- Ford will continue to support Apple CarPlay in its vehicles.
- The company says it prioritizes customer “choice.”
- Other automakers, such as GM, are moving away from CarPlay.
General Motors was widely criticized when the company announced it was removing Apple CarPlay from its electric vehicles. Some owners were so determined to keep smartphone mirroring that they found a few short-lived solutions to bring it back. Fortunately, Ford says it won’t make the same mistake.
Speaking at the recent Barclays Global Auto and Mobility Tech Conference, Ford reassured customers that CarPlay isn’t going anywhere. CFO Sherry House confirmed the company’s position, saying:
“We continue to offer customers choices when it comes to Apple CarPlay. It’s a product that our customers really enjoy, so we’ll continue to give them access to it.”
The CarPlay Conundrum
Photo by: Apple
Apple CarPlay – and, to a lesser extent, Android Auto – was a major talking point in 2025. GM removed CarPlay from its EV lineup in 2024 and has since doubled down on its removal, saying it has no plans to bring it back. That said, the company recently added Apple Music to its own infotainment system. So there’s still some Apple in your car.
Rivian has also reiterated its decision not to support CarPlay. CEO RJ Scaringe said the company has “a lot of confidence” in its internal software and sees no need to offer Apple or Android integrations.
Interestingly, reports suggest that Tesla may be reconsidering its position. The automaker is said to have started testing smartphone mirroring in some vehicles earlier this year, potentially opening the door to CarPlay support.
For Ford fans (and Apple enthusiasts), this latest news can only be seen as a good thing. Despite Jim Farley’s lukewarm sentiments on the latest CarPlay Ultra updates, Ford’s CEO has made it clear that the company remains “deeply committed to Apple.”
Is CarPlay Ultra good?
Photo by: Chris Rosales / Motor1
That said, Farley’s hesitation around CarPlay Ultra is not unfounded. Unlike previous versions, CarPlay Ultra goes beyond the central touchscreen and extends to the digital instrument cluster, integrating more deeply with a vehicle’s own systems.
When we tested CarPlay Ultra earlier this year, we were mostly impressed. The interface was crisp, performance was smooth, and everything worked exactly as expected. It looked like a giant iPhone on wheels. Our biggest issue was that it required a wireless connection with no wired option, but that felt like a relatively minor complaint.
Either way, Ford’s decision to stick with CarPlay is great news. Whether CarPlay Ultra becomes a core part of the Ford range remains to be seen, but keeping that option on the table is exactly what customers want.
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