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Good Morning from San Francisco, GM just declared war on your iPhone. The automaker will rip CarPlay from every vehicle
GM is removing Apple CarPlay from all future vehicles despite data showing 80% of buyers demand it. The automaker bets billions in subscription revenue will outweigh customer backlash—a wager that could reshape how Detroit values market fit against margin expansion.
General Motors is doubling down on what may be its most unpopular product decision in years. CEO Mary Barra confirmed Wednesday that the automaker will eventually strip Apple CarPlay and Android Auto from all future vehicles—gas and electric alike—despite sustained customer backlash and data showing roughly 80% of car buyers view the phone-mirroring systems as purchase requirements.
The expanded rollout, revealed in an interview on The Verge's Decoder podcast, follows each vehicle's refresh cycle and targets completion by 2028, when a new centralized computing platform arrives. In their place: Google's Gemini-powered assistant starting in 2026, plus GM's own infotainment stack. The shift isn't about technology. It's about revenue.
The Breakdown
• GM expands CarPlay removal from EVs to all vehicles by 2028 despite 88% of its own customers calling absence a dealbreaker
• Automaker recognized $2B in software revenue through Q3 2025 with $5B deferred revenue, up 90% year-over-year from subscriptions
• Two-year gap exists between 2026 Gemini rollout and 2028 full platform launch on vehicles priced $40K-$127K
• Ford publicly rejected GM's approach while competitors add AI without removing customer choice or phone integration
GM Chief Product Officer Sterling Anderson framed the move as a "very Jobsian approach," likening it to Apple's decision to eliminate floppy drives. The comparison doesn't hold. Steve Jobs removed features only when superior replacements existed—USB flash drives and Zip disks filled the floppy gap immediately, with 50 times the storage and faster speeds. GM is removing CarPlay for a system that shipped broken. The 2024 Chevrolet Blazer EV, GM's first CarPlay-less vehicle, suffered infotainment meltdowns in early reviews: screens stuck in infinite reboot loops, maps centered mid-Pacific, systems requiring roadside restarts. One owner's car spent a month at the dealership for fixes. Jobs had earned trust through execution. GM has earned skepticism through bugs.
The real driver is clear in GM's earnings reports. The automaker recognized approximately $2 billion in software and services revenue year-to-date through Q3 2025, with deferred revenue ballooning to $5 billion—a 90% year-over-year surge. OnStar now counts more than 11 million global subscribers. Super Cruise, the hands-free driving system priced at $2,500 upfront plus $25 monthly after three years, posts a 40% attach rate when prepaid periods expire. Industry analysts estimate connected car services could generate tens of billions annually by 2030. CarPlay and Android Auto bypass that pipeline entirely. Drivers use Apple Maps, Spotify, and Messages without touching GM's apps or triggering subscription prompts. The removal isn't about integration depth or safety narratives—it's about reclaiming the revenue stream that flows through the dashboard.
Market data contradicts GM's bet. Apple reported in 2022 that 79% of U.S. car buyers insist on CarPlay support when considering new vehicles. A GM Authority poll of the automaker's own customer base found 88% called the absence of CarPlay a dealbreaker. McKinsey's 2024 automotive survey showed 85% of buyers consider smartphone projection essential, with 45% willing to reject any vehicle lacking it regardless of price or features.
GM's 2023 announcement that EVs would drop CarPlay triggered immediate forum backlash. Long-term brand loyalists posted purchase cancellations. The most frequently cited case: a 15-year GM driver who switched to Ford's Mustang Mach-E specifically over the missing feature. Customer demand for workarounds surfaced this year when LaFontaine Chevrolet in Plymouth, Michigan began installing third-party retrofit kits from White Automotive & Media Services. The kits restored full CarPlay functionality to Ultium-platform EVs. GM shut down the program, telling the dealer the modifications risked interference with what the company termed "critical vehicle functions." The aftermarket signal was unambiguous.
GM's trajectory runs counter to industry consensus. Roughly 80% of new vehicles sold in the U.S. include CarPlay support. Ford CEO Jim Farley publicly distanced his company from GM's approach, stating Ford "lost that battle 10 years ago" and wouldn't force customers into proprietary systems. Tesla and Rivian omit CarPlay but compensated with proven, stable software stacks built over years. Mercedes-Benz integrated ChatGPT. Stellantis partnered with Mistral AI. These moves add capability without removing choice. GM is removing choice without adding proven capability. Barra maintains "a good relationship with Apple" and promises Apple Wallet integration for vehicle functions, but the core friction remains: customers want the interface they already know, on the hardware they already own, without monthly fees they didn't request.
Timing amplifies the risk. GM's full platform transition lands in 2028 with the Cadillac Escalade IQ launch. Gemini assistant rollout begins in 2026. Buyers purchasing vehicles in the interim period—two full model years—will navigate incomplete software stacks on products priced from $40,000 to $127,500. The company has committed to over-the-air updates, built-in navigation, music streaming, and messaging capabilities. Tighter Super Cruise integration and EV charging infrastructure represent the promised advantages. None of that addresses the foundational problem: decades of evidence show automakers can't match consumer tech companies at interface design. CarPlay's popularity exists precisely because it solved that deficit. GM is asking customers to trust its software competence after shipping vehicles that crash-looped on highway on-ramps.
Barra's confidence rests on a theory: if GM controls the entire digital experience, it can build subscription services that generate billions annually while deepening customer relationships. The bet assumes drivers will accept inferior interfaces for theoretical future benefits, that buggy launches won't crater sales, and that competitors won't simply advertise CarPlay availability as a weapon. It also assumes the $25 billion software revenue target GM set in 2021 justifies alienating 80% of the market that views smartphone projection as non-negotiable. Ford, Stellantis, and Asian automakers are watching. If GM succeeds, they may follow. If GM stumbles—and early EV sales suggest stumbling—the lesson becomes a cautionary tale about prioritizing margin expansion over product-market fit.
Q: When exactly will my GM model lose CarPlay?
A: It depends on your vehicle's refresh cycle. GM has over 40 models, and each loses CarPlay when it gets a major redesign. The 2024 Blazer EV and Equinox EV already dropped it. Full removal completes by 2028 when GM's new computing platform rolls out across all brands—Chevrolet, GMC, Buick, and Cadillac.
Q: Will my current GM vehicle lose CarPlay through a software update?
A: No. If your GM car has CarPlay today, it keeps it. The removal only affects new vehicles going forward. However, GM blocked dealers from installing aftermarket kits that restore CarPlay to newer EVs, and future software updates won't add CarPlay to models that shipped without it.
Q: Can I still connect my phone and use apps in CarPlay-less GM vehicles?
A: Yes, through Bluetooth for calls and music streaming. GM's system includes Google Maps, Spotify, and messaging apps built into the dashboard. You can also use voice assistants. What you can't do is mirror your phone's interface onto the car's screen the way CarPlay does.
Q: What is the Apple Wallet integration Barra mentioned?
A: GM plans to let iPhone users store their car key in Apple Wallet and control select vehicle functions through it—like locking doors or starting the engine remotely. This gives iPhone owners some Apple integration without full CarPlay. It's similar to what BMW and Hyundai already offer.
Q: Are other automakers removing CarPlay like GM?
A: No. Tesla and Rivian never offered it, but roughly 80% of new vehicles sold in the U.S. include CarPlay. Ford CEO Jim Farley publicly said his company won't follow GM's approach. Mercedes, Stellantis, and others are adding AI features while keeping CarPlay. GM is the outlier.
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