VW CEO Predicts Apple Will Go with CarPlay, Not Cars

Apple teases future of CarPlay in iOS 16 during WWDC22 Keynote.

23 JUNE 2022 - At least one carmaker thinks CarPlay is about as far as Apple will go in automotive. MacRumors highlights a Reuters report that has Volkswagen CEO Herbert Diess expressing skepticism around a full-on Apple car. The piece has Diess saying, “I'm not sure if Apple will actually bring cars to the market in the end. It would be a big effort…” Rather, he thinks Apple will focus on, what the report calls, “car cockpit software…”

Certainly, Apple made a big move in that directions with its future of CarPlay tease at this month’s Worldwide Developer Conference. Writing of that, MacRumors says:

Users will be able to personalize their in-car experience by choosing different gauge cluster designs and widgets, with the new version of CarPlay effectively offering a wholly Apple-designed experience for all of a car's displays and functions.

While it’s hard to imagine carmakers giving up that level of control, Apple has said that each “will be able to retain a sense of brand identity with the new system.” While VW has not committed to employing Apple’s new CarPlay, MacRumors says two of its “sub-brands,” Audi and Porsche, do plan to put it in the dash.