Image: Apple
Apple’s next-gen CarPlay—now named CarPlay Ultra—has had a bumpy beginning. After its preview at WWDC 2022 and name change earlier this year, the first vehicles are only just rolling off the lot, and now a new report claims several carmakers are taking their dashboard tech in a different direction.
According to the Financial Times, several auto groups that had initially indicated support, including Mercedes-Benz, Audi, Volvo, Polestar, and Renault, have declined to bring the in-car system to their fleet. Of note, all of those cars support Apple’s current CarPlay system, which is limited to navigation screens.
Apple calls CarPlay Ultra “the ultimate in-car experience,” and boasts about its deep integration with all of the driver’s screens, including “real-time content and gauges in the instrument cluster.” Unlike CarPlay, each CarPlay Ultra integration is uniquely tailored to the carmaker’s preferences and offers a fully customizable experience. However, it still requires the driver to have an iPhone and is an option built on top of the carmaker’s stock system.
However, the Financial Times reports that some carmakers are wary about Apple’s in-car takeover and have balked at the concept. One executive at Renault reportedly told Apple: “Don’t try to invade our own systems.”
Aston Martin is the first carmaker to support the system in new cars rolling out in 2025 and will bring the system to existing models as well. Apple has also announced that Hyundai, Kia, and Genesis will also bring CarPlay Ultra to their vehicles.
Back in 2023, General Motors announced that it would be ending support for CarPlay in favor of its own infotainment system, and Tesla and Rivian have never offered it in their cars. With screens commanding drivers’ attention full-time, some carmakers want to make sure people know they are driving a Cadillac or Benz rather than an Apple Car.
Author: Michael Simon, Executive Editor, Macworld
Michael Simon has been covering Apple for more than 20 years. He started covering rumors with Spymac when the iPod was the iWalk, and has owned nearly every iPhone Apple has ever made. He lives in Connecticut with his wife, son, and far too many gadgets.
