In surprising car news today, we’ve learned that General Motors is planning to drop support for both Apple CarPlay and Android Auto from new electric vehicles it plans to launch in the next few years. The decision won’t affect any GM vehicles already on the market, nor will it apply to gasoline- or diesel-powered GM vehicles in the coming years—just EVs.

“As we scale our EVs and launch our Ultifi software platform, we can do more than ever before with in-vehicle technologies and over-the-air updates. All of this is allowing us to constantly improve the customer experience we can offer across our brands,” said Edward Kummer, GM’s chief digital officer.

GM told Ars that it’s moving away from phone projection to offer customers a more integrated solution that sees Google Maps, Google Assistant, Audible, Spotify, and other applications run natively on its cars’ infotainment systems.

I must admit, I’m rather taken aback by this decision. For starters, Apple CarPlay is wildly popular; Apple says 79 percent of new car buyers insist on this feature. While independent surveys don’t find quite this level of demand, a 2020 survey showed 48 percent of car buyers want CarPlay or Android Auto in their next vehicle.

Plus, GM is responsible for one of the most advanced CarPlay and Android Auto integrations I’ve yet encountered. When we drove the Cadillac Lyriq last year, it was the first vehicle we’ve encountered that would cast a map and directions from a phone to the main instrument panel in addition to or instead of in the CarPlay or Android Auto window on the infotainment screen.

The model-year 2024 Lyriq will retain CarPlay and Android Auto, as will the 2024 Hummer EV truck and SUV, the 2024 Chevrolet Silverado EV, and the 2024 Chevrolet Bolt EV and Bolt EUV.

The first new GM EV to debut sans phone projection will be the 2024 Chevrolet Blazer EV, which goes on sale later this year, as well as the 2024 Chevrolet Equinox EV (which will debut at under $30,000), the hand-made, low volume 2024 Cadillac Celestiq (which will cost roughly 10 times as much as an Equinox EV), and the 2025 GMC Sierra EV.

GM says the Blazer EV will come with “standard connectivity that allows customers to access Google Maps and Google Assistant, at no additional cost, for eight years beginning at time of vehicle purchase.”

https://arstechnica.com/?p=1928297