Has hell frozen over?
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I suspect that their significant sales slump is motivating them to do anything they can to stimulate sales.
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It’s an interesting move if true. Anecdotally, I’ve found Tesla owners to like Tesla maps and the ability to keep A Better Route Planner up in the browser, but would rather have their apps for audio. Tesla would be a good candidate for some kind of hybrid CarPlay that more fully integrates with the car’s OS (not Ultra.)
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This is a good move. Hopefully, it’s integrated into the current Tesla UI and not a replacement. Example - SiriusXM via Tesla interface is terrible - SiriusXM added a Metallica channel a few months ago and it still doesn’t show in the Tesla-SiriusXM interface. If I want to listen to that channel in the car, I have to stream through my iPhone.
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I’d be surprised if CarPlay helps Tesla sell more cars. I can’t tell the new ones from the old ones.
Tesla “has launched just six vehicles since 2008, including the Model S sedan, Model X sport-utility vehicle and its first car, the short-lived Roadster two-seater. Only the models 3 and Y, which share the same platform and most components, have sold in high volumes.”
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I agree, the Teslas all look pretty much the same and in my opinion, the Cybertruck is one of the ugliest vehicles ever produced. That said, Car Play can only help, even if marginally. There are buyers like who will not buy a vehicle without CarPlay.
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I’ve read that.
GM sales are growing at their fastest rate so far in the last ten years. And CEO Mary Barra recently told The Verge that GM will eventually remove CarPlay from the company’s entire range, including gasoline and hybrid models.
It will be interesting to watch how this unfolds over the next few years.
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Indeed. I’m not so much concerned about GM, as most of their cars are not particularly reliable so I never plan to purchase one. I’d be more concerned if many more manufacturers were to move in that same direction. Their primary motivation is to be able to add subscriptions to various car services. I find that obnoxious.
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As a Tesla owner, I’d say it primarily helps remove a preceived or actual objection for potential new buyers.
Existing buyers have, obviously, already have accepted the existing status quo.
In my case, when Tesla added support for Apple Music itself and I didn’t have to rely on Bluetooth just for that, it alleviated 80%+ of my friction with not having native Apple support in Telsa.
Tesla Navigation has been good enough (or better, having. such a huge map display), and as i believe I stated in an earlier thread, I actually prefer not having full CarPlay as I don’t want the distractions that tighter integration with messaging, phone calls, and whatever else people rely on CarPlay for.
I still use Bluetooth for podcasts, and that has been find as strictly an audio UI where I start a podcast and don’t interact with it at all while it is playing.
P.S. If Tesla does this, and Rivian holds the line on not supporting CarPlay or Google, it might shift some of the attention and “hot new thing” halo of Rivian away from them.
Personally, I probably would go back to a proven brand for my next EV and stay away from both Tesla and Rivian.
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The sad thing is that, from what I have read, the depreciation on EVs is significant and typically much higher than on gasoline models. I have also read that repairs, including body work, can be far more expensive because of battery-related issues. I have no firsthand experience, but this is what I have gathered from reputable sources. I am open to an EV when the depreciation issue improves and when charging stations become nearly as ubiquitous and reliable as gasoline pumps. I seldom have fear of missing out, but I would certainly have range anxiety. 
This is good news. I hope Rivian eventually follows suit.
I’m one year away from replacing my existing EV with a new car. It would be very difficult to go back to an ICE vehicle.(I’m actually using an ICE loaner right now, which has reconfirmed that opinion.)
I don’t know if I’d buy a Tesla (build quality has been unimpressive in the past) but I 100% will not buy a car without CarPlay and I like having more options in the market.
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Yes the EV category depreciates faster (10-15% more over 5 years, depends on model) and there are many reasons for this. The EV market (i.e. the buyers) is not nearly as mature as the ICE market, which is part of how resale values are set. This is a complex issue (as is repair cost etc) I would caution against thinking it will always be this way. Things change rapidly.
EVs generally have much lower maintenance and operation costs. Again, you can find someone who proves the opposite but in general “gas” (i.e. electrons for EV) costs 50% and in many cases 25% of that of gas for ICE. EV maintenance is almost ridiculous; tires, tire rotation and each 6 year a coolant check (25 bucks with Tesla). Combine those savings and I think you will find you are better of with many EV.
I love Apple’s CarPlay - hopping from one rental in to the next makes it so easy to find where’s what. I have no experience with Android Auto but I take it this is a similar experience. However, Tesla’s OS is deep and (of course) very integrated. I, for one, would think that CarPlay in Tesla would feel “forced in”. I spend much time in the navigator and navigation and if CarPlay would not be (Tesla) charger aware or provide SoC feedback etc. it would be a no go. That would leave other functions (messages, calendar, music…) of which music may be the biggest feature - and this is already part of Tesla. (Btw, it is Apple’s Music I absolutely hate - they are doing such a bad job with this but thats a rant for another time). So for me CarPlay would not do much for my Tesla but perhaps for new buyers that may work. Then again, the model Y is sold faster than hot cakes so CarPlay is likely not a big factor for new owners either.
Yet, the Tesla displays could use some of Apple’s finesse and styling. There are dialogs/menus that overlap and feel a little lost or crammed. There are functional, but many non-functional white spaces that irk me. Some Apple like attention to detail would be very nice for the Tesla.
I have had exactly 1 repair on one of our Teslas, inflicted by my own driving - had nothing to do with the battery. Many in my circle own EVs (mostly Tesla but also other brands) and none have had any repairs involving batteries. From what I read, battery involving repairs are rare.
