Ford CEO Says They Will Keep Apple CarPlay And Android Auto Rather Than Their Own System

The software of the infotainment screens in modern cars is an important factor for many and this is where worlds still collide. Because some car manufacturers want to do everything themselves, others – like Ford – believe that Apple and Google can no longer catch up here.

Proprietary software systems are and will remain a popular solution in vehicles, but car manufacturers “like” to do a lot wrong here. Many customers therefore prefer Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, i.e. the solution from the two IT giants that is suitable for their smartphones.

Data and services are valuable

But the car manufacturers are anything but happy to see that. This is mainly due to the data that Apple and Google get in this way. Although arguments such as usability, independence from smartphones, and the like are usually mentioned here, in reality, the information collected about the respective user is what is actually valuable. The car manufacturers do not want to share with Apple and Google and would also like to sell apps and services themselves.

This is also the (real) reason why the US giant General Motors (GM) announced a few weeks ago that its electric cars will be giving up CarPlay and Android Auto from next year in favor of a proprietary software solution developed jointly with Google become.

At Ford, things are more pragmatic, as Ford CEO Jim Farley revealed in an interview with The Wall Street Journal (via The Drive ): “In terms of content, we lost that battle ten years ago. Let’s be So let us be honest that there is not much money to be made with content in the vehicle.”

My smartphone, my car

Farley has a realistic view of the matter and says that today’s users expect the infotainment systems in their cars to be an extension of the smartphone. Financially, a third-party solution pays off in the long run, says Farley. Because although license costs are due for CarPlay and Android Auto, the costs balance out in the long run.