“ Is your car an Android or a CarPlay? », This question could gradually become commonplace, according to Politico. Operating systems or on-board entertainment, Google, Apple and to a lesser extent Amazon, are trying to impose themselves on these markets by signing various contracts with car manufacturers.
Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, Alexa Auto on the front
Will the automotive world be like that of smartphones? It is a comparison that comes more and more in the mouths of regulators of all stripes. During the complaint of the attorneys general of the United States against Google, at the end of 2020, Herbert Slatery, representative of Tennessee had declared ” When smartphones took off, Google made sure to control search on Apple’s iPhone. They do the same on voice and connected cars. It’s a similar scenario “.
Passenger Play: under pressure, Tesla deactivates video games integrated in the dashboard
The automotive industry suffers from a structural technological backwardness due to the length of time required for the development of a vehicle, from three to five years. To compensate for this situation, many manufacturers have relied on connecting smartphones to car speakers to provide various services.
In 2014 Apple launched CarPlay, Google launched Android Auto the following year, to allow motorists to call, listen to music or other entertainment activities in a vehicle. Amazon, for its part, wants to make Alexa Auto autonomous from CarPlay or Android Auto. The system has been adopted as a voice assistant by BMW and General Motors since 2018, later with Audi, Jeep and Land Rover.
The manufacturers, initially skeptical to the idea of integrating more directly the systems of Google, Apple, ended up being interested in it more closely.
Google, a step ahead?
In February 2021 Google and Ford signed a six-year partnership, according to which, from 2023, all vehicles of the company will come with Google Maps, Google Assistant and Play Store pre-installed.
The tech giant offers manufacturers to use its Android operating system. The industry standards organization, Connected Véhicles Systems Alliance, has already developed benchmarks for integrating Android into cars. Stellantis (Chrysler, Jeep and others) turned to this option: mix Android with Alexa and Tomtom for navigation.
To provide Maps or voice assistance a partnership called Google Automotive Services is offered. Honda, Volvo and the Renault-Nissan Mitsubishi alliance have chosen this path. This strategy, the choice between Android and Android plus exclusive Google services has already been adopted for smartphones. It was fined the company 4.34 billion euros in the European Union in 2018.
Smartphone and automobile really fight the same? Truly ?
For Google the comparison between Smartphone and automobile is not valid. According to a spokesperson for the company quoted by Politico, ” The Android automotive operating system is an open platform that can be customized, and manufacturers and users alike have the choice of downloading and installing a wide variety of third-party applications. “. The company adds that the connected car market is very competitive today.
Eric Gundersen, former CEO of Mapbox, one of the few competitors to Google Maps, told Congress that Google’s contracts are impacting adoption of the alternative. He explains that the important thing in this competition is the giant’s ability to recover data. They are used to fuel artificial intelligence and gain performance. As often, data is the crux of the matter.
The speed of reaction of legislators will be decisive in view of the market concerned. Cars are long-term purchases: locking a user into a single system is all the easier for large companies. The challenge for regulatory authorities is now to act quickly, before monopolies really take hold.