Ford CEO: We're Not Ditching CarPlay Anytime Soon
Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are among the most asked-for tech features in new cars, but automakers can’t seem to come to terms with what that means for their own technology interfaces. Toyota was super slow to offer the tech, much to the irritation of buyers, and we recently learned that GM plans to phase the feature out in EVs going forward. The automaker’s cross-town rival, Ford, won’t be heading down the same path, as CEO Jim Farley said the battle has already been lost.
Farley told The Wall Street Journal that “in terms of content, we kind of lost that battle ten years ago. So, like get real with it because you’re not going to make a ton of money on content inside the vehicle.” That statement is music to the ears of anyone hoping for the now-familiar smartphone interface in their next vehicle, but it might not change anything for GM.
Automakers want more customer data and to make money from the services that people use in their cars every day. Swapping a GM-made interface for the popular Apple service gives the company control over all the data generated by users’ activities instead of handing it to the tech giant with CarPlay. At the same time, people like the features because they work, and automakers’ cobbled-together systems don’t always get the job done.
[Image: Gabriel Nica via Shutterstock]
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Chris grew up in, under, and around cars, but took the long way around to becoming an automotive writer. After a career in technology consulting and a trip through business school, Chris began writing about the automotive industry as a way to reconnect with his passion and get behind the wheel of a new car every week. He focuses on taking complex industry stories and making them digestible by any reader. Just don’t expect him to stay away from high-mileage Porsches.
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If a CEO makes an announcement saying their company will never do [x] or stop offering [x] you have about 4 months left until the change.
Ultimately to sell you something, not sure what they're trying to sell.
"At the same time, people like the features because they work, and automakers’ cobbled-together systems don’t always get the job done."
GM's system in my ZR2 is junk. I had very little problems with my F150's Sync system.
Carplay will be back in gm EV's by the 2026 model year, bank on it!