Ford doubles down on Apple CarPlay and Android Auto support

Ford will continue supporting Apple CarPlay and Android Auto in its vehicles going forward. CEO Jim Farley reiterated Ford's stance on Threads, saying Ford is "committed to keeping Apple CarPlay & Android Auto". He continued that Ford customers love the features and that Ford works closely with Apple and Google.

Ford is in the majority here - most carmakers have confirmed their support of CarPlay and Android Auto. Volvo CEO Jim Rowan says future versions of CarPlay would be more deeply integrated into the car's infotainment. Hyundai, Kia, and BMW have all confirmed that CarPlay and Android Auto aren't going anywhere.

GM is the outlier with the company moving forward with a plan to drop CarPlay and Android Auto support in future cars, but also remove the functionality in older models. GM will bet on controlling the infotainment of its cars and likely trying to monetize it to support certain apps and features.

Tesla and Rivian, both EV-only, have also never opened support for CarPlay or Android Auto in their aim to control the software experience inside their vehicles. Tesla has a $10 per month Premium Connectivity package that includes access to Apple Podcasts and more.

But CarPlay support is important to buyers. Apple claims that 80% of new car buyers wouldn't even consider a car if it doesn't have CarPlay support.

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