CAR TALK: GM SEES A FUTURE WITH GOOGLE

Apple is getting some static on its car radio. General Motors is working with Google on built-in infotainment systems in electric vehicles, phasing out Apple CarPlay and Android Auto technologies, Reuters has reported.

Starting with the 2024 Chevrolet Blazer, the GM/Google arrangement could help the automaker capture more data on how consumers drive and charge EVs.

Buyers of GM EVs with the new system on board will get free access to Google Maps and Google Assistant for eight years. The infotainment structure will also offer the Spotify and Audible apps and other services accessible via smartphones.

GM has been working with Google since 2019 to make EVs a platform for digital-subscription services. Previously, Chevy marketed its vehicles with CarPlay or Auto.

"We have a lot of new driver-assistance features coming that are more tightly coupled with navigation," GM ED of Digital Cockpit Experience Mike Hichme told Reuters. "We don’t want to design these features in a way that's dependent on someone having a cellphone."

GM Chief Executive Mary Barra has said that by 2030, annual revenue from subscriptions is expected to top $20b and could hit $25b.