SHANGHAI – Automakers
head to Shanghai for the inaugural CES Asia, as Chevrolet rolls out CarPlay and
Android Auto to 14 of its models in 2016.
Apple and
Google can breathe a sigh of relief, as GM confirmed last week that Apple
CarPlay and Android Auto will come as standard across the majority of 2016 Chevrolet
models.
The
commitment makes GM the first major automaker to release Apple CarPlay and
Android Auto across its mainstream cars. Others, like Mercedes-Benz, Honda and
Volvo, all promised to deploy the smartphone pairing systems in 2014, then
delayed. To date, only a couple of fancy Ferraris have shipped with CarPlay
onboard.
For Apple,
which is used to seeing its products fly off the shelves, its first foray into
the automotive world has been sobering. GM said that it took so long rolling
out CarPlay and Android Auto because it had to make sure that all the features
passed GM’s distraction guidelines.
Chevy MyLink
will still be the in-dash infotainment system that users find in their 2016
Chevies, but CarPlay and Android Auto will be built into the systems and will
flash an icon when a compatible iPhone or Android smartphone are detected in
the car.
First car to
hit dealer floors is the 2016 Chevy Cruze out June 24. Thirteen others,
including the Spark, Malibu and Camaro, will follow later this year.
Not to be
outdone, Hyundai announced that it was making the 2015 Hyundai Sonata the first
production vehicle on the planet with Android Auto, effective immediately. If
you’ve got a 2015 Sonata with the optional navigation package, all you have to
do is swing by a Hyundai dealership and wait 45 minutes until the update is
complete. Alternatively, Hyundai says that an over-the-air update is coming
later this summer.
In other
news, the Consumer Electronics Show launched its inaugural event in Shanghai,
and a number of automakers came along for the ride. Chief among them was Audi,
who kept the pedal down on its big self-driving car push (recall this year’s
CES Las Vegas, where Audi arrived in an autonomous A7 that had driven 500 miles
without driver intervention). At CES Asia 2015, Audi debuted the Audi R8
e-tron, an all electric concept car decked out with enough laser scanners,
ultrasonic and radar sensors and video cameras to make it fully autonomous as
it cruises about the streets of Shanghai.
Mercedes-Benz
revealed that it was deepening its ties with Baidu, China’s largest search
engine, in an attempt to bring more services to Mercedes drivers in China.
Mercedes has already integrated Baidu�s Street View into its vehicles, a first
among automakers in China. In the future, it plans to integrate Baidu’s
CarLife, a smartphone-based in-car infotainment system developed specifically
for the Chinese market.
Back at Mobile
World Congress 2015 in Barcelona, Shanghai OnStar joined forces with China
Mobile for the launch of 4G LTE telematics service across China. At CES Asia,
Shanghai OnStar was on hand with Cadillac, the first model to debut the service
this year. Benefits for local customers include in-vehicle Wi-Fi hot spots, new
infotainment options like streaming video for back-seat passengers and faster
application downloads.
OnStar and Cadillac
also debuted an OnStar app for Apple Watch that allows Cadillac drivers in
China to remote control their cars from their wrists. In addition to remote
lock and unlock and real-time info about the vehicle, users can remotely start
the engine, flash headlights, sound the horn and locate nearby parking spots.
In the U.S.,
Volvo said it was hopping on the Apple Watch train as well, as it’s set to
release an updated version of its Volvo On Call app that makes it compatible
with Apple Watch. The app allows Volvo drivers to remotely set cabin
temperatures, lock/unlock their cars, check gas mileage and locate their cars. The
app will also pair with Android Wear, Google’s smartwatch platform.
Finally, Ford
revealed that it’s jumping on the car-sharing bandwagon in London with its new
pay-as-you-go GoDrive platform. BMW took its DriveNow car-sharing platform live
in London in 2014, and ZipCar has been active there for years. Ford seems to be
trying to set itself apart with a guaranteed parking feature across 20
locations in the city. GoDrive will initially cap membership at 2,000 drivers
who can book one of 50 Ford cars (25 Focus Electrics, 25 Fiestas) via
smartphone app. The project is the first offshoot of Ford Smart Mobility,
Ford’s plan to use technology and innovation to take the company to the next
level in connectivity, mobility, autonomous vehicles, the customer experience
and big data.
“As cities
become more and more congested, people are becoming increasingly open to new
means of mobility, and car sharing is proving to be an appealing model,” says
Ken Washington, vice president, Ford Research and Advanced Engineering. “A
crucial part of delivering effective car-sharing services is to learn alongside
these drivers what best meets their needs and expectations, and complements
their location and existing transportation infrastructure.”
