Project Titan leftovers are being served as CarPlay 2, and nobody is taking the bait.

The more I look at current car reviews and the path automakers are taking, the more I’m convinced that Apple’s CarPlay 2 is going to be another Project Titan.

One can argue that CarPlay 2 already is Project Titan, repurposed. Apple spent billions on Project Titan trying to make their own car, and it makes perfect sense to repurpose the software under the CarPlay 2 branding, salvaging what they can and trying to get car manufacturers to adopt it.

But it begs the question for car manufacturers:

Why go through a redundant process and work with a second UI that is less reliable?

The car manufacturer already has to make a UI with all of its features for their vehicles, so why try to reproduce that same experience with CarPlay 2 that requires phone projection? Phone projection or tethering (call it what you want) will always have a less reliable connection than the car’s built-in software. It just seems like a waste of resources for automakers in an already low-margin industry, not to mention a safety concern if an entire dash filled with CarPlay 2 projection all of a sudden disconnects from your phone because of some bug.

To make matters worse, Porsche previewed a CarPlay 2 interface back in December 2023, but their latest announcement talks about their updated Porsche Communication Management System (PCM) with no mention of CarPlay 2:

Porsche stands for dynamism, state-of-the-art technical solutions and the highest possible performance. This applies not only to powertrain and chassis technology, but also to the digital experience the sports car manufacturer offers. With the start of the new model year, the 911, Taycan, Panamera and Cayenne model series will benefit from significant improvements in infotainment technology and an expanded range of new functions in this area.

Thanks to new hardware, the PCM system is now more responsive. As well as optimised computing power, it offers additional capabilities, such as direct access to a large number of third-party apps for native use directly in the PCM. To ensure a reliable digital user experience, the Porsche Connect package is included as standard for 10 years.

Their wording isn’t subtle either: “Direct access to a large number of third-party apps for native use directly in the PCM.”

The new reality is that automakers are software companies developing for computers that happen to have wheels. Adding more apps and increasing computing power are all part of a plan to give the customer the best experience possible, and also generate more revenue through subscription services.

Here are just some subscriptions that automakers are offering (from MotorTrend):

BMW: A Drive Recorder feature costs $149 for the lifetime of the vehicle or $39 per year. Traffic-camera information is available for $25 annually. 

Ford: Buyers can use the BlueCruise highway hands-free driving system free for 90 days, then keep it activated for $495 a year or $49.99 a month. They can also pay a one-time fee of $2,495 for the service at the time of vehicle order (or they can pay $495 at the time of order for a year) starting with 2025 model year vehicles. 

General Motors: Super Cruise costs $2,200 up front for three years on Chevrolet and GMC vehicles and $2,500 for Cadillacs, after which it's $25 a month or $250 per year via subscription.  

Mercedes-Benz: The Mercedes Me Connect includes live weather and traffic and connected navigation for a $150 annual subscription, while Digital Extras such as an Acceleration Increase cost $1,200 a year. 

Tesla: For a one-time payment of $12,000, or $200 per month, new owners get access to its Full Self-Driving system. 

Toyota: It costs $80 a year or $8 a month for remote start. 

Let’s not forget about the other elephant in the room:

Selling user data to insurance companies.

With Apple’s huge stance on privacy, there has to be some friction with how deeply CarPlay 2 integrates into a manufacturer’s system, and how much of that data Apple doesn’t want to be made available for sale.

There’s a tug of war between automakers and Apple. If something goes awry, who is to blame for an accident? Likewise, if data is being sold without people knowing about it, who is to blame? Neither party wants to bear the brunt of bad news, but if accidents happen, both the automaker and Apple will be blamed.

Let’s go back to Porsche for a second. Not only did they not mention CarPlay 2, they have integrated Amazon Alexa as their digital assistant:

For the first time, in addition to the Porsche Voice Pilot, Amazon Alexa® can also be used as a digital assistant while driving2. The service can be used, for example, to control smart home functions such as automatic garage doors or home lighting. Other typical functions of Alexa include researching information, creating and editing to-do lists and shopping lists, playing podcasts and music, or checking the latest news and weather reports. It can also be used to control media and supported third-party apps. Alexa is activated via the voice command "Alexa" or via an individually configured button, or icon switch tile in the PCM.

Adding Amazon Alexa is perhaps Porsche’s passive-aggressive way of saying, screw you Apple? Then again, do we really want Siri in our vehicles?

I’m a fan of Apple CarPlay and use it every time I rent a car, but I see where the manufacturers are coming from. “If there’s money to be made, let’s make the best software and driving experience that people won’t even care about CarPlay 2.” It’s an ambitious endeavor with GM taking the first official step, while others have silently followed in their shadow.

As the industry moves towards more automation, CarPlay 2 will be even less relevant since there are huge safety concerns and no manufacturer wants to rely on software that is not 100% in their control.

In the meantime, Apple should really just hyper focus on its standard CarPlay offering for the vast majority of mass-market cars that only have a center screen and make that more stable and efficient. Trying to infiltrate the luxury space where screens and automation are taking over was exactly the trajectory they were on before with Project Titan, and we know how that went.