Mercedes-Benz has no plans to introduce Apple’s immersive next-generation version of CarPlay, the German automaker’s CEO said in an episode of decoder.
“The short answer is no,” said Ola Källenius The edgeNilay Patel responded to a question about whether Mercedes-Benz will allow Apple CarPlay to take over all screens in its vehicles. Instead, he emphasizes the need for a “holistic software architecture” to meet the needs of customers who increasingly want a better technology experience for their vehicles.
“The short answer is no.”
Apple announced its next generation of CarPlay back in 2022, where the phone mirroring feature would extend beyond the central touchscreen to also include additional screens such as the instrument cluster. It was a bold move, with Apple signaling its desire to control core vehicle functions like HVAC and speedometer and odometer. But since then, no series model of the new CarPlay has appeared. Last year it was said that Porsche and Aston Martin would be among the first companies to introduce the new immersive display.
But Mercedes appears to be in no hurry to follow its luxury vehicle rivals and let Apple dominate the in-car experience for its customers. Instead, Källenius said the company is working closely with Apple’s main rival Google to develop a new navigation feature built on top of Google Maps. The key difference is that Mercedes’ own engineering team is heavily involved in the process.
“I strongly believe that this holistic customer experience is our best bet and we will help you,” he said during the interview.
But Källenius said he still sees value in offering phone mirroring services to his customers and has no plans to rule out using them — even though some in the auto industry have moved away from it. Last year, General Motors took the controversial step of banning Apple CarPlay and Android Auto in its upcoming lineup of electric vehicles, arguing that the company could offer a richer software experience than what’s on the phone.
“We are not fundamentalists when we say that we will not allow a customer to use Apple CarPlay for any reason if they choose to do so,” Källenius said. “So we have Apple CarPlay. We have Android Auto. If you feel more comfortable with this on some features and want to switch back and forth, be my guest. You can get that too.”
At the end of the answer, he reiterated his position that Apple’s next-generation CarPlay is a bridge too far for Mercedes. “The entire cockpit head unit – in our case a passenger screen – and giving it all away to someone else, the answer is no.”