GM clarifies that Android Auto will remain available — for now

As we learned last week, General Motors isn’t just planning to ditch Android Auto and Apple CarPlay in its EVs. The largest automobile manufacturer in the US plans to get rid of the two platforms in its gas-powered vehicles as well. Now the company has released a new statement that reveals there’s still plenty of time before that change happens.

In a statement sent to MacRumors, a GM spokesperson clarified that it’s not making changes to its existing cars. And that Android Auto and Apple CarPlay will remain available in its combustion engine vehicles for the “foreseeable future”:

We are not making any changes to existing vehicles. If your car supports Apple CarPlay or Android Auto, that will continue. Both will remain available in all GM gas-powered vehicles for the foreseeable future. As we advance toward our centralized computing platform, we’ll gradually move to a better, more deeply integrated experience — a direction the broader industry is taking as vehicles become more software-defined. This will happen over time, not overnight. We value our collaboration with Apple and Google and remain focused on delivering experiences customers love.

Last week, GM CEO Mary Barra explained the company’s plans to move on from Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. In place of these platforms, the manufacturer will roll out its own infotainment experience with Gemini integration. While we have yet to see this experience, Google and Mercedes-Benz recently demonstrated what a system integrated with Gemini could do.

In The Verge’s interview, it sounded as if GM was ready to dump Android Auto and CarPlay as soon as it launched new vehicles. “As we move forward with each new vehicle and major new vehicle launch, I think you’re going to see us consistent on that,” Barra said. However, based on this new statement, it appears that this transition may not occur until the company is ready to launch its centralized vehicle computing platform. That platform is expected to arrive on the Cadillac Escalade IQ first in 2028, with GM’s gas-powered cars to follow some time after that.