Apple’s big dream of taking over your car’s dashboard is crashing and it’s crashing hard. What was hyped up to be the future of driving, Apple CarPlay Ultra, is now being dropped by 71% of the car brands that were originally on board. That’s more than two-thirds jumping ship. Only a few, like Hyundai, Kia, Genesis, and Porsche, are still hanging in there. The rest? They’re backing away fast and it’s not hard to see why.
CarPlay Ultra isn’t just about showing your music or maps on the screen anymore. It literally takes over everything. The speedometer, the air conditioning, your radio, your seat warmers it all ends up looking and working like an iPhone. No matter what car you’re in, once CarPlay Ultra is running, it’s Apple’s world inside that cabin. It’s smooth, it’s pretty, and for the average driver, it feels like magic. But to carmakers? It feels like a trap.
See, these companies have spent years building fancy infotainment systems. They want drivers to feel the brand from the logo on the steering wheel down to the look of the touchscreen. But CarPlay Ultra wipes all of that away with one swoop. Apple’s system doesn’t blend in it takes over. And car brands aren’t happy about being turned into what feels like glorified phone holders. Then there’s the money part. Car brands aren’t just building cars anymore they’re building services. They want you to pay for your GPS, your music, your in-car Wi-Fi, even heated seats. These little features? They add up. But with CarPlay Ultra in control, Apple gets between you and those services. It’s Apple’s interface, Apple’s apps, and potentially Apple’s profits. That’s money the car companies would rather keep for themselves.
And let’s not forget data the new oil. Every time you press a button, change a song, or search for a destination, you’re giving off information. That data can be used to make better cars, better services or just better profits. Carmakers want to be the ones in charge of that flow. But with Apple in the driver’s seat (literally), they’re left on the outside looking in. So now, many big brands are pulling the plug. Mercedes, Audi, Volvo, Polestar all saying “no thanks” to Apple’s Ultra update. Some are even working on their own systems instead. Others are fine with regular CarPlay but want nothing to do with Apple controlling the entire cockpit. They’re drawing the line, loud and clear: Apple can ride along, but it’s not getting the steering wheel.
As for CarPlay Ultra’s future? It’s not looking so shiny anymore. Sure, it’s still coming to some cars mostly from the few brands still on board. But with so many major names walking away, Apple might need to go back to the drawing board. Maybe they’ll offer carmakers a better deal. Maybe they’ll try a softer approach. Or maybe they’ll just hope that drivers demand it so loudly that car brands have no choice.
Whatever happens next, one thing’s for sure: Apple tried to own the dashboard, and the car industry hit the brakes. Hard. The road ahead is uncertain but the fight for your car’s screen has officially begun.
CarPlay Ultra isn’t just about showing your music or maps on the screen anymore. It literally takes over everything. The speedometer, the air conditioning, your radio, your seat warmers it all ends up looking and working like an iPhone. No matter what car you’re in, once CarPlay Ultra is running, it’s Apple’s world inside that cabin. It’s smooth, it’s pretty, and for the average driver, it feels like magic. But to carmakers? It feels like a trap.
See, these companies have spent years building fancy infotainment systems. They want drivers to feel the brand from the logo on the steering wheel down to the look of the touchscreen. But CarPlay Ultra wipes all of that away with one swoop. Apple’s system doesn’t blend in it takes over. And car brands aren’t happy about being turned into what feels like glorified phone holders. Then there’s the money part. Car brands aren’t just building cars anymore they’re building services. They want you to pay for your GPS, your music, your in-car Wi-Fi, even heated seats. These little features? They add up. But with CarPlay Ultra in control, Apple gets between you and those services. It’s Apple’s interface, Apple’s apps, and potentially Apple’s profits. That’s money the car companies would rather keep for themselves.
And let’s not forget data the new oil. Every time you press a button, change a song, or search for a destination, you’re giving off information. That data can be used to make better cars, better services or just better profits. Carmakers want to be the ones in charge of that flow. But with Apple in the driver’s seat (literally), they’re left on the outside looking in. So now, many big brands are pulling the plug. Mercedes, Audi, Volvo, Polestar all saying “no thanks” to Apple’s Ultra update. Some are even working on their own systems instead. Others are fine with regular CarPlay but want nothing to do with Apple controlling the entire cockpit. They’re drawing the line, loud and clear: Apple can ride along, but it’s not getting the steering wheel.
As for CarPlay Ultra’s future? It’s not looking so shiny anymore. Sure, it’s still coming to some cars mostly from the few brands still on board. But with so many major names walking away, Apple might need to go back to the drawing board. Maybe they’ll offer carmakers a better deal. Maybe they’ll try a softer approach. Or maybe they’ll just hope that drivers demand it so loudly that car brands have no choice.
Whatever happens next, one thing’s for sure: Apple tried to own the dashboard, and the car industry hit the brakes. Hard. The road ahead is uncertain but the fight for your car’s screen has officially begun.
