Android Auto's days may be numbered in your next new car—but the bigger story is who controls your dashboard, the valuable data it creates, and the new revenue opportunities driven by artificial intelligence and subscriptions.
The End of an Era: Plug, Play, and Simplicity
Since 2015, car owners have enjoyed a simple setup: plug in your smartphone and instantly access music, navigation, and messages, while automakers avoided the costly challenge of building infotainment software from scratch. Google helped spur Android Auto’s popularity by not charging carmakers for integration, and for many, this seamless link with their phones became a must-have feature.
Major manufacturers tried alternative routes early on. Toyota and Ford tested their own solutions. BMW, for example, once attempted to charge about $80 per year for Apple CarPlay (around €74), only introducing Android Auto in 2020. It quickly became clear what drivers wanted: easy, fee-free access to their phones’ services.
The Shift to Embedded Operating Systems
That started to change after Android Automotive OS (AAOS) arrived in 2017 and launched on the Polestar 2 in 2020. Rather than simply mirroring a smartphone, AAOS is a full operating system built into the car. Brands from Volvo to some Stellantis companies and General Motors adopted AAOS after finding out how difficult it was to develop their own credible systems.
Using Android Auto also means Google receives valuable driving, location, and mapping information. The benefits aren’t necessarily for direct resale—GM, for instance, was prevented from doing this in California and paid a fine of $12.75 million after violating privacy laws. According to GM, this data can help the company improve features like charging experiences for their electric vehicles. Its custom system aims to deliver smarter EV routing, considering battery level, driving range, available charging spots, and enhancements like Super Cruise. GM also touts smoother calls, streaming, and voice assistant access through the car’s hardware. Dolby Atmos on Amazon Music is highlighted as a feature difficult to match with phone projection alone.
Why Car Companies Are Moving On: Data, Subscriptions, and Control
General Motors has made its decision: Android Auto was removed from its electric vehicles and is expected to be dropped across its entire lineup in favor of a proprietary conversational system built on Google Gemini technology. Others, such as Tesla and Rivian, never supported smartphone mirroring. While most new 2026 models continued to offer Android Auto, the trend toward in-house operating systems with built-in AI was clearly gaining momentum by mid-2026.
Rivian has followed a similar strategy. Their OS, also relying on AAOS, now leans heavily on integrated artificial intelligence, making debate over CarPlay seem increasingly irrelevant, according to the company.
Manufacturers like GM acknowledge that exclusive in-house systems could open new incoming streams from app subscriptions. However, these native apps require each vehicle to maintain an active cellular connection. GM’s newest cars include eight years of OnStar connected services, but details on what happens afterward remain uncertain. Rivian charges about $150 per year for Connect+ (about €139), and Tesla asks roughly the same for its premium connectivity plan. Even brands such as Kia, which still support Android Auto, are nudging certain features behind paywalls after free trial periods.
Drivers Push Back: Trust and Experience in Question
This shift isn’t without risk. When GM’s plans went public, readers on Engadget and elsewhere were quick to voice frustration, with some stating they would refuse to buy a car lacking Android Auto. Given that manufacturers’ in-house infotainment systems have earned a reputation for inconsistency, skepticism is understandable.
For now, Android Auto and similar technologies remain widely available. But the dashboard, once a space for simple phone connectivity, has become a contested ground for who controls data, features, and ongoing customer payments.
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Seriously? The invisible hand of the market took down GM and other OEMs data gathering when Wejo was floated and failed.
There’s a huge liability for any OEM that pings data based on a VIN that is not strictly useful e.g. anything but actual GPS (and that shouldn’t actually be tracked) and they do.
They’re just trying to bring the whole “we know which doors are opened, when and where they were opened, which seats are sat in and the approximate weight of the passengers, we know your speed, we can infer from even basic GPS where you work, live and your children go to school” and this is pinged to our database, where we can sell enough data to track you and your children.
If you’re based anywhere covered by GDPR then demand through a Data Subject Request, what data they have (including full telemetry) and a data dictionary.
Put the JSON into the LLM of your choice and see how scary that can be.
Hi Ethan, interesting article but the follow-ups will be much more interesting.
Check how much money GM put into Wejo and why Wejo failed on IPO. Then you can do some interesting research and you’ll have a fascinating set of articles “why does GM and other OEMs that this is ok. Not only to store but to sell on” etc
Thanks for bringing it up though.