I wish Apple made the receivers. I can appreciate the challenges, fitting them into every car. But when I think of owning every part of the CarPlay experience (without building the car), I think:
We have two EVs, both with CarPlay. A Ford Mustang Mach-E (BEV) and a Toyota Prius Prime (PHEV). Ford’s implementation is better. I can use Apple Maps in my living room to plan a trip and it is aware of the current state of charge. Maps will plan charging stops if needed. The Prius doesn’t do that but its electric range is limited.
If I’m going on a trip in the Mach-E I can tell the Ford software my departure time and it will precondition the battery and get the cabin to the desired temperature using the charger so the battery has full charge.
I like having CarPlay. Apple Maps works better for me than either car’s built in navigation. I can also use Waze when I want. Much easier to tap the big screen than the small screen of the iPhone.
Very much this. We’ve driven many CarPlay-enabled cars - our own and rentals - and the general quality of manufacturers’ software, especially the UI/UX is dire. At least with CarPlay, I’m not going to have to learn a totally new workflow each time I get into a different car.
Also, when the car makers are starting to demand a subscription to use the facilities they build in, I’m verty encouraged to carry on using the device and apps for which I’ve already paid.
On a more specific note - if we’re renting abroad (Europe) CarPlay means we’re going to carry consistent and reliable SatNav with us and not have to worry whether the SatNav in the supplied car is any good or up to date.
Yeah, I agree that most car software is bad! But remember that I said: “And I think it would be more nuanced if people went from saying “my next car has to have CarPlay” to: “My next car has to have CarPlay – unless the built-in software is great”.”
The thing is, I just don’t think this is a law of nature: 
Carmakers have, traditionally, vastly under-invested in both software and the relevant hardware, compared to the cost of the vehicle and R&D. Like, in a thing that costs €50,000+ it should be possible to not have worse hardware than a €100 tablet – and creating a good software experience isn’t something magical that only two companies in the world are capable of…
But they have to try much harder – which I think things like CarPlay has forced them to do. 
Yeah, I read that the Mach-E was one of the few cars that supports state-of-charge in Apple Maps/CarPlay! 
Absolutely makes things better – but I’d still miss pre-heating on the fly. (Like, if things change during the trip.)
(and the car can’t just track as much as it wants anyway, heh).The two most discussed parts, and some of the most important when it comes to car software, are Navigation and Media Playback.
Also, I don’t think I want the (very few) tech giants, which already has tons of power in our lives, to get a tight grip on transportation as well… 
A random idea: If I were the carmakers, I’d consider banding together to fork android. (Maybe partly based on Android Automotive?) Perhaps it could be easier for them to implement access to a higher variety of services, like Waze, ABRP, Tidal, Pocket Casts, etc., if they could ship their Android apps? 
(I’m not envisioning having the Play Store, to be able to skip Google. But could still be a store of sorts.)
Drove a rental recently that had a sizeable screen but no CarPlay. The native navigation was not only almost useless but also very dangerous with a cluttered mess of information that required long stares to have any hope of guidance. We ended up with only Siri’s voice over Bluetooth and this was challenging but infinitely better.
And it would cost the same as a Vision Pro 
I wouldn’t say this though. My next car HAS to have CarPlay or I won’t buy it.
Tesla is the top seller of EVs in the US and now it appears GM is number two. GM’s decision to drop CarPlay is a recent one, so it will be interesting to watch their EV sales numbers going forward.
Both my vehicles have CarPlay and I would not consider for one moment owning a vehicle without it. I especially like it when I get into our newer car with wireless CP. It connects automatically.
Maps, calls, conversations with friends, all done through the main screen of the car and completely mirroring my phone experience. I’m not stuck on laggy manufacturer software, I don’t have to mount my phone on an air vent, and I can ask Siri for directions, to play music etc.
The stock software in my cars (Honda/Subaru) look like they were designed in the 90’s.
Side note: I love the people who are driving a high-end car like Lexus and you look over and see them holding their phone up to their mouth like a walkie talkie when you know it has CarPlay/Android Auto. That hand held use is illegal where I live, dangerous everywhere, and completely needless in 2024. I grant you, there may be rare occasions where it’s not the persons actual car (maybe borrowing from a friend, maybe stolen! LOL) but for the most part, this behaviour makes no sense to me.
So yeah. Much better software experience, no additional mount or stand required, my actual phone is out of the equation physically, and my attention is on driving far more.
But I also put AppleTV’s around my house because I don’t like or trust “built in” TV software either.
I’m trying so hard to have a conversation about "Good built-in software vs. CarPlay " (particularly on EVs) — but everyone keeps comparing CarPlay to terrible software…(And I’ve said many times that I’d gladly take CarPlay over that.)
I know that is the most common (and even more on older vehicles) — but good car software does exist. And it’s not an impossible task for more carmakers to get their act together.
Let me try to rephrase… In my opinion it’s like this:
I’m absolutely not saying CarPlay is bad! The car having that is absolutely a way for it to have good software. But it’s not the only one. And if we’re talking about EVs (which I specifically am), I really think “Good built-in software ≥ CarPlay”. So you could be missing out on some good options if you disqualify cars that have “great software, but not CarPlay”. That’s OK, of course — but as general advice, I think it’s poor.
