Carmakers love CarPlay, no matter what GM thinks

(Image credit: Apple)

Following the news that the biggest carmaker in the United States is ditching Apple CarPlay you might have been worried that others might consider following suit. But that needn't be a concern, it seems.

GM says that it won't offer CarPlay — or Android Auto, for that matter — on future electric vehicles and will instead use a Google-based in-car entertainment system full of dedicated apps. But a new report says that other carmakers are quick to reiterate their commitment to CarPlay because people, predictably, seem to like it.

“We continue to offer Apple Carplay and Android Auto because customers love the capability that enables easy access and control of their smartphone apps — especially our EV customers because some EVs currently do not offer the features,” said a spokesperson for Ford.

Out on its own

That quote came about after The Verge reached out to multiple carmakers to see where they stand on the subject of CarPlay and Android Auto. And Ford isn't the only one.

Volvo simply replied with a LinkedIn post from its CEO following Apple's iOS 16 CarPlay announcement. Jim Rowan said that the company wants its cars to fit customers' lives and devices, suggesting CarPlay is sticking around.

Perhaps most notable is Honda, a company that is apparently using Google's built-in software for its future Accord. It responded to The Verge by saying that it has no plans to ditch either CarPlay or Android Auto. It said that customers "find value in our support of CarPlay."

Hyundai said it'll be keeping CarPlay around, which suggests that Kia will as well. BMW? It's keeping CarPlay, but it does understand GM's thinking. “Although there are intrinsic benefits to using the native navigation system particularly in [battery-electric vehicles], BMW currently has no plans to restrict the use of Apple CarPlay or Android Auto,” Jay Hansen, product and technology spokesperson for BMW reportedly told The Verge.

GM and perhaps BMW aside, there's a good chance your next car will connect to Apple's best iPhones for years to come, it seems.

Oliver Haslam has written about Apple and the wider technology business for more than a decade with bylines on How-To Geek, PC Mag, iDownloadBlog, and many more. He has also been published in print for Macworld, including cover stories. At iMore, Oliver is involved in daily news coverage and, not being short of opinions, has been known to 'explain' those thoughts in more detail, too. Having grown up using PCs and spending far too much money on graphics card and flashy RAM, Oliver switched to the Mac with a G5 iMac and hasn't looked back. Since then he's seen the growth of the smartphone world, backed by iPhone, and new product categories come and go. Current expertise includes iOS, macOS, streaming services, and pretty much anything that has a battery or plugs into a wall. Oliver also covers mobile gaming for iMore, with Apple Arcade a particular focus. He's been gaming since the Atari 2600 days and still struggles to comprehend the fact he can play console quality titles on his pocket computer.

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