Discuss: Why Tesla does not include CarPlay and Android Auto

[Not a Tesla App]

Many car buyers look for a vehicle with CarPlay or Android Auto support, but here's why Tesla doesn't include these features… Read More

Why Tesla does not include CarPlay and Android Auto

Many car buyers look for a vehicle with CarPlay or Android Auto support, but here's why Tesla doesn't include these features

www.notateslaapp.com

 

[silversam]

Good article, very informative. One tiny error to correct though....
“This issue is only exasperated”

This issue is only exacerbated

 

[alar]

No, Tesla just hired lazy or incompetent autocratic iManager who hates freedom of choice.... Typical change for every corporate after good start....V11 proved this Tesla new iNcompetent iManagers. Happened the same with Google or Samsung who also iDeteriorated and iDegradated after some time...

 

[Ekendahl]

I wish they added Apple Music as a source as I like the UI better than Spotify (on the phone) and it could save me some money using Apple bundle. I don’t need Apple Car Play in the Tesla - I like that in all other cars but the Tesla UI is still slightly better (but CarPlay is catching up).

 

[krikorr]

Many interesting points as to why Tesla doesn't include CarPlay. The article implied it's easier to perform some functions on the Tesla app than with CarPlay but I think the author missed one very important fact - There is nothing easier to use than something you already know. I expect a large percentage of Tesla drivers own an iPhone and are familiar with the iPhone apps and many of them probably have a second car that they already use CarPlay on. Let the user decide!

 

[DepthC]

Very interesting. Another major reason - probably the main one - if you use an external navigation program, Tesla does not get data on user driving, and the car does not have an opportunity to navigate on autopilot or recommend/warn/precondition for on route chargers. My workaround is to have a phone cradle to get police alerts from Waze , and to be honest it’s nice to have a “second opinion” for the fastest route in traffic. Tesla tends to pick more direct routes than Waze.

 

[JustSomeGuy]

If you are looking to use Apple Music or other online services try using www.MyTessy.ca from the car browser, it's a browser expanding site with more service options then what Tesla has.

 

[Ponzi]

Very interesting. Another major reason - probably the main one - if you use an external navigation program, Tesla does not get data on user driving, and the car does not have an opportunity to navigate on autopilot or recommend/warn/precondition for on route chargers. My workaround is to have a phone cradle to get police alerts from Waze , and to be honest it’s nice to have a “second opinion” for the fastest route in traffic. Tesla tends to pick more direct routes than Waze.

Good point also they would lose the ability to load balance the charging network.
Carplay would mean a big % of teslas destination and trip would not be directly known by tesla.

 

[jtwurth]

I wish they added Apple Music as a source as I like the UI better than Spotify (on the phone) and it could save me some money using Apple bundle. I don’t need Apple Car Play in the Tesla - I like that in all other cars but the Tesla UI is still slightly better (but CarPlay is catching up).

Same here. I used to want CarPlay in my next vehicle until I got my Model Y. I mostly like the Tesla UI & UX. I don't need to break that experience or duplicate it. I just want to be able to connect to my Apple Music service and Podcasts in the same way that subscribers to Tidal or Spotify can. I don't know if this is an Apple or a Tesla problem or if it's shared. Hell, I wouldn't mind if Tesla would just create an curated App Store. I would absolutely add (maybe even pay for) apps like Apple Music, Audible, and Waze if they wanted to curate how the apps had to work with their UX and blend it into the Tesla platform.

 

[alar]

Nonsense. The iManagers are clearly lazy with poor overall common sense. Android Auto would just be a good competitor to improve their navigation faster so the users would prefer Tesla solution. With this iAutocratic approach they're free to stay lazy with their horrible routing without many useful features. Tesla really has bad routing acc to my experience and still missing overall good ergonomics and features.

 

[Jp12687]

This article is pretty bad.
It implies Tesla has a better UX then others and can do everything better.

