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The open road just got a whole lot smarter thanks to Google’s latest announcements at CES 2024. Google is revving up both Android Auto and their “Google built-in” platform for cars, bringing new features that make driving easier, navigation smoother, and entertainment more diverse.
First up on the EV side of things, Google Maps on Android Auto will soon be your battery whisperer. Share your car’s real-time juice level with the app, and it’ll automatically predict how much you’ll have left upon arrival. No more range anxiety, just smooth sailing to your destination. This will land first on the Ford Mustang Mach-E and F-150 Lightning “in the coming months” with other electric vehicles joining the party soon.
Planning a road trip? Google built-in users (that’s cars with Google’s native software) can now plot a course on their phone and send it straight to their car’s dashboard. I’ve been driving a Hyundai Ioniq 5 with Android Auto recently and I have experienced this exact situation several times already – you check directions on your phone in the house or while wrapping up dinner, then get in the car and have to reload everything in Android Auto. This is a simple fix that I think will be very useful.
The biggest news, to us at least, is that you will soon be able to surf the web in your car – when your car is parked, of course. Google is rolling out a Chrome app to Android Auto that looks similar to the Android tablet UI, with tabs along the top, a New Tab Page, and access to saved bookmarks. The rollout has already started for select Polestar and Volvo cars in beta and will be available in more cars later this year.
Google built-in vehicles are also getting a few new apps. PBS Kids keeps the backseat entertained, Crunchyroll fuels your anime adventures, and The Weather Channel lets you plan your route around the forecast. The Weather Channel app has added other helpful features like a follow-me function, weather alerts, and a “Trip View” radar.
Google is pouring gas (figuratively, of course) on the in-car tech race. Deeper EV support, seamless navigation, and a wider app selection make Google built-in a compelling choice for carmakers. And while we are seeing exciting concept cars at CES 2024 with all sorts of wild tech inside, more and more standard cars on the lot today are getting advanced in-car tech. So buckle up, folks, and get ready for a tech-powered road trip like no other!
