Apple’s $AAPL ( ▼ 0.09% ) push to expand its positioning in automotive is getting more pushback in the industry, with Ford $F ( ▲ 1.35% ) CEO Jim Farley now weighing in.
The details: Concerns among automakers about the tech company’s CarPlay have been brewing for some time, but Apple’s latest version of its in-vehicle integration system has kicked those concerns into overdrive, as highlighted by Fortune.
The new version, Apple CarPlay Ultra, can mirror a user’s entire iPhone interface on a screen within a vehicle, in addition to enabling a driver or passenger to use their apps.
It also can display car functions like fuel level and speed, and enables drivers to control the air conditioning, radio, and driving modes from the same screen.
To date, Aston Martin is the only automaker that has fully integrated Apple CarPlay Ultra into its vehicles.
Why it matters: Dealers will need to go the extra mile in selling buyers on a car’s native in-vehicle infotainment value stack to offset consumer preference for Apple CarPlay and its expanded capabilities.
The elephant in the room: Automakers don't want to relinquish any telematics or other driver behavior data to Apple when they can collect it and potentially monetize it themselves.
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Between the lines: General Motors $GM ( ▲ 1.08% ), which recently announced that it will phase out CarPlay across all its vehicles by 2028, has been the focal point of much of the industry pushback on Apple’s in-vehicle system. But Ford’s Farley is now vocalizing his concerns, especially regarding the new Ultra version.
The CEO took direct aim at the level of the system’s in-vehicle capabilities, telling The Verge that Ford doesn’t have the right to disrupt someone’s digital life when they get in their vehicle.
Farley, who has talked to Apple CEO Tim Cook about his concerns, also sounded the alarm about an automaker giving an outside company too much control over a vehicle’s mechanics.
What they’re saying: “How far do you want the Apple brand to go? Do you want the Apple brand to start the car? Do you want the Apple brand to limit the speed? Do you want the Apple brand to limit access?” Farley asked (via Fortune).
Bottom line: Apple CarPlay Ultra resets buyer expectations, with most consumers now expecting the main screen to feel like their iPhone. If an OEM isn’t fully supporting that, dealers have to proactively frame the “why,” or they could find themselves starting the sales conversation on defense, especially with younger new-car buyers.
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