On range anxiety; this is a real thing when you come from an ICE! But, trust the Tesla nav and all is well. This takes a bit of a head spin to adjust to, but once you do it, live is easy. Essentially you let the car determine where your next stop is - conveniently next to a charger. You can decide this is just a “pee stop” or something longer and the nav computer adapts to that. I took a 10 day trip up to Washington state (from California), including some forrest/woodland excursions where nobody’s ever seen anything electric, and it was not a problem at all. I have some experience with the Rivian and little bit with an VW EV and feel that Tesla has an advantage with their network and computer over the other brands - but that will change I am sure. For everyday use of the EV, since you charge at home, there are absolutely no range issues.
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Thanks for the thoughtful reply. Based on what I’ve read, I agree that I could expect significant routine maintenance savings with an EV, which is one of its appealing aspects. Depreciation isn’t a major concern for me because I strive to pay off my vehicles within four years and then keep them for a long time. My 2014 Tundra was purchased new and hasn’t yet reached 60,000 miles, but it’s close. It’s been paid off for a long time now, and so is my 2022 SUV. It’s great not having car payments. 
However, the biggest, though not the only major issue I have with EVs, is charging. I don’t want to have to worry about finding a charger during a long trip (or having to reroute myself to get one) and I don’t want to wait over 30 minutes to charge it, assuming a charger is readily available and even working, during a trip. In short, the biggest issue with EVs is not so much the vehicles, but the poor infrastructure. That’s unfortunate. As far as Tesla is concerned, they really need to improve their design.
This is very understandable - I edited my other post to give some insight. I can tell you that charging is very rarely an issue. First; the vast majority of your driving (I am assuming) is going to be local - so no range issues, you will charge at home (so no more pump time, yay!). But for that occasional long drive, you will need to get out for a break etc. and the nav-computer is your friend. As I said in the other post, it will take a little different way to think about this but once you do, it makes utter sense.
Now I volunteer as a SAR (search & rescue) and I often have to hop in the car for long drives to god knows where. The navigation computer can tell me what my round trip battery cost will be and I will “pump” up if I must. Yes, when you are waiting for the charge to reach some level it can feel like a long time but it rarely actually is. For normal long drives, charging (time) has never been an issue to me. That said, if you are in an area where there are few chargers, perhaps getting caught by having to wait for an available stall is more likely. But again, that will change, Tesla is cranking out charging stations so fast.
I know I sound like a Tesla sales guy - sorry for that. Tesla is just ahead in many respects. That will change. The EV category itself is changing how we think about cars (looking at self-driving and more). My expectation is that EV cars will be a much more natural choice for many in the near future.
Going back to the CarPlay aspect; CarPlay in many EVs will improve their UI by a mile. Keep Tesla, Rivian on the side for a moment. All (most?) other EVs are made by traditional car brands - they are bad, very bad in UI. Their EV’s UI are not great to say the least (Nissan Leaf, VW, Ford Lightning … brrr).
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From what I’ve read finding available chargers has been a problem for some people trying to evacuate from fires and hurricanes. In my younger days when I was low on fuel, I had to get creative, but was always able to find some gas. I even filled up a Cessna once at a rural Gulf station. 
I think I would like an EV but not as my only vehicle. Unless it had a gas powered generator to charge the battery, like some Chinese car makers are building.
That is a problem. I can carry a can of gasoline in my SUV or truck, I can’t carry a spare EV battery.
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No apology for that! Your responses are informative and helpful!
One of my main concerns with not having CarPlay in either EV or ICE vehicles is the poor UI. I had a Buick and a Ford as company cars, and the UI was simply awful. Don’t even get me started on the voice “assistants.” Voice controls by the major brands make Siri look impressive, and that’s no small feat!
hallelujah for that!
I bought a used Tesla Model S (original MSRP over $120,000) for less than a new Model 3. Incredible deal and no regets.
Battery depreciation has been minimal - I still get over 250 mile range on 80% charge (recommended for normal use).
I did buy a used car warranty which covers any potential disaster like having to completely replace all the batteries or motors. (It does have strict criteria on when those are considered eligible), but the peace of mind made the total purchase price less that most other gas or EV mid-range cars I was looking at.
Customer service sucks, I hear Rivian is much worse than Tesla. But I live only 20 miles from superchargers and a big Tesla service center so don’t have to drive 2 or 3 hours at least to get service, like some other EV’s.
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Everyone’s financial decisions are very personal, but anecdotally, here in Silicon Valley, I see the majority of EV purchases (really - all cars) are leases.
Buyers want the latest tech and backstop their fears about depreciation and battery longetivity by constantly rotating leases every few years.
And yes, I’ve leased in the past. (once, actually) and personally avoid them. Someone once told me that leases were designed for two things - to hide the high interest rate charged for the money (not subject to the same disclosure laws are car loans) and to push expensive cars by making the monthly lease on a “cool car” the same as the monthly payment on a boring one?
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For trips, this is the best reason to not be an early adopter. No matter what people told me, or my own bias, travelling beyond daily driving takes active cognitive cycles.
I have driven back and forth to LA a few times (around 6 to 8 hours with stops) and relying on the computer is dangerous.
It’s idea of charge level “safety margin” is not mine, nor my wife’s. After one white-knuckle stop where we barely got to the chargers with much range to go, and finding it crowded and having to wait, I no longer do that.
I override the nav and stop at earlier chargers. If it crowded, busy, or turns out to be in a ghost town with little services (food, shopping, etc.), I pass on to the next one.
So yeah, if you want gas style never worry, more gas stations around than 7-eleven, and in nowheresville any red-neck with a truck will have a gas can in the back and give you a lift, it is too soon.
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