- Tesla might be adding Apple CarPlay to its EVs.
- It’s a pretty desired feature—21% of owners recently surveyed say they want it in their next car.
- But is it really a value add for Tesla owners?
In case you haven’t heard the rumors, Tesla is believed to be actively exploring how to integrate Apple CarPlay into its EVs. The electric automaker has long been one of the biggest opponents of stuffing another company’s software into its own technology ecosystem system, but as it turns out, Tesla owners want that feature more than the rest of new car buyers at a rate of 7-to-1.
About 21% of Tesla owners say that Apple CarPlay is a top feature they want in their next vehicle. That’s according to a new study from Strategic Vision, in a survey of the broader U.S. car-buying market.
The study notes that only 3% rank Apple CarPlay as a desired feature included in their next car—but that’s only if it’s not on their current vehicle. And besides Tesla, Rivian and the General Motors EVs, nearly every modern car comes equipped with the system. This explains why that number is so low. Many studies indicate CarPlay is ranked as a must-have feature for most car shoppers.
Photo by: Tesla
What makes the study even more peculiar is that Tesla owners are also less likely to be iPhone people. The Venn diagram of iPhone owners and Tesla drivers overlaps at just 65%, while the rest of the industry surveyed jumps up a bit to 70%. So fewer Apple users—yet a higher demand for CarPlay.
“Listening to owners and recognizing that emotional confidence in daily digital life (navigation, music, messages, familiarity) is a part of what consumers are looking for,” Alexander Edwards, the president of Strategic Vision, said in a LinkedIn post. “The lesson for every [automaker] is the same: let strategy be guided by what customers actually experience and meaningfully desire, not just by what you can build.”
Moreover, quite a few hacks and workarounds have appeared over the years for the industrious among the Apple-loving Tesla faithful. YouTuber Robert Rosenfeld has a whole guide to this that I’ve posted below:
The thing is, Tesla doesn’t really need CarPlay. I say this not just as an avid CarPlay lover and Apple user, but also as the owner of a Model 3.
It was one of the things that I dreaded giving up when moving to the Musk & Co. ecosystem, but those fears were eschewed after driving it for a few weeks and realizing that Tesla is actually really good at making a good operating system and user interface for its vehicles.
Tesla Model 3 Energy screen
In fact, it’s very likely that Tesla’s in-car tech stack fits the majority of users’ needs—from finding charging stations, to music and video streaming, and even web browsing and car control integration. Now, sure, there are things missing from Tesla’s in-car app repertoire. Waze has been a big ask, for example. And its maps software has questionable navigation at times.
Yet overall, it’s for sure one of the better experiences out there when considering what other automakers are going through. In our testing here at InsideEVs, Rivian’s software setup comes close these days but Tesla still has a commanding lead, especially when it comes to smartphone integration. Even other automakers are pivoting to build Tesla-like infotainment systems in the near future.
There is some overlap between what Tesla owners want and what the rest of consumers want. For example, cooled seats were at the top of Tesla owners’ list and also second in the eyes of the rest of the industry. Active noise cancellation and a night vision system were also shared across both lists.
As for individual wants: Tesla owners expressed their desire for a spare tire, a common sentiment among EV owners, while owners of non-Tesla cars have both memory seats and air purifiers on their wishlists.
Maybe this is Tesla’s take on allowing screen mirroring as it prepares to really push its dream of self-driving live over the next year (maybe). Or maybe it’s just folks preparing to leave the Tesla ecosystem and determining what they would need to have something else bearable to drive.
Either way, if Tesla integrates CarPlay, it’ll be good for owners to have options. And if not? Owners moving to another EV platforms have a decreasing number of options to choose from if CarPlay is a must.
This story was updated to provide more context on the CarPlay study.
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