The relationship between Apple and the automotive world has been a long-standing saga. Steve Jobs was a big fan of Porsche during the 80s and 90s, and later switched his allegiance to Mercedes in the 2000s. Today’s Apple executives are often seen at major events (like F1, NASCAR…); even Tim Cook is rumored to be quite fond of Rivian! I’d even venture to say that in Cupertino, there’s a stronger car culture than a gaming culture…which is ironic since Apple doesn’t have its own car, but holds significant gaming potential with its latest Macs, iPhones, and even the Vision Pro.
Tim Cook’s Biggest Miss: The Apple Car
After a decade of CarPlay, launching an electric Apple Car in the 2020s seemed a natural progression, similar to the evolution from traditional cell phones to smartphones, and from gas-powered vehicles to electric cars. Apple could have played its cards in the same manner, possibly partnering with an industrial ally like Foxconn or another manufacturer, and focusing on its strengths: design, software, and hardware/software integration. Xiaomi’s success with its quickly developed and popular SU7 in China shows that it was indeed possible.
Although the news was widely reported in the media, the cancellation of the electric car project was a significant setback for Apple, both financially and emotionally – involving thousands of engineers and tens of billions of dollars… all for naught! Internally, the decision must have shaken the company, which had hired auto industry experts, tested autonomous vehicles in California for years, and likely had several advanced vehicle prototypes – which we might someday see on eBay!
Whether the Apple Car resulted in an autonomous taxi solution, a simple connected electric sedan, or even a platform sold to other manufacturers, it would have had its place in a rapidly evolving market. Unfortunately, Tim Cook’s lack of vision seems to have thwarted the massive investments needed to realize such a project: unlike the Apple Watch or even the Vision Pro, Cook couldn’t just “try and see” which market segment would prevail: it requires true vision, and this difficulty in making a firm decision is now causing Apple to appear as if it’s falling behind or completely missing out on certain markets.
Where is CarPlay 2.0?
The apparent sole survivor of this aborted Apple Car project: the integrated system developed for the vehicle was renamed CarPlay 2.0 and unveiled at WWDC 2022.
As I detailed earlier, it’s a somewhat hybrid OS, most of which would run on the iPhone (like the current CarPlay), but with unique features for each manufacturer/vehicle, plus a small local core to handle any iPhone malfunctions, which is quite demanding.
As expected, the new year is approaching, and Apple has yet to release anything, despite promises of a rollout before the end of 2024. According to our sources, none of the partners involved in the project (Porsche and Aston Martin) are really prepared to unveil their own integrations. Moreover, no vehicles sold to date are compatible with CarPlay 2.0, which won’t truly be released for several years since it requires specific hardware and close collaboration with Apple, which is always challenging.
To be honest, I even have some doubts about Apple’s technical decisions… Running a car OS over smartphone WiFi… and asking manufacturers to develop a second OS for non-iPhone users (requiring Apple to assist in interface creation)… That’s a risky and costly gamble! It would have been much simpler to emulate Android Automotive and develop a robust software platform that any manufacturer could adapt for their vehicles.
Meanwhile, Android Advances… in China!
Since the first Android Automotive appeared on the Polestar 2 over three years ago, a lot has changed… and significantly so!
Initially, many just adopted Google’s OS as is, along with all associated services (PlayStore, Google Maps, Google Assistant…). This is what we primarily see with Volvo and Polestar, who haven’t put much effort into integration, leading to numerous delays and bugs at launch, due to specific car implementations and insufficient staffing.
In Europe, they’ve finally realized that an Android base is necessary (already implemented in the latest OS from Stellantis, Volkswagen, and even BMW), but the commitment is still tentative: the screens are small, poorly designed, and in-house apps are trickling in and are far less polished. We’re still excited to see YouTube or Spotify natively on a Q6 priced over $100,000, while at the same time, XPeng offers all streaming apps (including AppleTV+) on a dual 15″ display, games, a makeup studio, and even screens for the entire family, each with its own environment! Only Renault seems to be making smart advances (as seen with the R5, Scenic, and Megane) or Volkswagen, which has partnered with Rivian’s platform, also based on Android, but with an integration as comprehensive as Tesla’s.
In China, it’s the complete opposite of Europe: as you’ve recently seen with XPeng and BYD, most local OS have adopted an Android Automotive base but without Google services, to implement their own custom layers à la Tesla
. And it’s successful! Often featuring large 15 to 16″ displays, widgets, 3D animations worthy of video games, stable and responsive apps, and even proprietary GPS systems that far surpass offerings from brands like BMW or Mercedes, who have been in the market for years. BYD’s system, for example, makes the screens in a competing 3008 look outdated: it seems Europe is vastly underestimating this issue!
Does Apple Still Have a Card to Play?
The car is often seen as an extension of one’s home, whether owned or shared: we want to recreate the living room experience, especially with the advent of fully autonomous vehicles where driving is no longer required all the time.
Apple still has a card to play as its ecosystem perfectly integrates with transportation: listening to Apple Music, watching AppleTV+, making purchases with ApplePay (tolls, gas stations, dining), not to mention home automation: today we’d love to arrive home, have our HomeKit gate open automatically (and close), connect the car to our WiFi to download updates and apps, charge the battery when electricity is cheapest… or when my solar panels are overproducing. These features sometimes appear in CarPlay (like garage opening or integration of electricity rates), but they’re still very limited or only available in the USA.
With Apple Intelligence, we could also optimize or suggest routes via Apple Maps, propose scenic drives to explore certain regions. I’d also love for AI to enable me to work effectively while driving or charging the car, using the car’s screen as a Mac or an iPad—or even via AirPlay! Today, these two worlds aren’t communicating enough, and that’s a real pity.
Rather than being at the forefront of this digital revolution, Apple is entering the automotive world through the back door, as a mere app provider: Apple Music, AppleTV+… a bit of Bluetooth for telephony and messaging. CarPlay is living its final years with manufacturers who have failed to offer a sufficiently modern OS, and as we see with Tesla, XPeng, and BYD: once you have Apple Music, a good GPS, and a few streaming apps, CarPlay doesn’t offer much else.
So, can Apple still make a comeback and transform our digital experience in the car? Let me know what you think in the comments!