Tesla is developing support for Apple’s CarPlay system in its electric vehicles, Bloomberg News reported Thursday, marking a potential shift in the carmaker’s long-standing resistance to third-party software integration.
The company’s potential adoption of CarPlay, which allows users to control iPhone features such as navigation, music and messaging through a vehicle’s built-in display, would mark a major departure from its preference for its own ecosystem to maintain control over the in-car experience.
Tesla has discussed rolling out CarPlay in the coming months, but the plan is not yet finalized and the release could be delayed, the report said, citing people familiar with the matter.
The report also said Tesla plans to integrate CarPlay within a window inside its existing interface, which could mean Apple’s software would not fully replace Tesla’s operating system as it does in many other vehicles.
The companies did not immediately respond to Reuters’ requests for comment.
Tesla vehicles currently rely on a proprietary infotainment system, which offers built-in apps and features such as navigation, messaging, web browsing and integration with CEO Elon Musk’s xAI chatbot, Grok.
The company’s EVs already offer support for Apple Music and Spotify, allowing users to stream directly through a car’s infotainment system.
Its move comes as rival automakers increasingly highlight seamless smartphone integration as a selling point, with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto becoming standard in many new vehicles.
Other major automakers, including Ford, General Motors and Hyundai, already offer Apple CarPlay across most of their lineups.
