GM EVs Still Have Apple CarPlay–You Just Have to Live Outside the U.S. to Get It

• General Motors is phasing out Apple CarPlay integration on its U.S.-bound EVs.
• Just two cars still have the feature–the Cadillac Lyriq and GMC Hummer EV–at least for now.
• Overseas, though, GM seems willing to offer CarPlay on more EVs.

General Motors decided a few years ago that its new electric cars would slowly ditch Apple CarPlay and Android Auto in favor of a Google-based infotainment system. That didn’t go down very well with customers, but the company is sticking to its guns, with just two EVs in the United States still offering CarPlay right now: the Cadillac Lyriq and GMC Hummer EV.

GM reasoned that this reduces distractions while driving and that the built-in infotainment system offers just about everything a driver would need without having to rely on their smartphone. And while that’s mostly true, with the Google-based system offering a pretty seamless experience, it would have been nice to have a choice.

The Cadillac Lyriq is one of the few GM EVs that still comes with CarPlay.

Photo by: InsideEVs

But now we have news out of Australia that General Motors’ EVs will come with everything once they land in the region: the Google-based infotainment system that we get here in the U.S., as well as wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

“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),” said a GM spokesperson quoted by CarExpert.com.au.

While the Lyriq already comes with CarPlay integration–albeit a pretty poor one, which uses just the center of the infotainment screen–the Optiq and Vistiq have been kept out of the loop, both in the United States and Europe. The entry-level Chevrolet Silverado EV also had CarPlay at the beginning, but the latest model year ditched the tiny center screen in favor of the more modern panoramic system that doesn’t get phone mirroring.

Integrating CarPlay and Android Auto on GM’s EVs is certainly possible, as one third-party company showcased earlier this year, but later decided to discontinue its product. GM has said that White Automotive’s retrofit kit could interfere with “critical safety features and may also void portions of the vehicle’s warranty.”

Taking that into consideration, GM’s decision to offer CarPlay in Australia and New Zealand might have something to do with Super Cruise, its hands-off driving assistance system, which is available in the United States but not Australia. Then again, GM’s gas-powered cars have Super Cruise and CarPlay, so that theory doesn’t hold water.