--- title: "GM Confirms Apple CarPlay for EVs—But Only Outside the US" date: "2025-07-28" modified: "2025-07-29" authors: - name: "Adam Ismail" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://www.thedrive.com/authors/adam-ismail" url: "https://www.thedrive.com/news/gm-evs-will-get-apple-carplay-after-all-but-only-outside-the-us" categories: - "Car Tech" - "GM News" - "News" - "News by Brand" tags: - "Cadillac" - "Electric Vehicle" - "luxury" - "Lyriq" - "suv/crossover" --- # GM Confirms Apple CarPlay for EVs—But Only Outside the US ![Driver view of the interior of the 2026 Cadillac VISTIQ with Super Cruise hands-free driver assistance technology engaged.]() *The dashboard of the 2026 Cadillac Vistiq. \General Motors\* One point of frustration for us and many folks who have test-driven GM's latest EVs is that they lack Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, by design. [GM]() has historically argued that the user experience for its EVs is better when drivers remain in its own software ecosystem, where features like navigation, range projections, and routing to chargers are all tied together, working off the same pool of information and vehicle data. The company also stands to make more money off owners forking over cash for monthly data subscriptions after their vehicle's free trial period ends, of course, though executives don't tend to lead with that point. In any case, it turns out that [Cadillac]() EV buyers in Australia and New Zealand will get to keep phone projection going forward, even if [we Americans aren't so lucky](). The news comes to us by way of Australia's *[CarExpert]()*, quoting a GM spokesperson for the region. "All Cadillac Lyriq, Lyriq-V, Vistiq and Optiq vehicles coming to Australia and New Zealand will offer Cadillac Connected Services as well as wireless smartphone projection, which is currently available in Lyriq models (i.e. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto)," the statement read. Note that this says nothing of GM's other all-electric products, like those from Chevrolet. *The Drive* reached out to GM's North American PR team to see if this decision could reflect any change in plans for the domestic market. Unsurprisingly, that doesn't appear to be the case. "While infotainment features vary by region based on network capabilities and OnStar service availability, we remain committed to the strategic rollout of our native infotainment platform," an American GM representative wrote in response to our inquiry after this story was initially published. ![The 2025 Cadillac Optiq]() *The 2025 Cadillac Optiq. *General Motors** GM's been pretty clear, at least on this side of the planet, that it doesn't believe phone projection belongs in its battery-powered vehicles. It's had many opportunities to reconsider the policy over multiple years now. Every time someone from the company is asked about it, they dig their heels in, talking of [crafting "seamless" experiences]() and not wanting to be ["dependent on \[the driver\] having a cellphone,"]() a bold stance in the 2020s. Something that may in part explain GM's unique policy down under is the fact that Super Cruise, its Level 3 autonomous highway driving system, isn't legally permitted there. That's one less component of GM's theoretical "seamless" future driving experience that must be, well, seamless. Our friend Jason Torchinsky over at *The Autopian* had [a great response]() to one of GM's more recent defenses of its anti-CarPlay stance: The company isn't wrong that in-car software should be friction-free and easy to use—it just miscalculated which part of that experience people care about being easy. I tend to set one destination per trip in my car, if any at all, versus three, four, *who knows* how many changes between podcasts and music playlists. [I reviewed an Equinox EV]() some months back, plugged my iPhone in, tapped the little music icon, and saw literal folders of MP3s, organized by artist, like a Creative Zen from 2005. (A Zen would've been easier to use, come to think of it, because those never forced you to peck at tiny icons on a gargantuan display.) I wasn't thrilled to trade media-browsing convenience for Ultify's fancy built-in nav system, especially because there's no good reason anyone should have to. ![The All Apps menu in a Chevy Equinox EV.]() *The All Apps menu in a Chevy Equinox EV. *Adam Ismail** Someday, I do think GM will go back on this policy. There are plenty of other ways to make money through software-locked features; BMW and Mercedes are inventing new ones practically every day, and you can still get CarPlay and Android Auto in their cars. The easiest, safest in-car interface is the one people know how to use, and nine times out of 10, that's going to be the one on their phone, which is already logged into all of their apps. ***Update July 29, 2025, 10:10 a.m. Eastern:** Added statement from GM's North American PR team.* *Got a tip? Reach out to us at tips@thedrive.com* ## Author Adam is a Senior Editor at The Drive, concentrating on curating and developing the site's slate of daily journalism, from initial pitch to final copy edit. When he's not at his desk researching leads and working with writers, he's testing vehicles or reviewing racing games, new and old. He joined The Drive in 2023, following seven years of covering consumer technology and cars. A car lover and gamer since his earliest memories, Adam came to know the automotive world through video games. First it was Daytona USA, Sega Rally, and Ridge Racer; then came Need For Speed, which inspired an encyclopedic knowledge of '90s supercars, and, of course, Gran Turismo. If not for them, he'd assuredly be doing something else right now. Adam is based in the suburbs outside Philly, where there are ample roads for his hot hatch to stretch its legs. In his car, he's probably listening to indie rock, drum and bass, or Yankees baseball. ### Author social links [Bluesky]() [Instagram]() [LinkedIn]()