The company’s Android Auto technology, similar to Apple CarPlay, merely projects a tweaked interface from a smartphone to a vehicle’s existing infotainment system, requiring a mobile device to be connected.
The deeply integrated alternative is said to entirely eliminate the need for a smartphone or other device, installing the mobile OS directly onto the vehicle’s infotainment hardware, unnamed sources have told Reuters.
The information follows on the heels of a report that suggests General Motors will use an Android-powered infotainment system for its upcoming vehicles, through a $900 million development contract with supplier Harman International.
Google’s ambitions in the industry aren’t exactly a secret, as the company hosts the Open Automotive Alliance — a collaborative effort to build an Android-based open-source infotainment software platform.
The previous reports suggest GM may be on track to bring its Android infotainment system to market by 2016.
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