General Motors has revealed a CarPlay compromise on two truck models, creating a truck-specific interface that includes CarPlay.

The company says this is consistent with its plans to withdraw CarPlay from EVs while retaining it for gas-powered vehicles …

GM first announced that it was ditching CarPlay in all future EVs back in 2023, employing a whole succession of frankly absurd explanations and justifications for the decision. Many customers were understandably upset, with a significant number saying they would never buy another GM car while the policy was in place.

We recently saw the first crack in the company’s CarPlay ban in one of the company’s most expensive luxury EVs. No explanation was offered for the exception.

TNW now reports the company creating a new infotainment interface for trucks, which includes support for CarPlay and Android Auto. The compromise is that they don’t get to take over the entire display.

GM is rebuilding the interface in its trucks and giving Apple CarPlay and Android Auto a window of their own beside its native apps […] The layout is split by default, so more than one app is visible at once.

The report also discusses increasing governmental concerns about relying on touchscreens for important car controls, such as horn, wipers, and hazard lights. Both the EU and China now require a number of controls to be physical in order to reduce the time drivers spend looking inside the vehicle rather than at the road.

It’s unclear why GM is treating (most) EVs and gas vehicles differently when it comes to CarPlay.

• iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max cases
• Certified refurbished Apple products 15% off at apple.com
• Official Apple Store on Amazon
• Discounted AirPods Pro 3
• Wireless CarPlay adapter
• 10-year AirTag battery case
• Logitech MX Master 4 for Mac

Photo: General Motors