Car Control

Wednesday, June 25, 2025

Car Control

Consider this recent report from MotorTrend:

The Real Reasons Automakers Are Ditching Apple Carplay and Android Auto

As you may know, future self-driving EVs won’t have a windshield, just a huge flatscreen so you can enjoy a movie while going to the movies, or to somewhere. But who will make the computer tech for your new cars? Not the tech that governs the engine, but the entertainment tech. And how will that data collection work?

According to MotorTrend, many automakers want to pull back from Apple Carplay and Android Auto. They want to run their own systems then keep their collected data. Now, if one believes the GM hype, they want to keep the data and “improve the user experience”. For example, for EVs, GM software will tell you how many tow truck charges it will take to deliver you to one of the EV charging stations Pete Buttigeig managed to get built! Okay, it’ll tell you where others are as well, and route you there, although Apple Maps already tells you that. For Eaton Ohio, did you know there’s one on US 27 near the I-70 exit at the Pilot travel station? Traveling west on I-70 that’s enough juice to get most EV cars through Indiana! GM also hopes to do other stuff like that as well. EV maker Rivian’s execs talk at length on how to improve the user driving experience, which is why they want the data.

The article states it’s a tradeoff for GM and others, but they want the data for internal use, while Apple and Google simply want to monetize it. An exec in the article is quoted arguing Apple Carplay and Android Auto aren’t as popular as people think, and that if GM makes good tech, it’ll be fine. FWIW & IMHO, that’s a risky bet: there’s a reason people buy Apple, and it isn’t because a serpent tempted them to do it! In fairness, Tesla and Rivian have never offered the Apple and Android software for their vehicles, and it hasn’t appeared to have hurt their sales. I’m sure it’s just a coincidence 95%+ of the arrested Tesla vandals have iPhones or Android phones!

The article’s authors state GM (among others) initially thought they could monetize the data. Did you know GM sold their original On-Star “driving coach” data to insurers, who then hiked rates on many drivers as a result? According to the article: ‘GM quickly pulled the plug on Smart Driver, and later the FTC banned the company “from disclosing consumers’ sensitive geolocation and driver behavior data to consumer reporting agencies” for five years.’ Oops! But GM (now headed by Lucy holding the football) says you can trust them this time.

Finally—not mentioned in the article—did you know Montana is currently the only state with restrictions on how the police (and related agencies) can purchase geo-data that is created everywhere you take your phone? Montana requires a search warrant to get it. So if you’re planning to be a nogoodnik, you might want to leave your phone at home while you run errands in pursuit of your nogoodnikness. Maybe just take it to church, or any place you volunteer, so they’ll think you’re not a nogoodnik, but a yesgoodnik.

Down the road, I think people might demand more restrictions on how their driving data is used, or it might create demand for phones that don’t collect and resell the data.