Apple CarPlay at WWDC 2022

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This is an excerpt from Mark Gurman's article on Bloomberg

I don’t believe we’ll see the new CarPlay system on public roads until 2024, but Apple had to announce it, in part, to help pressure automakers to adopt the software. It’s a source of tension: Some car companies don’t want Apple to take over their interface, and the software could ultimately be used in a future vehicle that they have to compete with.

As I reported last October, the new CarPlay expands Apple’s in-car interface from controlling just Apple apps to controlling the entire vehicle. The new CarPlay is capable of replacing a car’s instrument clusters, radio, temperature controls and more with an Apple interface.

The new interface is also fully customizable, letting users personalize the look of their instrument clusters, the screens in their cars, and widgets for weather, calendar appointments, trip data, time zones, music and smart-home appliances.

I think the new CarPlay interface is exceptionally well-designed and will instantly become a must-have for a new car purchase. It also looks more like an entirely new operating system than just a next-generation version of CarPlay.

That’s why it seems like the ideal interface for an Apple car later this decade. But that raises a key question: Why would Apple bring this interface to third-party cars if it’s planning its own vehicle with the same approach?

The easy answer is that Apple wants to show consumers its car chops. You like what you see here? Then you’re going to love the Apple car. It also helps the company learn about the auto industry and gather the necessary data to help build its own ride.

But let’s go deeper. Apple needs to keep adding reasons for people to hold on to their iPhones and upgrade to new models. On average, Americans spend an hour behind the wheel daily, according to some estimates. If a consumer loves the in-car interface powered by the iPhone, that’s another check box that will keep the customer from switching to Android.

There’s also a potential way for CarPlay to become another revenue driver for Apple. Today, Apple doesn’t collect royalties or fees from automakers that use CarPlay. The current system also requires connecting an iPhone.

But the situation could change if Apple got more involved with the process. In-car infotainment systems require special components, software and engineering time—and that’s not typically the core competency of car makers. I’m sure some of them would love to pass off that responsibility.

If the next version of CarPlay becomes popular enough, perhaps Apple could create a version that is built completely into vehicles and doesn’t require an iPhone. Google currently offers such a system, called Android Automotive (rather than the Android Auto feature that requires a phone). An Apple “carOS” could be useful for automakers, which are always looking for features that can increase sales and cut expenses. Paying a royalty for Apple to handle their in-car OS might be the answer.

Now, back to the Apple car. How far along is it really? Despite all the recent staff departures from the project, I’m still led to believe that development of a vehicle is moving forward.

The latest I’ve gathered is that Apple is negotiating supply-chain deals for car parts and overall manufacturing. I’m also told that Kevin Lynch, the new head of the project, has roped in some of his lieutenants from the Apple Watch group to help develop the car.

Lynch also recently reshuffled the car management team, and people familiar with the group say it’s now hitting deadlines that it might have missed under previous leadership.

I’m told that Apple has some of the car industry’s best design minds working on what the actual vehicle will look like. That includes former Aston Martin interiors manager Duncan Taylor, ex-Aston Martin chief concept engineer Pete Jolley, former Tesla exteriors and interiors vice president Steve MacManus and ex-Porsche executive Manfred Harrer.