GM says it’s ditching CarPlay to make drivers safer

Earlier this year, General Motors (GM) announced plans to phase out Apple’s CarPlay and Android Auto systems in its future electric vehicles, with the company instead relying on an infotainment system co-developed with Google. This wasn’t a popular decision with iPhone users, and today GM offered some additional thoughts on the decision in a discussion with Motor Trend.

According to Tim Babbitt, GM’s head of infotainment, GM has driver safety in mind. CarPlay and Android Auto can experience issues like poor connections, slow response times, compatibility issues, and connectivity issues, taking drivers’ attention off the road with smartphone troubleshooting.

Babbitt claims that drivers will be less likely to pick up their phones with a built-in system that doesn’t rely on a service like ‌CarPlay‌, leading to improved safety on the road. GM doesn’t have any data proving that the infotainment system is less distracting than ‌CarPlay‌, nor has it done any testing.

Babbitt cited JD Power data indicating that issues with ‌CarPlay‌ and Android Auto are common complaints from vehicle owners, with customers often blaming the vehicle manufacturer rather than Apple or Google.

The infotainment system GM plans to adopt instead of ‌CarPlay‌ will have built-in Google apps, including Google Maps and Google Assistant for voice commands, rather than a third-party navigation system. like Motor Trend He points out that eliminating ‌CarPlay‌ will provide GM with more control over driver data, and will allow GM to offer subscription services and apps that allow for the purchase of food, gas, and other miscellaneous items.

Back in August, GM said that choosing not to offer ‌CarPlay‌ would give it more insight into charge status information to help guide navigation and provide a better user experience.

‌CarPlay‌ will be eliminated in electric vehicles under the Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, and GMC brands. GM’s combustion vehicles will continue to support ‌CarPlay‌ until it is phased out in favor of an all-electric lineup in 2035.