GM Admits No Technical Reason CarPlay Couldn't Be in Future EVs

[MrENGLISH]

My next vehicle requirements:

1) EV
2) CarPlay
3) AWD
4) Heated Seats

Not offering CarPlay is a huge miss for these manufacturers. Although, I already eliminated GM and Tesla for other reasons. I think a Ford EV is in my future but I'm also keeping an eye out on what Dodge is doing with the Charger EV.

 

[toobravetosave]

What if instead we use…buttons and knobs 😃

 

[SactoGuy18]

This is about monetization. I was working for a firm that was looking to partner with automakers for services. Think a subscription to order DoorDash from the car, use MS Teams/Zoom in the car, media/movies etc, get location data and sell it to third parties etc. Automakers will charge for this in the future. CarPlay essentially runs on the phone and Apple controls it. This is the issue.

However, this could get GM in trouble because of the potential for violating antitrust laws on "lock in."

This is why I wonder has Apple quietly changed their stance on USB Type C connectors so the regular iPhone 15 supports USB 3.2 1x1 and the iPhone 15 Pro/Max supports USB 3.2 2x2 connectivity, which will allow compatibility with current USB Type C cables already out there?

 

[tdar]

More than that, GM has publicly stated that accessing streaming services like Spotify will likely be an added subscription cost (you just get 7 years of Google Maps and Google Assistant with purchase). Otherwise you'll have to Bluetooth stream your music from your phone.

You also have to do the Bluetooth thing with your phone calls. They also said that Spotify will be extra cost, but it’ll be the only streaming service available. Want to use Apple Music, sorry. All of this requires me to touch the phone while driving. Which is illegal in my state. They offer nothing for texting and iMessage.

 

[tripsync]

Or just do what Tesla is going to do and at least add AirPlay in the meantime.

 

[JPack]

No different than how Apple doesn't support RCS messaging or third-party app stores.

Everybody has partnerships and vested interests. Of course there's no technical reason.

 

[Light_of_Consciousness]

So GM is trying to exploit range concerns to justify the omission of CarPlay. Sorry, not buying that tighter integration will provide a significantly better user experience. I do believe it affords GM a better position to generate revenue streams from the exclusive access to user data it’s trying to create. And they’re hedging their bets by saying, “I mean we could add it back if people really want.” It’s classic, “We’re doing this to serve you better, but it doesn’t, but saying it makes it so in our book.”

 

[Spagheddie]

So are they right? Does Apple make no affordance for vehicle charging data? If that’s true, there is a potential user experience issue with CarPlay.

They are wrong. EV Charge Routing already exists in Apple Maps and was supported in the Mach-E I previously had. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

 

[Octavius8]

How will my spotify and phone calls work in that scenario?. Plain old BT?, thats progress?

 

[beermode]

In the future meaning after Tesla puts them out of business? 😂

You mean another car company without Apple Car Play.

 

[jmgregory1]

You said it more succinctly and accurately then I did. Its all about generating income and selling our privacy and driving habits

Yep. The fact that they say they’re working with Google, but won’t even support Android Auto is very interesting. I’m guessing they don’t want tech companies with privacy policies that would cut off their ability to sell your driving, charging and shopping habits data to the highest bidder. Instead of giving customers an option, they’re going to force people to agree to their terms AND pay for services that may otherwise have been free. I don’t really care, because I am not a potential GM vehicle buyer.

 

[beermode]

I don't think people will NOT buy a car because it has something other then carplay.

While I'm dismayed at the direction of the automotive industry the writing is on the wall. We're going to see subscriptions, ads, and our driving habits, locations will be sold to the highest bidder. This is going to generate a lot more money for GM then if they stuck with Carplay.

I've used Ford's infotainment system before they went to car play and Jeep's. Both are horrible compared to Carplay, Apple did a great job but alas the writing is on the wall.

Yep. Let's stop pretending others won't do this. Apple really wants to monopolize the tech in cars, and they will try to strongarm manufacturers to bend towards their will, which is Apple wanting 100% of the monetization.

 

[mnsportsgeek]

Kinda makes a little sense. It's valuable for the nav system to know your battery status so it can help you avoid breaking down by the side of the road. I don't think it's worth all of the negatives that a non-carplay system has though.

I imagine Apple would be happy to incorporate that into CarPlay, but the OEM is saying thanks but no thanks.

