With the level of encryption going on in modern connected cars, finding a way to port CarPlay and Android Auto onto a Chevrolet Equinox EV, Blazer EV, Silverado EV LT or RST, or GMC Sierra EV seems improbable, right? Yeah, right. The aftermarket always finds a way. Remember when the R35 Nissan GT-R launched and its makers called its ECU un-tuneable? Look how that lasted. This latest effort in finding a way doesn’t have anything to do with unlocking horsepower, but it does have something to do with performance, as Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are simply expected components of pretty much any new car in 2024. Any automaker looking to do away with these functionalities needs to realize that the consumer already has a native tech environment and it isn’t their freaking car.
Unfortunately, GM hasn’t realized that, which is why the company’s latest EVs, along with future electric products, will not have Apple CarPlay or Android Auto capability from the factory, instead relying on a clunky implementation of Android Automotive OS. However, a Michigan company called White Automotive and Media Services is here to help.
See, here’s a little context on this aftermarket company — they specialize in all sorts of cool electronics workarounds for modern GM products. Want to swap a manual transmission into a Caprice PPV? This company will reprogram the body control module to play nice. Want CarPlay in your pre-2016 Cadillac ATS with CUE? No problem. So, it really makes sense that this would be the firm to rise to the occasion on the Ultium cars.
In this video from YouTuber EddieX, the CarPlay and Android Auto retrofit looks incredibly slick. Not only can it reportedly put Apple Maps in your instrument cluster if that’s your thing, it also claims to have full integration with factory head up displays, and the phone connection process looks 100 percent factory. Not a huge fan of going wireless? No problem, White Automotive and Media Services states that this retrofit supports both wireless and wired connections, and it doesn’t require anything funky to toggle between the native interface and CarPlay or Android Auto — icons for these newly added features simply appear on the screen.
Taking a step back, it makes sense that this retrofit is possible. The Silverado EV WT has CarPlay, as do the GMC Hummer EV and Honda Prologue, all EVs on the Ultium architecture. The support for phone mirroring is there somewhere for this generation of infotainment, it just hasn’t been fitted to all models.
While White Automotive and Media Services aims to bring this support to all Ultium models, there is a catch — White Automotive and Media Services requires technician installation, and there’s currently just one shop approved to do it — the service center at LaFontaine Chevrolet in Plymouth, Mich. is your only option right now.
Of course, there’s also the lingering question of if this retrofit plays nice with the end user licence agreement. The moral answer here is “fuck ’em,” and I won’t hear it any other way. There’s something in life called assumed risk — you open up Pandora’s box, you bear responsibility for that. Hackers and hot-rodders have been deviating from factory equipment for ages now, and this is one tradition that’s not going away, potential legal responsibilities be damned. Mod your stuff. The more people who do, the more GM should get the message.
(Photo credits: White Automotive and Media Services)
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I’m adding CarPlay to all the things. Upgraded the MIB1 to an MIB2 and gained not only CarPlay but a much larger display (I went big) in my 2015 GTI, and I’m in the middle of gathering the components to do a similar (though not larger display) upgrade on our 2017 Pacifica. The Volkswagen upgrade was a bit more involved, including some coding by a guy in Serbia. From what I can tell, the Chrysler upgrade is completely plug-and-play, with the exception of a FAKRA cable that is needed in order for the display to work.
The fun part of DIYing the conversions is procuring good parts as cheaply as possible. You can buy a full upgrade kit for the Pacifica (and I’m sure other FCA models that use pre CarPlay/AA Uconnect) for about $1,600-$2,000. But where’s the fun in that?
And now your warranty is voided and oh you had a faulty battery in your GM EV sorry that is voided now because you changed head unit software.
Exactly. ANYTHING electrical goes wrong with the car, and GM will force you to pay for it. Better to just choose one of the MANY competitors who aren’t morons.
I put a $60 head unit in my car that does all this stuff. The problem I see with these new infotainment systems is that in a few years they’ll all be outdated and there’ll be nothing you can do about it.
In some vehicles that’s difficult since you have to control a bunch of things through the touch screen, like climate, seating positions, *air vents* and opening the glove box (sheesh), etc.
Do you mean the built-in systems like GM? Yes.
The benefits of CarPlay and AA are that the phone is much more easily upgradeable so as your phone hardware updates, the interface does as well. In theory, anyway.
People seem confused why GM would do what they have done, but the answer should be obvious. Money. They control the data, they control the dollars. Of course, if in reality it hampers sales dramatically, then it doesn’t actually increase dollars, so there is a balance here. I think there is a good possibility they believe ignorance will be their friend, most customers never thinking to ask about phone integration details until after they own the car.
Ahh, good ol’ Pontiac Trail. Takes you from the hood to square foot real estate kingpins, and then to horse farms in the middle of nowhere, without making one turn, in a blink of an eye. (that is, when you aren’t at a standstill for 20 minutes).
It is a fun road to be a passenger on, though. Lots of stuff to look at 🙂
I still can’t grasp the level of hubris that GM has to think that replacing the seamless integration of Apple Carplay and Android Auto would both work anywhere near as well or be the customer preferred option.
The $$$$ in their eyes obscure everything else.
My personal approach to the this would be to just avoid the vehicle if I can’t have the Android Auto I want supported by the manufacturer. It’s one of the many reasons I wouldn’t want a Tesla – np Android Auto, no thank you.
I’m risk-averse to spending tens of thousands of dollar on something and then potentially bricking it or incurring high $ repair costs with something like this mod.
I’ve going to venture a guess that GM itself will offer the same service within two years for, oh, about $400 to upgrade any Ultium car that doesn’t have it. The coding likely already exists, it’ll be like having the dealer add navigation functionality to the FCA UConnect 8.4 system
I’m curious if GM starts to act like Nintendo here. I would not be shocked if they started pressing charges on these types of shops for “hacking” and “security” and “safety” reasons. I have no idea if they’d have any standing though.
Sadly, I think the law will be on their side.
But will Android Auto also be available?
Don’t throw things at me.
……I am an idiot and apparently cannot read.
Having used both, AA is the better option. Having said that, it’s only marginally better and they’re both better than whatever GM is giving you.
Glad to see this developed on the secondary market and have no clue why GM can’t get out of their own way on this… Well, besides their past history, wanting to do everything in GM fashion, and they should know that they’re GM and make many poor decisions. OEM INFOTAINMENT SOFTWARE IS RARELY A BETTER CHOICE!!!
My 2023 Outback has wireless CarPlay and it is a game changer, especially from a safety aspect. Cables get tangled up, especially if your shifter is on the center console. Losing the charger to connect is something every manufacturer should do whether the platform they choose is Apple or Android. Maybe GM could make another questionable decision and drop $5.5 billion into Rivian like VW did. At least they would have a 6 or 7 year head start on an OS that way.
GM keeps making bad decisions. Why did we bail them out again?
If GM tries to crack down on this and intentionally break functionality, it’ll only hurt Ultium platform cars sales sooner. This existing as a workaround would make a lot of their cars more compelling because I exclusively use CarPlay, not having it is a massive detriment, and playing stupid games with software like that would make it an immediate no-go at any price new or used.
Now the question is, will GM start doing tit-for-tat updates to break it, or will they just never update their infotainment software like most OEMs?
I’m sure it’ll be gone in the next generation of the infotainment system, but I’m glad that this exists.