--- title: "GM’s Stance on CarPlay Is as Fractured and Confusing as Ever" date: "2026-09-22" modified: "2026-09-22" authors: - name: "Adam Ismail" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://www.thedrive.com/authors/adam-ismail.md" url: "https://www.thedrive.com/news/gms-stance-on-carplay-is-as-fractured-and-confusing-as-ever" categories: - "Car Tech" - "GM News" - "Infotainment" - "News" - "News by Brand" tags: - "buick" - "Cadillac" - "Chevrolet" - "Electric Vehicle" - "GM" - "GMC" --- # GM’s Stance on CarPlay Is as Fractured and Confusing as Ever ![GM's outgoing infotainment interface, as seen in the 2026 Chevrolet Corvette E-Ray where CarPlay is supported.]() *GM's outgoing infotainment interface, as seen in the 2026 Chevrolet Corvette E-Ray where CarPlay is supported. \Adam Ismail\* Last week, [General Motors]() announced a new infotainment user experience launching first in trucks before "expanding across the broader portfolio," in the company's words. The revamped UX features Apple CarPlay and Android Auto in a new, picture-in-picture layout, and because [the text]() billed this system as "a single scalable foundation that can extend across electric, gas and diesel-powered vehicles," many—[myself included]()—interpreted it to mean that GM was finally conceding its war against phone projection in EVs. Today, I regret to inform you that it seems nothing's actually changed. To quickly recap, every new GM EV since 2024 has forgone easy, full-featured connectivity with Apple and Google's smartphones—[except, weirdly, the Cadillac Lyriq](). Gas cars have been spared of this, though CEO Mary Barra [once teased ditching it on those, too](). On Monday, prominent tech journalist [Joanna Stern posted on X]() that, "GM has confirmed it is NOT rolling phone projection to GM EVs. Instead this announcement is specific to JUST their new gas powered light-duty pickups, which have always supported Apple CarPlay and Android Auto." This was the worst case scenario: That GM would remain on its path to withhold phone projection, [a feature the vast majority of car buyers say they want](), from their EVs for reasons that, frankly, are pretty hard to justify. [We've been over them before](), so we won't revisit them here. ![]() ![]() This was a very definitive claim, so I reached out to GM itself and asked directly: Will phone projection be offered in upcoming EVs? A representative responded with a decidedly less definitive statement that, frankly, just convinces me that GM is maintaining its current position on the matter: "We don't have any news about EVs. The team's focus is on the 2027 light-duty pickups given their importance to the business. GM's mention about 'broader portfolio' and the UI being a 'scalable foundation' is intended to convey flexibility of the new UI framework and not meant to signal future plans regarding projection." So, there you have it: While some higher-ranking folks at the company have billed this new picture-in-picture approach in trucks as a marriage of the projection and native environments—"a single experience rather than moving from room to room inside a house," [in the words of]() Software Defined Vehicle Engineering Executive Director Mike Wahlstrom—it appears that gas cars will still get CarPlay and Android Auto, and battery-powered ones won't. At this point, the nebulous nature of GM's stance and the arbitrary line drawn between the haves and have-nots (why the Lyriq?) have arguably sowed enough confusion to the point that they're not really delivering any value to the business. That confusion will be difficult to dispel if GM eventually relents here. All I can say is that the new infotainment system looks good, and GM should carry it over, exactly as it appears in the Silverado and Sierra, to as many of its products as possible. Wouldn't that be nice and simple? *Got a new tip? Drop us a line 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]()