouse gases nearly as much as planes, boats, or trucks, but, if every car were to be on the grid, there would need to be substantial increases in energy generation. So electric cars really need to prove their worth over gasoline in the long run or fuel cell designs that are on the horizon. But electric is nice to have if it’s cheaper to fuel than gas, or if you can take advantage of HOV lanes or tax credits for driving electric.) So I’m not sure if EVs are really the solution in the long run.

I’d honestly prefer the idea of a plug in hybrid full sized sedan anyway (like the Chevy Volt was), if just because I know that, if I owned a car in my current arrangements, I’d probably want to drive it out of the city and would be worried about charging, yet I could still take advantage of electric incentive programs. I don’t think current DC Fast charging is the answer, either, because fast charging reduces range by 20% (relative to full charge) and still takes 3 times as long as gas fueling. Not really an issue on most trips, sure, but, growing up in the Midwest, 4 hour car trips tended to be a thing we did multiple times a year. And if you can only afford one or two cars, I’m not sure how practical a luxury EV sedan is if it doesn’t meet all your driving needs. If you’re only getting about an hour’s drive on each charge (because you’re fast charging, running the radio, and running the AC or heater) and it takes 15 minutes to charge up, you’ve added a full hour to a 4 hour car trip. The same trip in gas would maybe take 4 hours and 10 minutes or 4 hours and 15 minutes (depending on how many times you need to stop for fuel, but you probably only need to stop every 100 miles driven or every hour and a half or so). Even my old gas guzzler could do about a 200 mile trip while only needing refueling once.

I’d totally be open to an EV if I were doing city driving or strictly suburban driving, so I’m not opposed to the idea. But the electric luxury market seems to be saturated to me, and that’s what I’m pointing out. Besides, I’d like to see start ups trying to go beyond the EV or create an electric concept that meets more people’s needs, instead of trying the same general idea as Tesla because “there’s gold in them thar hills”.
Click to expand...
To sum it up… you never did a long-range trip in an EV, you are skeptical of change, hope for the technical wonder, that lets you keep your habits, plus you don’t understand efficiency issues of e.g. fuel cells and you seem to have an above average sized bladder. 😄
 
  • Like
  • Haha
  • Disagree
Reactions: KennyYoung, DanteHicks79 and Tagbert
BongaHinga said:
To sum it up… you never did a long-range trip in an EV, you are skeptical of change, hope for the technical wonder, that lets you keep your habits, plus you don’t understand efficiency issues of e.g. fuel cells and you seem to have an above average sized bladder. 😄
Click to expand...
Habits? Nah, it’s more like a necessity if you live in a small town. How else are you supposed to get to a big city when you need something from it? The reality of life in a rural small city is that you’ll need to travel to a big city at some point, for one amenity or another. So EVs aren’t really realistic in rural America until you can do those things. Maybe if the car could charge in 5 minutes instead of 15, it wouldn’t be so bad. And, if you live in a city (well, in a part of the city that has garages and driveways and not a lot of public transportation), EVs definitely work great.
 
  • Disagree
  • Like
Reactions: cyb3rdud3, Victor Mortimer and arkitect
NightFox said:
This is something Polestar promised at launch 2 years ago and they’ve only just managed to deliver on it. Plus, they had to take a step back and only offer wired when they’d originally promised wireless. And even after that, they’ve provided a bare-bones experience, for example, no Maps CarPlay display in the centre console despite CarPlay supporting that for years.

It’s hardly something Polestar should be shouting from the rooftops about.

And those who say they wouldn’t touch a car with an Android OS, you need to look at how many car manufacturers have now signed up to it. Spoiler: there’s a lot of big names on that list
Click to expand...
True it took a while, but false about the wireless promise.
 
BongaHinga said:
Thats the same car. As the C40 and P2. Same technology underneath just rebranded and another style. Just take a look at the release notes for the Volvos. It’s 99% the same. BTW Polestar was the performance branding for Volvo in recent years (it was an external tuner before they purchased them).
Click to expand...
Cool, thanks. I like it (in the Volvo version).
 
XC60 2022 Have received the so waited CarPlay update as well..

Software updates​


Updated 6/20/2022

Volvo is constantly developing the in-car systems and the services offered to you. When the software in your car is updated you can have access to many new functions as well as improvements. The car's software can be updated to the latest version online or in connection with service at an authorised Volvo dealer. You will be informed in the centre display when new software is available online.

Note​

  • Functionality after updating may vary depending on market, model, model year and options.
  • Updating to the latest version also includes previously released updates.

Updates in software V2.2​

  • Introduction of Apple CarPlay.
  • Video apps can now be used in the car when parked. Video apps will be available in Google Play Store at a later time.
  • Reduced rate of false “no entry” traffic sign alerts.
  • Improved compatibility with iPhone, including wireless charging.
  • Drivetrain optimisation adjustments.
 
NightFox said:
Plenty of sources out there saying they did. One for example (last paragraph): https://www.slashgear.com/polestar-2-will-lack-apple-carplay-at-evs-launch-29618703.

Polestar even made a formal announcement when they changed tack and went wired. Unfortunately, it's hard to find a reference on Google right now as today's Polestar/CarPlay launch is swamping it.
Click to expand...
Your example was an error by SlashGear; there is no attribution to Polestar saying it would be wireless.
 
kc9hzn said:
Habits? Nah, it’s more like a necessity if you live in a small town. How else are you supposed to get to a big city when you need something from it? The reality of life in a rural small city is that you’ll need to travel to a big city at some point, for one amenity or another. So EVs aren’t really realistic in rural America until you can do those things. Maybe if the car could charge in 5 minutes instead of 15, it wouldn’t be so bad. And, if you live in a city (well, in a part of the city that has garages and driveways and not a lot of public transportation), EVs definitely work great.
Click to expand...
Well it works in rural everywhere else. How fast are you actually driving? Even on German Autobahn EVs are doing 200km at max speed (stupid but thats the ppls mindset here).
 
  • Like
Reactions: Tagbert
I feel like this and android auto should be standard offerings these days. Let the user decide if it's something they are interested in using.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom
Back