Need to save my money ... Porsche Macan. However, I would be afraid to park it in a crowded lot! I actually, like the VW Jetta but I don't know if the next gen CarPlay will be available.
Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
GM Says It's Nixing CarPlay to Make Drivers Safer
- Thread starter MacRumors
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
My suspicion (and I've only been following the EV market, because I've been driving plug-in for a decade, and my next car will certainly be a full BEV) is that it'll hit the Macan next year, then start appearing in other VW group vehicles in 2025. It may be a big enough deal that it requires some level of interior redesign, so it might well be 3-5 years to full rollout (I don't know when the Jetta's due for its next redesign)? I suspect it won't hit a 2024 redesign, but it might well in 2025 or later...
Alternate TechCrunch article title:
techcrunch.com
GM Says It's Nixing EV Blazer Sales to Make Drivers Safer
GM stops Chevy Blazer EV sales after early software problems | TechCrunch
General Motors has temporarily halted sales of the brand new Chevy Blazer EV after some of the first vehicles shipped encountered a number of software
techcrunch.com
Most likely that they just want to force a navigation package onto buyers, complete with subscription model to keep maps up to date.
-
-
Just watched a TFL EV video where they had the Subaru version of the Toyota EV and they couldn't use the built in maps to check for how far they could go because it required a subscription.
interesting that the Ultium cars are having such problems. I've driven Voltec cars (GM's prior generation EV architecture - mine have been a pair of PHEV Volts but the full EV Bolt is ALSO Voltec) for a decade with very few problems.
Looks like they got ambitious with Ultium, and aren't getting it to work correctly. The only Ultium cars out there until a few weeks ago were limited-production (largely Hummers). As soon as a few mainstream cars showed up, they seem to be a nightmare...
Looks like they got ambitious with Ultium, and aren't getting it to work correctly. The only Ultium cars out there until a few weeks ago were limited-production (largely Hummers). As soon as a few mainstream cars showed up, they seem to be a nightmare...
Wonder if GM will use that as “proof” that CarPlay is unsafe since it is software too. 😝Alternate TechCrunch article title:
GM Says It's Nixing EV Blazer Sales to Make Drivers Safer
GM stops Chevy Blazer EV sales after early software problems | TechCrunch
General Motors has temporarily halted sales of the brand new Chevy Blazer EV after some of the first vehicles shipped encountered a number of software
I've owned 2 Volts. The 2012 and the 2019 versions. With the exception of a bluetooth issue on the 2012 version that would drain the 12v battery, they were largely bug free in the infotainment system... But the systems are nowhere near as user friendly as CarPlay, and they charged a lot to update the maps. I purchased a dongle to use CarPlay wirelessly in the 2019 volt and rarely pop out of that interface anymore. I will give the 2012 volt props for one feature though... It has a feature like a DVR for the radio. You could pause live radio and rewind a bit if you missed something. Great for pausing an NPR story while dealing with the drive through, or rewinding something you missed because some jerk just cut you off and you had to flip him off. Otherwise it was not a great system. The Nav system would take forever to load and was frustrating to enter an address in to. Totally confusing.
GM has been going through continuous layoffs and buyouts for the past 5 years or so, mainly targeting older workers. The key people who developed the Voltec software over a decade ago are likely long gone. Their current crack team, consisting of a dozen new college hires who couldn't get jobs at FAANG, backed with an Indian outsourcing company with 80% personnel turnover, are experiencing some difficulties...
Earlier this year, General Motors (GM) announced plans to phase out Apple's CarPlay and Android Auto in its future electric vehicles, with the company instead relying on an infotainment system co-developed with Google. This has not been a popular decision with iPhone users, and today, GM provided some additional insight into the decision in a discussion with MotorTrend.
According to Tim Babbitt, GM's head of product for infotainment, GM has driver safety in mind. CarPlay and Android Auto can have issues like bad connections, slow response times, compatibility issues, and connectivity problems, leading drivers to be distracted from the road with smartphone troubleshooting.
Babbitt claims that drivers will be less likely to pick up their phones with a built-in system that does not rely on a service like CarPlay, leading to improved safety on the road. GM does not have any data to prove that an infotainment system is less distracting than CarPlay, nor has it done any testing.
