Within the last decade or so the battle between Google’s Android and Apple’s iOS has expanded from smartphones to the automobile. Android Auto and Apple CarPlay integration have become significant factors in car purchasing decisions among consumers, at least, based on which platform they prefer. That being said, Apple and Google are eternally locked in a fight to gain an edge or maintain parity with the other. At CES 2024 Google struck the latest blow by announcing significant upgrades coming to Android Auto and cars with “Google built-in.”
The first major update benefits EVs specifically, as Android Auto phone-mirroring software will be able to share your car’s real-time battery information with Google Maps (on the screen). With Google Maps tapped into the battery info, it will tell you your estimated battery level on arrival at your destination, suggest charging stations on your route, and will even estimate how long charging will take based on the vehicle. Teslas, for example, have such a feature built in, but many EVs do not, and the new Google upgrades will come first to the Ford Mustang Mach-E SUV and F-150 Lightning truck but will eventually make it to other vehicles.
Additionally, starting today you’ll be able to send Google Maps routes from your Andorid or iOS phone to cars with Google “built-in.” Those cars include the 2024 Nissan Rogue as well as the Polestar 2 and Polestar 3, though the latter two are still in “beta.” The phone-to-car functionality has been a feature offered on iPhones and vehicles with AppleCar play for a while, but it’s a win for Android users now that it’s caught up.
While it’s nice to see Android Auto get this update, Google’s not stopping there. It was announced that the Chrome browser will be rolling out to vehicles with Google built-in. Passengers will be able to search and even do some online shopping via their cars’ touchscreens—while parked of course. Those features won’t be accessible while the vehicle is in motion. The Chrome browser is coming to Polestar 2 and Polestar 3 vehicles as a beta test for now before expanding to other cars. Apart from the Chrome broswer, PBS Kids and Crunchyroll streaming services are also coming to cars with Google built-in. The statement didn’t specifically say but we have to imagine the streaming apps are also only functional when the vehicle is parked.
Source: www.motortrend.com
