For better or worse, cars have gotten pretty smart. While many come with Android Auto alongside the manufacturer’s infotainment system, sometimes, that infotainment system itself is built on Android. This platform is called Android Automotive, and it has an interesting history.
Yes, the name is not exactly inventive. It’s sometimes marketed as “Cars with Google built-in” or simply “Google built-in,” but Android Automotive is indeed the official name. Despite the similar monikers, Android Auto and Automotive are incredibly different.
The early days of infotainment displays
Weird operating systems in your car
Thankfully, Android Auto and CarPlay have brought some consistently to car displays, but when you venture outside of those safe walls, it’s a zoo. That was even more true in the early 2010s.
Back then, familiar names like BlackBerry, Microsoft, Linux, and even Android were involved in car operating systems, but people didn’t know it. The operating systems were heavily skinned and customized by car manufacturers. Ford Sync, for example, was originally built on Windows Embedded Automotive and then moved to BlackBerry QNX before its current platform. But to drivers, it’s always just been “Ford Sync.”
You’ll notice that I mentioned Android in the previous paragraph, but not Google. Companies that were using Android as the backbone of their infotainment systems were going the Amazon Fire route—forked, “stock” Android (AOSP). Some of these operating systems included Google services, but many of them did not. Regardless, Google had no involvement with them.
This Wild West approach wasn’t the best for keeping car displays up to date with the latest features and security patches. Many Hyundai cars made in 2015-2017 included an OS based on Android .23 Gingerbread, which was released in 2010. Honda was still using Android 4.2 Jelly Bean from 2012 into the 2010s.
In an attempt to organize, Google, Nvidia, and several car companies formed the Open Automotive Alliance (OAA) in 2014. The idea was to unify and improve the automotive experience, similar to what the Open Handset Alliance was able to accomplish for Android smartphones.
Android Auto vs Android Automotive
What’s the difference?
Before I dive any further, let’s briefly talk about exactly what Android Automotive is and how it’s different from Android Auto. Think about a TV with a Google TV Streamer or a Roku plugged in. The TV itself has its own interface for things like adjusting picture quality and switching inputs. Streaming devices are completely separate from that.
Similarly, Android Automotive is the operating system on the car itself. You use it for climate control, audio fade and balance, monitoring oil levels, and various vehicle settings. Android Auto, on the other hand, is like the streamer—fully separate from the built-in operating system. It runs from your phone and simply allows you to interact with your phone in a more driver-friendly manner.
Android Automotive arrives to save the day
But it’s not what everyone wants
At first, the Open Automotive Alliance simply made it easier for car companies to ship up-to-date versions of Android. Eventually, Google started thinking more about cars, and when Android 8.0 Oreo was released in 2017, it included the first building blocks for Android Automotive.
The first official car with built-in Android Automotive, the Polestar 2, was announced in February 2018, but production didn’t begin until 2020. It rolled off the line with Android Automotive based on Android 9 Pie. Since then, major car manufacturers, including Ford, Chevrolet, Honda, Audi, BMW, Volkswagen, Rivian, and many more, have joined the club.
Like Android on phones, Android Automotive can be customized by manufacturers. You might have no idea your car has it. I mentioned Ford Sync earlier—it’s currently based on Android Automotive. I’ve used the display in my wife’s Ford Escape hundreds of times over the years, but had no idea it was running Android Automotive.
Therein lies part of the problem for Android Automotive today: it’s not the Android on your phone. That’s what Android Auto is, and it’s what people want, but car companies are increasingly phasing it out. In 2023, General Motors announced it was dropping Android Auto from its electric vehicles, moving to a fully Android Automotive-based system.
The reality is that while Google gets a piece of the pie, whether someone uses Android Automotive or Android Auto, the car maker is cut off from a driver’s phone. It’s nearly impossible for them to collect data to improve the experience (or more nefarious purposes) or put features behind a subscription when you’re simply using your phone.
From excluded to inevitable
The Android Automotive story outlines an impressive strategy from Google. At first, it played a very small part in the technology of vehicles. Companies used Android for their infotainment systems, but Google services were very often left out. Microsoft was the big leader in car operating systems.
Then, just like with smartphones, Android Automotive slowly pushed its way in. Meanwhile, Android Auto became a highly requested feature, and car manufacturers embraced it in a big way. Suddenly, Google had positioned itself to be part of the action, whether a driver used an Android phone or not.
Now, car operating systems are not the duopoly that we have in smartphones. BlackBerry QNX and Windows Automotive still have a large market share. However, it’s clear that Android Automotive has a bright future, and your phone might have no part in it.
Stephan is the sports journalist for the Maple Grove Report.
