Tesla seems to be shifting its long-held stance. After years of claiming its in-house infotainment system sufficed, the company is now reportedly preparing to incorporate Apple CarPlay into its vehicles—a feature many Tesla owners have sought for nearly a decade. A recent Bloomberg report indicates that Tesla has begun internal testing of Apple CarPlay integration. This represents a significant turn for the electric vehicle manufacturer, which has previously resisted adopting either of the leading smartphone-to-car platforms—Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. While many modern cars, including various entry-level models, come with these features as standard, Tesla has relied exclusively on its proprietary interface.
Apple CarPlay is important because it replicates essential iPhone functionalities on a vehicle’s touchscreen, enabling drivers to access navigation, calls, messages, music, podcasts, and more. It has become essential for many car buyers. However, Tesla previously avoided this platform, with Elon Musk publicly downplaying the necessity for such integrations. Musk has also criticized Apple on numerous occasions, especially regarding its App Store policies, and expressed discontent when Apple recruited several of his engineers during its now-abandoned electric car initiative. Despite this opposition, demand from customers has intensified. Tesla owners have consistently urged the company to support CarPlay, while some potential buyers have cited its absence as a deal-breaker. What has changed? The competitive landscape around Tesla has altered considerably.
Apple terminated its long-anticipated electric vehicle project, Titan, in 2024, effectively eliminating the competitive pressure that once existed between the two firms. At the same time, Tesla’s sales have started to decline, and Musk increasingly depends on Apple for the distribution of both X and Grok AI services. A 2024 report from McKinsey & Co. indicated that nearly one-third of car buyers view CarPlay or Android Auto as essential. Given its shifting market position and rising customer expectations, Tesla seems poised to make adjustments. When can Tesla owners expect CarPlay? The timeline is still unclear. The report mentions that Tesla has considered launching CarPlay in the upcoming months, though nothing is confirmed.
The company is known for pausing, delaying, or even canceling features after extensive development, so an official release might still be some time away. Both Tesla and Apple have declined to comment on the situation. If released, CarPlay is expected to be accessible within a designated area of Tesla’s interface, akin to how other automakers implement the feature. It will not have access to vehicle-specific controls like Full Self-Driving (FSD). Tesla is reportedly working with the standard version of CarPlay rather than Apple’s newer, advanced CarPlay Ultra interface. Wireless pairing—now standard in most new vehicles—is also likely to be supported. As for Android users, the report suggests that Tesla still has no immediate plans to implement Android Auto.