Babbitt cited J.D. Power data suggesting issues with CarPlay and Android Auto are common complaints from vehicle owners, with customers often blaming the vehicle manufacturer rather than Apple or Google.
The infotainment system that GM plans to adopt instead of CarPlay will have integrated Google apps, including Google Maps and Google Assistant for voice commands, rather than a third-party navigation system. As MotorTrend points out, eliminating CarPlay will provide GM with more control over driver data, and it will allow GM to offer subscription services and apps that allow for purchases of food, gas, and other sundries.
Back in August, GM said that choosing not to offer CarPlay would give it more information about charge state information to assist with navigation routing and provide a better user experience.
CarPlay will be eliminated in electric vehicles under the Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, and GMC brands. Combustion vehicles from GM will continue to support CarPlay until they are phased out in favor of an all-electric lineup in 2035.
Update: In a statement to MacRumors, GM said the following:
Article Link: GM Says It's Nixing CarPlay to Make Drivers Safer
@dwfaust Says He's Nixing GM Vehicles From His Garage.
GM is crap anyway... been a Ford man for years...
CarPlay gives us full access to UPDATED necessary apps and info while driving. GM is trying to force their customers back into the $199 charge for map updates and other paid access to apps that are much cheaper, much better and much more reliable on CarPlay...
I've never bothered with built-in nav on my Volts - they work very well with CarPlay. The other functions that run through the infotainment - electric vehicle information, AM-FM radio, climate control (hybrid - physical knobs and buttons, but uses the screen to display many settings), etc. have worked very well.
The other thing that is heavily software defined in the Volt, and has been bug-free, is the complex drivetrain. It's MOSTLY a series hybrid (the gas engine primarily charges the battery as a range extender), but the gas engine can also drive the wheels in limited circumstances. The only powertrain issue I've ever had is purely related to the old-tech gas engine - a stuck Exhaust Gas Recirculation (EGR) valve.
It doesn't look like Ultium is heading down that track!
The other thing that is heavily software defined in the Volt, and has been bug-free, is the complex drivetrain. It's MOSTLY a series hybrid (the gas engine primarily charges the battery as a range extender), but the gas engine can also drive the wheels in limited circumstances. The only powertrain issue I've ever had is purely related to the old-tech gas engine - a stuck Exhaust Gas Recirculation (EGR) valve.
It doesn't look like Ultium is heading down that track!
Americans are in love with their phones and their phone's capabilities. If you take that away from them (no more Carplay) customers will walk away from your auto. Let's see which auto company does it first and what happens to their sales.
They are living in a world of their own where 60s never ended and GM is still the king of the industry.
Alternatively, a few people at the top know this will eventually backfire, but in the meantime it helps with improving stock performance for several quarters, makes top shareholders happy, inflates their bonuses, and by the time poo hits the fan it's going to be someone else's problem.
Oh lordy
electrek.co
More bad buzz for Chevy Blazer EV: software glitches, doors that fly open
After stopping sales for software issues, GM has now issued a small safety recall for its Chevy Blazer EV for defective doors.
electrek.co
Just here to pile on and say, keep your crappy cars and crappy infotainment system, GM. I won't be setting foot in your showroom.
If GM really wanted to make drivers safer, they'd shutter their operation.
The tech is cool, but they're absolute junk. You can find plenty of videos of people picking them up from the dealership and have tons of defects from the factory. Misaligned panels, etc.
It was just semi-recently they had a recall because the bolts that hold the seat in place would get loose or just fall off.
It's because it's a non-union company. Never buy a car built by non-union workers. They are over worked, under paid, and just dgaf.
Last edited:
Or never buy a car from a company run by unions. Constant tea breaks, production lines shut down, no pride in the product whatsoever.
Who do you think cares more to do a good job? A guy with no union that fears losing his job if he screws up, or a guy in a union that knows the union will keep him safe no matter what, pretty much?
The union member, hands down, no question. When workers are constantly in fear of their job they only do enough to not get fired. When workers are treated well they tend to do much higher quality work.
Last edited:
No, union members consistently do better work are more qualified and better trained. They are invested in what they do. Non-union workers typically are treated worse so they care less to do good work.