Copyright AL.com
Automaker General Motors is slowly phasing out the use of Apple CarPlay and Android Auto in its gas-powered cars to make way for a voice-automated car system. GM has expressed in multiple reports its willingness to work on its own technology to provide a more integrated driving experience. Part of that effort includes a deeper partnership with the Google AI platform called Gemini. Currently, GM collaborates with both Apple and Google to use their smartphone projection technology. But that is expected to change as GM’s software becomes more advanced. GM’s CEO Mary Barra explained in The Verge’s “Decoder” podcast that there were business and customer service-related factors that played a role in this decision. The automaker’s electric cars haven’t included Apple CarPlay or Android Auto since 2023. Plus, drivers prefer to project their phones onto the car’s display screen instead. Barra repeated concerns from customers who say switching between CarPlay and the vehicle’s native interface is “too clunky.” GM stressed that this change won’t happen overnight and it won’t occur on vehicles that already have Android Auto and CarPlay. The company will gradually make the change as new editions of cars are released on the road. In the meantime, GM is working with Google Gemini to give customers the ability to ask questions audibly while driving. But in 2028, GM plans to launch its own centralized computing platform. Wiith this update, customers cars will be able to tell drivers why their check engine light is on. Drivers can also communicate with their cars to complete certain tasks, such as texts or phone calls, in the same way that they talk to Amazon’s Alexa or Apple’s Siri.
