(Credit: Apple)
Apple is struggling to get several big-name luxury automakers to sign up for CarPlay Ultra, the Financial Times reports.
CarPlay Ultra brings Apple’s software into every screen of the vehicle, and allows car makers to customize the appearance based on their branding. In May, Aston Martin was announced as the first partner for the new software, with Hyundai, Kia, and Genesis to follow.
Other car makers aren't so eager. Audi, Mercedes-Benz, Polestar, Renault, and Volvo have "no plans to bring the upgraded software to their vehicles," the FT says. Jaguar Land Rover is still evaluating CarPlay Ultra, while Porsche plans to integrate it into future cars.
As MacRumors notes, that's a big 180 from WWDC 2022, when Apple first teased CarPlay Ultra and displayed the logos of 14 car makers. At the time, Emily Schubert, director of car experience engineering, said, "Automakers from around the world are excited to bring this new vision of CarPlay to customers."
Fast-forward to WWDC 2025, when Schubert touted the Aston Martin partnership but didn't mention the other automakers. "We're so excited to work with different automakers, combining their unique look and feel, as well as vehicle features, with the power of iPhone," she said.
According to the FT, the car makers are reportedly hesitant to give Apple so much control over their in-car entertainment systems.
This is not super surprising. In 2023, GM said it would drop support for CarPlay (and Android Auto), citing "stability issues that manifest themselves as bad connections, poor rendering, slow responses, and dropped connections." EV maker Rivian has also declined to embrace CarPlay, arguing that it wants to retain "such an important piece of real estate."
“The western carmakers are trying to figure out how to find growth in a world which is at or near its peak in terms of car sales,” Simon Middleton, a partner at McKinsey, tells the FT. “In the highly competitive premium segment, you’re also fighting for differentiation.”