That is simply not the case.

The experience around navigation and the way the info is displayed it mind as well be Mapquest.

The limitation on responding to 1 text not a group is 2002

Lack of choice on music services goes back to the days of AM radio.

For the most advanced car out there too many things are rooted in the past.

I have a 22 MYP and for the most part hate the infotainment system after coming from a series of BMWs.

Tesla has battery tech going for it- but actual car features they have a long way to go. The focus on automation is cool- but it’s not 2 weeks away- it’s prob not 2 years away.

 

[rlopin]

No, Tesla just hired lazy or incompetent autocratic iManager who hates freedom of choice.... Typical change for every corporate after good start....V11 proved this Tesla new iNcompetent iManagers. Happened the same with Google or Samsung who also iDeteriorated and iDegradated after some time...

Did you even read the article? There are some VERY GOOD reasons for not supporting Car Play or Android Auto. Vertical integration at the hardware and software level creates superior user experiences and increases the pace of innovation. Legacy auto are awful at software so they need Apple and Google because these automakers are slow to develop, slow to deploy, slow to update, and use clunky user interfaces. Tesla is way ahead in their software and engineering capabilites. It would be iStupid to ruin that while simultaneously letting in a Trojan iHorse.

 

[alar]

Did you even read the article? There are some VERY GOOD reasons for not supporting Car Play or Android Auto. Vertical integration at the hardware and software level creates superior user experiences and increases the pace of innovation. Legacy auto are awful at software so they need Apple and Google because these automakers are slow to develop, slow to deploy, slow to update, and use clunky user interfaces. Tesla is way ahead in their software and engineering capabilites. It would be iStupid to ruin that while simultaneously letting in a Trojan iHorse.

Do you blindly believe Tesla or this article? Just don't be limited by someone's opinion... I just don't agree and I say as always: Tesla has significant issues with UX. OBVIOUSLY poor managers in charge. Since V11 it even went worse. Poor arguments, poor reasons with not understanding what drivers want... This needs a serious analysis, not just decide because "I think because I'm a Tesla iManager so I can create any "reason" why not to do it and stay lazy"

 

[SKPnSF]

What utter BS. All of the shortcoming can be coded out. Tesla chooses "it's our way or the highway" because they were the only game in town and they are shortsighted. . They don't want to accommodate what their customers want because it cost money. Instead they try to placate their customers with childish games because King Musk says so. The competition is on the near horizon with better offerings at a competitive price. Tick Tock...

 

[SKPnSF]

Did you even read the article? There are some VERY GOOD reasons for not supporting Car Play or Android Auto. Vertical integration at the hardware and software level creates superior user experiences and increases the pace of innovation. Legacy auto are awful at software so they need Apple and Google because these automakers are slow to develop, slow to deploy, slow to update, and use clunky user interfaces. Tesla is way ahead in their software and engineering capabilites. It would be iStupid to ruin that while simultaneously letting in a Trojan iHorse.

You have used EVERY UI from EVERY automaker then? Google's new auto UI puts Tesla to shame. Go checkout a Polestar . The UI is intuitive, fast, logical, beautiful and it doesn't require you to take your eyes off the road for extended periods of time.. It also has an App Store so you can pick and chose what apps work best for you.

 

[tomlafayette]

This article is pretty bad.
It implies Tesla has a better UX then others and can do everything better.

That is simply not the case.

The experience around navigation and the way the info is displayed it mind as well be Mapquest.

The limitation on responding to 1 text not a group is 2002

Lack of choice on music services goes back to the days of AM radio.

For the most advanced car out there too many things are rooted in the past.

I have a 22 MYP and for the most part hate the infotainment system after coming from a series of BMWs.

Tesla has battery tech going for it- but actual car features they have a long way to go. The focus on automation is cool- but it’s not 2 weeks away- it’s prob not 2 years away.

Thank you - I agree with you. Although I enjoy my 2018 Model S, the failings of the infotainment / texting system is a constant irritation.

