After Apple's CarPlay, Toyota now adds Android Auto to vehicles
The addition of Android Auto may attract customers who had stayed away from Toyota vehicles.
By Bloomberg | Updated:
Agencies
Toyota Motor Corp. agreed to add Android Auto to its vehicles, according to a person familiar with the matter, ending years of resistance to the Google infotainment software due to safety and security concerns.
For the first time, Toyota will allow Android Auto devices to connect directly to its cars, after announcing compatibility with Apple Inc.’s CarPlay in January. Previously both platforms could only connect with Toyota vehicles using SmartDeviceLink, a telematics system developed by Ford Motor Co. that controls how Android Auto and CarPlay look on the dash and limits their access to car data.
The addition of Android Auto may attract customers who had stayed away from Toyota vehicles because of the lack of connectivity. More than 80 percent of smartphones use the software from Alphabet Inc.’s Google, with the rest using Apple’s iOS system, according to data compiled by Bloomberg Intelligence. An announcement could come as early as October, according a different person familiar with the plans. The people didn’t want to be identified discussing information that isn’t yet public.
For Alphabet, it’s another step toward getting its software into more vehicles -- albeit on a much smaller scale than its technology partnership with the alliance of Renault SA, Nissan Motor Co. and Mitsubishi Motors Corp.
A Toyota spokesperson said that the carmaker acknowledges demand for Android Auto and that direct connection is something the company is considering, declining to comment beyond that. Google declined to comment.
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Audi, Mercedes-Benz & Kalashnikov: World’s Most Beautiful Concept Electric Cars
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These e-car concepts made a quiet noise during the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance 2018.
These e-car concepts made a quiet noise during the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance 2018.
Mercedes-Benz unveiled a one-seater Vision EQ Silver Arrow show car that has a body made of carbon fibre, is powered by a rechargeable battery with a usable capacity of 80 kWh and has a calculated range of over 400 km. The interior has a digital cockpit — it includes a curved panoramic screen with back projection, and a touchscreen integrated into the steering wheel.
Mercedes-Benz unveiled a one-seater Vision EQ Silver Arrow show car that has a body made of carbon fibre, is powered by a rechargeable battery with a usable capacity of 80 kWh and has a calculated r..
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Automobili Pininfarina debuted its fully electric hypercar, codenamed PF0, at the show. Cloaked in a visually stunning body created from carbon fibre, extreme levels of technology and functional design define the PF0, delivering a staggering performance for a road car: a stated ambition to accelerate from 0-100 kmph in less than two seconds, break the 400 kmph top speed barrier, and provide a potential zero-emissions range of over 500 km.
Automobili Pininfarina debuted its fully electric hypercar, codenamed PF0, at the show. Cloaked in a visually stunning body created from carbon fibre, extreme levels of technology and functional des..
Read More
The German automaker unveiled the all-electric Audi PB18 e-tron that’s broad and flat, visibly inspired by the wind tunnel and the race track. The concept uses three powerful electric motors – one up front and two in the rear that deliver power output of up to 150 kW to the front axle and 350 kW to the rear. The car can accelerate from 0 to 100 kmph in just a little over two seconds.
The German automaker unveiled the all-electric Audi PB18 e-tron that’s broad and flat, visibly inspired by the wind tunnel and the race track. The concept uses three powerful electric motors – one u..
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Infiniti also revealed a singleseat concept marrying the aesthetics of a classic grand prix racer with an electric powertrain and 21st-century materials. While the allelectric car hints at the striking future design cues from Infiniti, the Prototype 10 concept’s most important feature is its electric powertrain.
Infiniti also revealed a singleseat concept marrying the aesthetics of a classic grand prix racer with an electric powertrain and 21st-century materials. While the allelectric car hints at the strik..
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Far away from Pebble Beach, Kalashnikov — the company behind the AK-47 — last week unveiled a tiny all-electric retro car of its own, the CV-1. It has a broad front grille, a 350-kilometre driving range and is likely to help Kalashnikov enter the ranks of electric-car makers like Tesla. (Image: AFP)
Far away from Pebble Beach, Kalashnikov — the company behind the AK-47 — last week unveiled a tiny all-electric retro car of its own, the CV-1. It has a broad front grille, a 350-kilometre driving ra..
