GM Says Ditching CarPlay “Is Not About Subscriptions”

The new strategy is pretty much the end of CarPlay and Android Auto in General Motors vehicles. The first model to give up on this feature is the 2024 Blazer EV, with the rest of the zero-emission launches to follow in its footsteps moving forward.

Vehicles with internal combustion engines would continue to support Android Auto and CarPlay, but given General Motors’ plans to go all-in on EVs by 2035, the days of these platforms are already numbered.

The announcement sparked massive controversy in the automotive world, especially as most carmakers sided with customers and promised to continue offering Android Auto and CarPlay in their vehicles. Buyers worldwide threatened to look elsewhere if General Motors sticks with its plans.

Since then, the American car giant used every little occasion to defend its infotainment strategy. While Android Automotive would allow the company to still offer Android Auto and CarPlay alongside other integrated capabilities, GM’s strategy of giving up on mobile phone projection looks set in stone.

Many believe the switch to Android Automotive is part of the company’s strategy of turning subscriptions into a major cash cow in the long term. GM says it won’t charge customers in the first eight years after the vehicle purchase, suggesting that eventually, drivers would still have to pay for certain infotainment capabilities.

Nick Festa, GM’s director of digital business, explains in an interview that giving up on Android Auto and CarPlay is not at all about subscriptions but about the company’s desire to improve the digital experience for customers. Sure enough, this sounds like typical PR language, but Android Automotive does offer more advanced capabilities than Android Auto and CarPlay.

Drivers get access to new features thanks to the integration of Google services. Google Maps can track the existing battery charge and suggest charging stops when needed. Google Assistant can also control more vehicle settings, including the air conditioning system.

However, Festa admits that “this system may help pull in revenue at some point,” more or less confirming that a subscription-based approach is coming.

In the meantime, General Motors seems to be all alone in its struggle to leave Android Auto and CarPlay behind. Several other carmakers, including Ford, Toyota, and Honda, confirmed their future models would still offer mobile phone projection despite some specific vehicles also adopting more advanced systems like Android Automotive.

Other carmakers, such as BMW, plan to use a different approach, adopting Android Automotive without Google services. This way, they would retain full control over the infotainment system without giving in to Google and providing the search company with access to vehicle data.