Volkswagen CEO Herbert Diess isn’t thrilled about Apple and Google’s CarPlay and Android Automotive plans respectively. He says that they will make automakers “metal benders” instead of “car builders.”
Apple and Google have always been interested in the auto industry, and they have made it clear that they no longer just want to make “infotainment” systems. Both companies want their software to work better with cars, which has been something people have been waiting for for a long time. Android Automotive and the new CarPlay are clear examples of this. However, Herbert Diess does not like the idea at all .
In a recent interview with the German news site T3N, the executive spoke out against what he sees as a big tech company’s attempt to take over the car business. “With CarPlay, Apple said just three weeks ago that it wanted to take over all car entertainment. Apple and Google want to take away our control as customers. We shouldn’t let them do that! “he claimed.
Diess’s complaint, however, did not end there. He also said he doesn’t want to have to say “Hey, Siri” to get information about his Volkswagen. “We have to keep the customer in charge,” he said. And if that wasn’t enough, he said that automakers will become “metal folders” by 2030 if platforms like CarPlay become popular.
Volkswagen’s CEO will not install Apple CarPlay
He makes it clear that the Apple and Google have found a method to earn money that manufacturers haven’t. Software in most gas-powered, hybrid, and electric automobiles is a disaster. Tesla is the outlier since it’s a software and hardware company, not a typical carmaker.
Why does Volkswagen’s CEO see Android Automotive app CarPlay as threats? Because they show how bad software development is at car companies. It was never important to them, and now they have to deal with the results.
But his comments can also be seen as more than just a “attack” on Apple or Google for wishing to “take over” the industry. As a wake-up call behind closed doors so manufacturers don’t fall asleep on software as complete electrification progresses.
For now, VW’s software is being made by a company called CARIAD, which is a subsidiary,
30“We are building a unified technology and software platform, which includes an operating system for vehicles, a cloud platform for vehicles, and a new unified architecture for all Vw brands,”
CARIAD website