At the 2024 US International Consumer Electronics Show (CES2024), Google will reveal some new features for users who use the Android Auto phone mirroring function in their cars and for users who use Google’s native Android software to drive their cars.
Electric vehicle owners will soon be able to share real-time battery information with Google Maps via Android Auto, allowing them to see estimated remaining battery capacity when they arrive at their destination.
The feature is already available in cars labeled Googlebuilt-in and will now be available to Android Auto users "in the coming months," starting with the Ford Mustang Mach-E and F-150 Lightning. In the near future, other electric vehicles will also become eligible.
Users with cars equipped with Google native apps (also known as "Google built-in") can also send driving directions from their smartphones directly to their cars. This feature is operating system agnostic, so anyone with an iPhone or Android device can use it.
"Google built-in is the company's marketing term for Google Automotive Services (GAS), a licensed product it sells to car companies that want to make specific features like Google Maps, Google Assistant and the Google Play Store the default on their infotainment screens. GAS runs on top of Android Automotive, the vehicle's native operating system running on top of Android.
Chrome will also appear in some cars with Android Auto, starting with certain Volvo and Polestar vehicles. Polestar CEO Thomas Ingenlath said the company had been waiting "a long time" for Chrome to come to its cars and was using the Vivaldi browser until it was ready.
"Now, it's certainly a more convenient solution," Ingenlath said in an interview. "Chrome is connected to your account and knows your preferences and everything. So it's going to be a nice feature."
New apps will continue to be added to cars with Google software built into them, including PBSKids, video streaming services like Crunchyroll and the Weather Channel app.
Over the past few years, Google has been steadily adding new features to Android Auto and Google built-in apps. The new features come at a volatile time for in-car software, with security experts warning that its interfaces can be distracting and major automakers such as General Motors restricting the use of apps like Android Auto and Apple CarPlay that work with phones.