It’s far from unrealistic, though, that I’ll end up with a car that has “pretty mediocre built-in software, but has CarPlay” – and I would be fine with that. There are other aspects to the purchase as well! But I’m holding out hope for some of them having good enough built-in stuff. 
Kind of like how it’s nice if Apple Notes and Reminders works for you. (It doesn’t for me.)
You’re not hearing me. I am actively choosing to use Apple CarPlay, the quality of the Manufacturer’s system doesn’t matter to me, I don’t care.
Most of my computing devices that I own are from Apple, I actively choose software that works well on those devices.
Overcast
Plexamp
Prism
Prologue
Apple Maps
I use these all of the time, they integrate with other systems I have in use.
Manufacturers are never going to support these apps or Plex and/or the developers of those apps are highly unlikely to support those platforms (assuming they allow 3rd party apps.)
If I can extend my use of these apps to my car, I’m going to. I am NOT going to use the manufacturer’s replacement “app”, I am NOT going to use Bluetooth to play audio on my car, the CarPlay mirroring is better.
That is why I will not buy a car unless it supports CarPlay
I would also contend every rental car should have CarPlay and Android Auto (or whatever their equivalent is). Because even great native software will still be unfamiliar to most drivers.
Look up on how giant car manufacturers already track you via their in-car software, selling and/or sharing your movements with advertisers and those other tech giants.
It’s all giants, all the way down.
In an ideal world where other software exists that is “better” at doing everything that CarPlay does? Sure. Let us know when it shows up.
I am hearing you (or doing my best to, at least) – but you’re missing that I’m trying to speak generally.
As I’ve said, media playback is strictly better with CarPlay. But with an EV, I’d say a good built-in navigation (for all the reasons I’ve laid out) is better than CarPlay. If the former is the most important for someone – that’s totally fine. Like I said much earlier in this thread (to someone else – but I could say it to you as well):
I’ve also said this, as a good thing about CarPlay:
I get that this has become a long thread, and I can’t expect everyone to have read everything I’ve written. But it feels like you’re skipping over many of the things I’ve said, and is trying to say. (Like you’re not hearing me. 
) Might be that I’m unclear as well – seeing as I’m not a native English speaker.
For instance how I, in the part you just quoted, both said “I’m absolutely not saying CarPlay is bad!” and"That’s OK, of course" in relation to you disqualifying everything without CarPlay. Then you went on a rant like I had said “CarPlay sucks and no one should want it”…
Hehe, to an extent I agree. But I still think there’s value in spreading out a bit, where you can! (100% agree on the fact that carmakers has to be watched when it comes to privacy, though…)
Also, in terms of market cap, Apple is about
So I wouldn’t say they’re “equally giant”. If GM’s 4 meters tall (pretty giant!) Apple is 56 meters! 
The car I have now, which is from 2019, gives me a better software experience than I would’ve gotten from the current state of CarPlay. So not sure why you’re talking about it like it’s some sort of wild fantasy… 
Not saying every part of it is better (heck, I’ve specifically called out several things that are worse) – or that it would be for everyone. But for EV life in Norway, it is.
When you’re saying that the bar is “doing everything that CarPlay does”, it seems to me that you’re missing the things that CarPlay doesn’t do. The biggest factors for me is that it’s less coherent, uses much less area, and that it doesn’t integrate with the battery system (which makes navigation substantially worse when driving long distances).
To me, it doesn’t feel tempting to compromise on those things, even though I’d get a slightly better Tidal app, etc. I’ve no problem with someone else prioritising differently there – or maybe living somewhere Apple Maps is much better than Google Maps (which my car uses), etc.
I think I’m currently like 60/40 in favour of wishing for “Good, built-in system” vs “Mostly relying on CarPlay”. And I don’t quite understand why some of the comments feel like “Why are you saying CarPlay sucks?” (when I’m not saying that at all) or “Pff, it’s always 100/0 in favour of CarPlay, lol”.
I do like hearing about peoples personal reasons, though!
Also, I 100% agree on this (which I’ve also said earlier):
When you’re renting a car, nothing is nicer than getting in it, connecting your phone wirelessly to CarPlay (or Android Auto), and interfacing with your phone and its personalized info rather than a generic screen.
It’s more complicated if you’re buying a car. Being able to use both the built-in interface for car-specific functions, and CarPlay for everything else, would be my ideal.
Regardless, for me: no Apple CarPlay = no buying that car.
I’ve read what you’ve said, I understand your opinion, I just don’t agree with it. That doesn’t mean it’s wrong for you, just that your wish doesn’t work for me.
I refer you to my previous comments
Mike drop 
Car Play coexists with the manufacturer’s system. In my EV9, pre-conditioning the battery and lots of other functions work very well with the Kia software. However, for music, podcasts (Overcast), navigation (that works with the head-up display), Apple Music, and using Siri to dictate and send messages and emails are killer features for me.
Some people are very passionate about CarPlay. I wonder how it might change now that automakers are designing AI into their cars?
GM, Audi, and Stellantis are among those that are designing generative AI into their in-vehicle systems. And Cerence and Nvidia are working together on an automotive large language model for human to vehicle communication.