Tesla is reportedly planning to offer Apple’s infotainment system CarPlay, reversing its long-standing policy of not including it in its vehicles.
The information was first reported by Bloomberg on Thursday, citing people with knowledge of the matter, who said that internal tests have already started.
Apple CarPlay allows iPhone users to mirror their smartphone’s interface on the car’s infotainment system, with a layout optimized for driving.
Apple’s solution is integrated into over 800 models across more than 20 brands, including Mercedes-Benz, Audi, BMW, BYD, Ferrari, Hyundai, and US electric vehicle maker Lucid Motors (since 2023).
According to the sources, Tesla has been discussing a rollout “in the coming months,” however, there is no timeline defined yet.
If the Apple system is made available, users can choose to use it or stick with Tesla‘s system, the sources added.
However, features like Full Self-Driving can only be accessed through the company’s original infotainment system.
Approached by the outlet, neither Tesla nor Apple have provided any comment.
For many drivers, CarPlay has become an essential feature — yet some EV manufacturers have opted not to include it.
It is the case of not only Tesla, but also California-based Rivian.
Its founder and CEO RJ Scaringe reinforced last month that the company won’t be adopting Apple’s CarPlay into Rivian vehicles, as they want a “seamless digital experience” in their software.
Musk’s Criticism on Apple
Tesla‘s CEO Elon Musk has criticized Apple over the last few months, claiming that the company led by Tim Cook is favouring OpenAI’s ChatGPT app in the App Store rankings.
In August, and as xAI was promoting the Grok assistant, Musk wrote on X that Apple, which “is the gateway to the Internet for half of America,” was “making it impossible for any other AI company to succeed by relentlessly promoting OpenAI in every way possible.”
The Apple CarPlay infotainment includes the company’s own Messages, Music and Maps apps. Third party apps such as Google Maps and Spotify are also available.
While it has not adopted the software, Tesla‘s infotainment supports Apple native apps such as Apple Music.
At the same time, Apple has integrated Tesla into its native apps. For example, Apple Maps now provides live updates on the availability of Superchargers across the US.
CarPlay Ultra
CarPlay Ultra, the premium version of Apple’s in-car software, has struggled to gain popularity.
Contrary to earlier public promises, automakers like Audi and Mercedes-Benz have now stated that they do not plan to support CarPlay Ultra, the Financial Times reported a few months ago.
Audi stated that its focus is to offer drivers “a customized and seamless digital experience,” so it would not use CarPlay Ultra, though the standard version is available on its vehicles.
Audi, a brand within the Volkswagen Group, is expected to adopt the software stack developed in partnership with EV maker Rivian.
According to joint-venture executives on Wednesday, one of the first vehicles to feature the software will be “an Audi.”
Earlier this year, Aston Martin announced that its DBX SUV is the first vehicle to feature Apple CarPlay Ultra.
The South Korean brands Hyundai, Kia, and Genesis are among the next brands to start utilizing Apple’s latest operating system which allows iPhone users to have the same ecosystem in their vehicle.