The way the Tesla handles text messaging is very poor compared to Apple CarPlay. I find that the Tesla system frequently mangles the dictation. Also, the combination of voice command and the scroll wheel is very distracting. I really can't believe that it can't respond to a group text and replies to one person only.

In addition, the way the Tesla handles podcasts from my iPhone is terrible. I have to grab my phone to select the next podcast. Maybe my problem is that I use the Apple podcast function where I could be using Spotify, however, as others have pointed out, I use more than one car and don't want to change just to accommodate Tesla.

When people ask me how I like my Model S, I always mention my dissatisfaction with these features.
For these reasons, I would strongly consider buying a different brand when I replace this car. Especially because Tesla is the outlier when it comes to non-adoption of Apple CarPlay. That really steams me - when I struggle with the Tesla interface, I feel that I'm being forced to use an inferior product because of a personal feud between Apple and Tesla which every other car manufacturer has resolved.

 

[ehs]

It would damage the Tesla experience? lol. Which part? The erratic navigation without speed traps alerts, accident alerts? or where the roads have no names "Unnamed Road", even though they do clearly have a name? The tesla experience infotainment sucks a$$ and the more they wait, they more it falls behind. Leave the software to the software people (Apple and Google).

 

[schnaxxl]

I don’t care if it’s not CarPlay, but the interface needs to be improved vastly beyond the current setup
it reminds me of cars I drove 10 years ago or more
the article is a bit of gee-whiz fanboy adoration

First and foremost, Tesla develops its own software that is miles ahead of traditional car manufacturers.

not amazingly, Elon might not always be right

 

[FountainoftheSalmacis]

This article is a joke right?

The infotainment systems is possibly the worst and most frustrating system I've ever encountered - even compared to the older Landrovers and Toyotas. If you live in the UK where most services think you are in the Netherlands then it's worse.

Google maps is not proper Google maps, Spotify is not proper Spotify, TuneIn gets me part of the way but no BBC - well it changes. Try and FFW/RWD on any of these apps and it either fails or you end up having to stop the car in case you crash it.

The implementation of your own music from an SSD looks like an old iTunes media player run on a home network. It is laughable.

The voice "recognition" would be truly remarkable in the 90s on a Nokia for a bit of a toy but if anyone considers Tesla voice commands to be anything more practical than opening up the glovebox then they've not really experienced Android Auto / CarPlay. Or maybe Tesla only tests based on a Californian US accent.

There is no integration - I can't link any of my Google accounts which means that I have to work out maps and driving detail on my phone and send it to the car (this is deemed a feature ) where the "Tesla Google Maps" ignores any routing. It doesn't even have the intelligence to work out the direction you are going in when trying to find it's own chargerpoints.

It is so unremarkable that I could write a book on it's flaws - I chuckle when I hear write-ups about Tesla software and Over the Air updates......

In comparison, my wife has a 3 year old Audi - it connects through wireless Android Auto - I tell it where I want to go and it recognises my voice (and the UK nuances), I can listen to BBC Sounds, YouTube Music and proper Spotify with all my lists. I can plug in a thumb drive and it will render the album art and put album, songs, and playlists using a proper user interface. It's a breath of fresh air.

OK - my wife's Audi can't produce a fart sound but it didn't cost £54K

No - please do not tell the world that Tesla's software is superior..........in any way, shape of form.....

Since Tesla are now opening up their charging networks - this is it for me. Yes, it is a big deal when you use your car a lot

 

[ehs]

I don’t care if it’s not CarPlay, but the interface needs to be improved vastly beyond the current setup
it reminds me of cars I drove 10 years ago or more
the article is a bit of gee-whiz fanboy adoration

not amazingly, Elon might not always be right

Agreed. Tesla software is miles ahead.....what a laughable comment. Tesla starts really innovating again, or will become the Blackberry of EVs