A new interface preview for GM’s updated trucks shows a split-screen CarPlay/Android Auto solution coming to the 2027 Sierra and Silverado. The update even suggests it’s coming to electric vehicles… but GM has not confirmed whether it will.
GM unveiled the user interface update this morning, showing off some new capabilities for truck-focused features, built-in apps, and so on.
That’s all well and good, but the biggest update hidden in the middle of the announcement is a mention of “Updated Android Auto™ and Apple CarPlay” coming to these new GM trucks.
Why is this such a big deal? Well, back in 2023, GM announced its plan to drop CarPlay from its upcoming EVs. Since then, it has done so, and those vehicles now rely on software co-developed by GM and Google.
We first tried GM’s software in the Blazer EV, and felt like it was a pretty well-organized solution, much better than the OEM user interfaces of the past.
But this has continued to be a point of resistance for GM EV buyers, many of whom simply won’t consider a car without CarPlay.
(Personally I don’t get it – CarPlay was always a crutch for bad OEM interfaces, but as OEMs have caught up and finally started offering better software, phone projection has become less necessary. Plus, phone projection software will never reach the deep level of integration that specific vehicle software can reach, so a custom solution will always have some technical capabilities that a generic solution doesn’t.)
Today’s update may put this whole debate behind us…. but CarPlay’s removal was always about GM’s EVs, not about its gas vehicles. So, putting an updated version in two gas trucks (that nevertheless both have EV versions) may not mean anything, right?
Well there is another line in the press release that suggests otherwise. GM says the new interface is “built as a single scalable foundation across electric, gas and diesel-powered vehicles.” (Emphasis ours)
(Update:We reached out to GM, which said it’s releasing this interface in the 2027 gas-powered Sierra and Silverado 1500s, but has “no other product plans to share.” This is neither a confirmation or denial that it will come to other vehicles.)
GM’s solution would work with EVs, too. The interface update includes split-screen CarPlay, where the phone projection UI exists in a floating window on the screen, with GM’s UI elements still appearing underneath and beside it.
Many other CarPlay UIs take over the entire screen, which means that in order to dig into EV-specific interface options, you need to leave CarPlay and go back to the native UI, find the setting in there, then launch CarPlay again. It’s confusing, inelegant, and distracting to do all of this.
A split-screen solution avoids that, allowing persistent controls for things like HVAC, volume, vehicle range and the like to remain on the screen even when the phone projection UI is present.
All of this has electric car fans wondering if the update will come to GM’s EVs. While I personally don’t mind GM’s solution, many think they need CarPlay, and a solution like this would allow them to use their familiar interface – or perhaps eventually realize that it was a crutch all along.
If you don’t mind the lack of CarPlay, the 2027 Chevy Bolt EV is the best EV deal in America. But it’s only available for a limited time, so get it while you can. You can use our link to get in touch with local dealers.
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