Tesla appears set for a major reversal on its long-standing refusal to integrate Apple CarPlay in its cars. Bloomberg reports the American carmaker is now testing the third-party mobile phone connectivity feature internally, with the highly-requested feature potentially rolling out to its vehicles “in the coming months”.
The publication says that Tesla has already discussed the timeline, although plans are not finalised yet, and could still be delayed – definitely won’t be the first time a Tesla feature has shipped late.
When the Apple CarPlay feature is made available, presumably via an over-the-air (OTA) update, it is reported that the feature will function as a separate window within the existing interface, meaning it will not fully replace Tesla’s proprietary operating system as CarPlay often does in many competitor vehicles.
The report also indicated that Tesla will be integrating the standard wireless CarPlay system instead of the newer CarPlay Ultra, which has already debuted on the Aston Martin DBX and offers deeper vehicle control and bespoke customisation.
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The move marks a significant shift as Tesla has always preferred to maintain control of its own ecosystem to uphold its unique in-car experience. It’s own proprietary infotainment system already offers support for apps like Apple Music, Spotify, and also includes navigation, a web browser, and AI integration with Tesla CEO Elon Musk’s AI chatbot, “Grok”.
As to why the sudden change of heart, it is likely that Tesla is integrating Apple CarPlay into its cars to make it more competitive. Rival carmakers already offer this feature in their models and promote it as a significant selling point, and the connectivity feature could also make their cars more attractive to car rental operators.
For Android users, you’ll probably have to wait a bit longer, as the report added that Tesla is not actively working on integrating Android Auto.
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