GM started this story in March 2023 when it announced it would remove CarPlay from its future EVs. Today the company pushes that decision further. You will see new GM gas cars ship without CarPlay as well. The message comes straight from GM CEO Mary Barra and Chief Product Officer Sterling Anderson on Nilay Patel’s Decoder podcast.
Anderson framed the move as a “very Jobsian approach.” He compared dropping CarPlay to Apple killing the disk drive. People complained at first. The company pressed ahead anyway. He then argued that CarPlay works like iPhone Mirroring on a Mac. You do not use mirroring for email or social apps on your laptop because the native interface is better. GM says the car should work the same way.
Gas models are next
Barra said GM’s large lineup makes an instant flip impossible. The company sells more than 40 models. Updates land in phases. As new vehicles launch, GM plans to apply one consistent strategy. When Patel asked if new gas cars will skip “smartphone projection,” Barra answered yes.
GM has so far limited the removal to EVs. That changes now. You should expect future Chevrolet, GMC, Buick, and Cadillac models to ship with GM’s own software instead of CarPlay or Android Auto.
GM says its software does more
Anderson said GM’s system offers a richer in-car experience than CarPlay. He pointed to native navigation that understands Super Cruise availability, deeper ties to charging, and a larger, purpose-built interface. GM previously called this stack Ultifi. The company says a centralized computing system, starting with the 2028 Cadillac Escalade IQ, will let it share software across the lineup and update vehicles more easily.
Apple ties are not over
Barra said GM keeps “a good relationship with Apple.” She said Apple Wallet support is coming. You will store a car key in Wallet and use it for select vehicle functions. That will help iPhone owners who still want some Apple features in GM cars without CarPlay.
