After announcing it would do away with Android Auto and CarPlay in its future vehicles, GM is doubling down on the decision, now saying that the removal will somehow make drivers use their phone less.
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GM has been under fire lately for its decision to pull the plug on Android Auto and CarPlay in its coming electric vehicles, and in a new interview, the company is doubling down on that decision, saying that its built-in OS can be even better than the current projection systems.
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As GM brings Android Automotive to more of its vehicles, the company is going to stop supporting Android Auto and CarPlay in electric cars.
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Android Auto is just for infotainment systems, while Android Automotive is a full operating system for cars. Following Volvo earlier this year with the Polestar 2, General Motors announced today that it plans to adopt the native Google experience for its vehicles starting in 2021.
GM has announced today that Android Auto will be available in GMC’s 2016 Canyon, Yukon and Sierra, as well as the 2016 Buick LaCrosse and Regal. While Apple’s CarPlay will be available in most models from the start, Android Auto will only be coming to some GMC Sierra models at launch. The rest of the Sierra models and the Yukon and Canyon, as well as the two 2016 cars from Buick, will be getting Android Auto at some point later in the model year.
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Google’s self-driving car initiative may not be as far off as many might think. During a talk at the TED conference in Vancouver, Google’s head of self-driving cars Chris Urmson said that his team is working to launch the technology onto the market by 2020 (that year may sound familiar if you’ve followed the Apple Car rumors). The executive said that he has an 11-year-old son that could be eligible to get his license in 4 and a half years, although he hopes that won’t be needed thanks to the availability of self-driving cars. “My team and I are committed to making sure that doesn’t happen,” Urmson said (via Re/Code).
Google is getting serious about its self-driving car initiative.
Reuters reports on Wednesday that Google has entered discussions with several top automative manufacturers about self-driving cars, including General Motors, Ford, Volkswagen and Daimler, the German company behind Mercedes-Benz. The company has also partnered with a number of auto suppliers to develop and refine self-driving systems and components, such as Continental AG, Robert Bosch, LG Electronics and Nvidia.
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