The 2016 model of the Chevy Volt will support Apple’s CarPlay, at least if an early demonstration version is accurate. The car is on display at this week’s North American International Auto Show in Detroit, and its dash system shows options for both CarPlay and MirrorLink connections. Google’s Android Auto is notably absent, but since the 2016 Volt isn’t due to go on sale until mid-2015, there may be time to implement it.
CarPlay has had relatively little native support in cars so far, or even in aftermarket parts. That’s expected to change in 2015 however, as Apple has had a number of partners lined up since last year. The company may face a competitive landscape; Android Auto is also coming into its own this year, and since both platforms can coexist in the same vehicle, CarPlay may not lure people into buying iPhones unless Apple can secure some exclusives.
The Volt is one of the most popular hybrid cars on the market. Chevy is promising that the 2016 edition will have a range of over 400 miles, of which 50 can be in an all-electric mode. People should even be able to drive 1,000 miles between gas fill-ups, assuming batteries are recharged every night. Exact pricing and launch data has yet to be announced, and indeed a press release makes no mention of CarPlay.
