Apple CarPlay to take over digital cluster, climate controls

The next big Apple CarPlay update is set to expand beyond the confines of the proverbial central touchscreen, according to new information and images released by Apple.

The update will see Apple CarPlay connectivity trickle outwards from the infotainment screen to include the digital cluster, climate control, and other functions in selected vehicles.

This will see Apple CarPlay being used to display key driving information, like a vehicle’s speedometer and fuel gauge, where previously it was only used for the functions in a vehicle’s centre screen and features such as audio and satnav.

In Apple’s own imagery showing what the system will look like, Apple CarPlay can be seen showing the satnav in the digital cluster, speed, the fuel gauge, fuel economy, oil temperature, shifter position, trip information, climate controls, and more.

The updated CarPlay is scheduled to debut in 2023 in selected vehicles, although it’s unclear whether this named date is a launch date or a date of sale.

It’s expected that the system will not be ‘backwards compatible’ with vehicles that support the current iteration of Apple CarPlay, and will instead only be compatible with new vehicles built to specifically accommodate the software.

Apple boasts that the system will be customisable, allowing users to opt for minimalist and futuristic layouts, or on the flipside to select layouts that look more like the binnacle of a traditional car.

Numerous car brands appear to already be preparing their future products for this technology, with Apple naming 14 brands that will carry the new CarPlay system.

Those brands are Acura, Audi, Ford, Honda, Infiniti, Jaguar, Land Rover, Lincoln, Mercedes-Benz, Nissan, Polestar, Porsche, