CarPlay is growing, and Apple has the list to prove it. On the Apple CarPlay website, Apple's list that once read 600 car models now reads 800, with loads of new additions. There's an incredible range of vehicles as well, from luxury sports and supercars from the likes of Ferrari to affordable economy cars from Chevrolet and Hyundai.
Some of the brands on this list may not be adding any new vehicles in the future, however, as General Motors plans to build its in-car infotainment systems in-house, forgoing Apple CarPlay or Android Auto.
No more GM for CarPlay
Even as more auto manufacturers adopt Apple's CarPlay standard, adding the feature to their newest vehicles, GM looks instead to make its own systems. This, in some way, could be a blow to the continued usefulness of a vehicle, as the in-built infotainment system goes out of date and slows down as the vehicle ages. CarPlay is constantly refreshed by upgrading iPhone every few years, keeping the infotainment system slick and useable.
While GM looks to ditch the useful feature, other manufacturers are looking to adopt more features from the CarPlay stable. Some code that Twitter user Nicolás Álvarez found in Apple's servers points to British Sportscar maker Lotus adding CarKey support for its newest vehicles.
Lotus, new CarKey-enabled car? pic.twitter.com/FHW8qRxuPrApril 22, 2023
CarPlay could be seeing a new update this year as well, although it's unlikely to be something we see during WWDC 2023. Instead, it's expected to come around later this year, with Apple likely to announce support for some very cool new features, including multiple display dashboards, amongst others.
Hopefully, you won't have to pay for the privilege, although there has been a precedent set in the past from makers like BMW which makes the feature a pay monthly add-on for customers – one they can pay for with their heated seat subscription.
Whatever happens this year, there'll be cars you can plug your best iPhone into.
