What GM takes away, the aftermarket restores.
General Motors’ controversial decision to drop Apple CarPlay and Android Auto from most of its electric vehicles now has a possible workaround. As noticed by InsideEVs, a company called White Automotive and Media Services (WAMS) is advertising a new aftermarket upgrade kit that restores the popular phone-mirroring features back into Chevy and GMC EVs.
On its website, the company promises “fully integrated wired and wireless CarPlay and Android Auto in all the ways you’ve come to expect (and some you haven’t!) without compromising any existing features or functionality.” The upgrade is currently compatible with the Chevy Equinox, Blazer, and Silverado EVs, as well as the GMC Sierra EV. (Sorry Cadillac!)
A video posted on the company’s site shows off the upgrade — and it looks pretty good. The familiar CarPlay and Android Auto interface is displayed on the central infotainment display, and the video promises “OEM like integration” with your preferred voice assistant, whether its Siri or Google Assistant. You can display Apple Maps in the instrument cluster, including turn-by-turn navigation in the Heads-Up Display.
It all looks slick and professional, but of course the devil is in the details.
Unfortunately, this doesn’t look like a solution that will be widely available — at least not at first. WAMS says that due to the “complexity” of the installation process, as well as its desire to provide the “best possible customer experience,” the aftermarket kit is only available through one dealership, LaFontaine Chevrolet in Plymouth, Michigan. The installation cost is also unavailable. We reached out to WAMS for comment and will update this post if they respond.
GM first announced that it was ditching CarPlay and Android Auto in its EVs in 2023, defending the decision as a desire to offer a more immersive and integrated experience for customers that doesn’t skimp on features.