 

[erikkfi]

I think it goes a bit deeper than that. Next generation CarPlay has deeper access to the car's onboard computer and can read things like tachometer, fuel levels, and control the climate control system. There's no reason battery charge wouldn't be one of the available items to interface over. (Even today CarPlay displays low fuel warning indicators when my car's internal low fuel indicator goes off).

GM previously said that their decision was based specifically on battery conditioning; if the vehicle knows it's being navigated to a charging station then it can take steps to prime the battery to receive its charge. This likely does go beyond CarPlay's capabilities.

Oh that's interesting! I can see how integrating CarPlay creates an engineering challenge in that case.

I'm by no means saying that money/access to users' data isn't behind some of the reasoning for this but I'm always on the lookout for other, more practical reasons.

 

[mark63303]

GM relying on Tesla not having Carplay is false logic. Tesla has never had Carplay and buyers of Telsa are early adopters of EV. GM has Carplay on their current vehicles and now wants to omit this feature. Consumer reaction is already strong.

 

[TheYayAreaLiving 🎗️]

Imagine purchasing a brand new Corvette and there is no CarPlay, LOLLL!

 

[MrTemple]

GM is actually super smart here. They know their demographic is generally older, more affluent. These are people who generally own Android phones because they like more fine-control over their personal technology. These tech-savvy folks will enjoy tinkering with the ways their phone can interact with their Cadillac.

*am handed a note*

 

[rgwebb]

Imagine purchasing a brand new Corvette and there is no CarPlay, LOLLL!

View attachment 2244646

Today, I parked next to a red C8 Z06 with matching red leather interior accents.

Got to mention that the sticker price on that still isn't the likely selling price. Dealer probably marked it up 10-15k.

 

[PsykX]

having just finally upgraded to a car with car play, I would definitely not purchase a vehicle without it.

Same. I don't know what GM is thinking here, but they will lose sales for sure, and this will also affect their used market eventually.

I upgraded my old Hyundai Elantra 2013 with CarPlay back in 2019, and added a Wireless CarPlay dongle in 2022, and I would never go back.

Honestly, I'm soon in the market for another car, but having this already doesn't make me "needy" for another car.

 

[mark63303]

I don't think people will NOT buy a car because it has something other then carplay.

While I'm dismayed at the direction of the automotive industry the writing is on the wall. We're going to see subscriptions, ads, and our driving habits, locations will be sold to the highest bidder. This is going to generate a lot more money for GM then if they stuck with Carplay.

I've used Ford's infotainment system before they went to car play and Jeep's. Both are horrible compared to Carplay, Apple did a great job but alas the writing is on the wall.

I won’t buy a car without Carplay.

 

[anthogag]

GM should offer CarPlay. Drivers typically don’t use maps all the time to get around.

The Cadillac looks very good.

 

[bobcomer]

Carplay or Android Auto just aren't good enough for me not to buy a care because it's not available. If Apple would just fix the bluetooth volume level crud in their iPhone that would be good enough for me. (volume is always too low on bluetooth) I have to turn the car's audio up so loud that when I switch to something in the car like the radio, it's WAY too loud.

 

[btrach144]

Clearly everyone on here is biased towards CarPlay (myself included) but market data also shows that people want android auto and CarPlay.

GM seems dumb here. Yikes if I was a share holder.

 

[AnamanFan]

Golson spoke to GM representatives about the omission and they shared that the decision was made due to EV-specific functionality such as utilizing vehicle charge state information to assist with navigation routing.

This is false. iOS supports EV routing with charge state information. I use it every road trip I make with my Ford Mustang Mach-E since it was released in March 2022.

It does require the car to communicate the information to iOS. Last I checked only Ford vehicles including the Mach-E and F150 Lightning. While I couldn't find public documentation, it's clear it's not meant to be a Ford-only feature. Much like how Apple Car Keys is the implementation of the CCC Digital Key standard, I would be shocked if this feature was highly proprietary.

 

[iPay]

As you know, Apple partners must first sign a commercial contract - including the infamous Apple tax - and only then a technical contract. Big companies (e.g. banks) don't easily give in, usually ending up with Apple taking 30% of "something" to be debated. This can take years and may be the reason of Apple and GM disagreement. Since both companies make 40%+ sales in North America, this is surely a stateside matter.