Tesla, one of the original Apple CarPlay holdouts, may finally be close to adopting the hugely popular phone projection system for its cars. bloomberg Today’s report. Anonymous sources told the publication that the company has begun testing the capability internally, and may be close to releasing it publicly, perhaps in a few months — or perhaps not at all. Tesla has a history of toying with various features for months or even years before ultimately deciding to eliminate them.
Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are typically two of the most sought-after features for new car buyers. But despite vigorous opposition from fans, Tesla has never allowed phone mirroring in its cars, arguing that it can provide a better, more integrated software experience than smartphones – a position that is becoming oddly popular among some legacy automakers like GM.
Of course, Tesla’s version of CarPlay will be subject to the automaker’s own allowances. The company plans to display CarPlay in a window within the larger interface, bloomberg That said, which means the launch won’t completely replace Tesla’s own software. Tesla also plans to use the standard version of CarPlay, rather than Apple’s new more immersive CarPlay Ultra, which includes core functions like speedometer and climate functions.
Not surprisingly, the absence of Apple CarPlay is often a sticking point for many car buyers. A 2023 survey revealed that nearly half of new car buyers globally would not buy a car without CarPlay or Android Auto. The same survey said 85 percent of people preferred a phone-based system over their car’s built-in software.
It’s a sign of these weird, upside-down times we’re living in that a company like GM is actively planning how to beef up its own software to reduce the need for CarPlay, based largely on the success of EV-only companies like Tesla and Rivian that don’t allow phone launch — and meanwhile, one of those same EV-only companies is now considering its own flip-flop on CarPlay. Wild stuff!