Tesla is working on Apple CarPlay integration, report says

Tesla is working on Apple CarPlay integration inside its electric vehicles, according to a new report.

If it does happen, it would mark a major reversal of Tesla’s in-car infotainment strategy.

In the mid-2010s, Tesla CEO Elon Musk said that the automaker was working on integrating phone mirroring, such as Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, but that was a decade ago, and it never happened.

Now, half of the industry is moving away from the technology as automakers increasingly seek full control over the infotainment systems in their vehicles.

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Today, Bloomberg came out with a surprising report that claims Tesla is currently working to integrate Apple CarPlay:

The carmaker has started testing the capability internally, according to the people, who asked not to be identified because the effort is still private. The CarPlay platform — long supported by other automakers — shows users a version of the iPhone’s software that’s optimized for vehicle infotainment systems. It’s considered a must-have option by many drivers.

There are not many details on the report other than it would be integrated as a window within Tesla’s broader interface, and that it could launch within the next few months – though it could also be killed just like the last time Tesla talked about it.

Tesla is also planning to use the standard version of CarPlay, not the newer “Ultra” iteration that can control instrument clusters and climate functions. However, the company is planning to support the wireless version, allowing drivers to connect their iPhones without a cable.

Electrek’s Take

I’ll file this one under “I’ll believe it when I see it.” It would be quite a reversal of Tesla’s strategy.

Of all the automakers turning away from Apple CarPlay, Tesla was suffering the least because its software experience is by far the best, including its voice-to-text, as CarPlay is particularly useful to answer text messages through voice while driving, but there are still many people who would prefer the CarPlay experience.

The way I see it, CarPlay integration is not particularly difficult and should at least be offered as an option for those who want it.

And if automakers want to own the whole infotainment experience inside their vehicles, they have to earn it by making the experience a smooth one.