Google’s takeover of the dashboard was looking inevitable after the likes of Volvo, Renault, General Motors and Stellantis began rolling out the Android Automotive Operating System for their in-car infotainment. Then in June came Apple’s announcement that it would expand CarPlay to power the entire infotainment system, should car makers want it.
In July, analyst company S&P Global Mobility declared in a special report that Google was “taking the lead”, predicting Android Automotive OS would grab an 18% share by 2027, up from 1% now.
But Stellantis has now cooled on its Google ambition, prompting the question: is the expected big-tech takeover of the dashboard really that inevitable?
The benefit of running Android Automotive OS (as opposed to phone mirroring add-on Android Auto) was that you could then tap into Google Automotive Services, which offers voice control, embedded Google Maps and access to the ever expanding Google Play app store. Renault, Volvo, Polestar and GM went this route and declared customers were happy with a system that was much closer to that found on their smartphone.
Stellantis, owner of brands as diverse as Peugeot, Alfa Romeo and Dodge, didn’t initially sign up to Google Automotive Services, and so while the new Jeep Avenger runs Android Automotive OS, it also uses Amazon’s Alexa voice assistant and runs TomTom’s maps.
Now it’s saying it won’t, ever. “We’ve decided we’re not going to move to Google Automotive Services,” Ned Curic, chief technology officer at Stellantis, told Autocar at the sidelines of the recent Paris motor show.
Stellantis's reasoning was twofold. One: Android Automotive didn’t deliver the “unique experiences” Stellantis wants to provide to its customers. Two: the Google operating system is too “heavy” – ie requires a lot of computer power and needs lots of data-rich updates. “Managing a large fleet for download scheduling becomes challenging,” Curic said. “Other car makers are learning to deal with that, but they’re finding out unless they use a much lighter operating platform, it’s very difficult.”
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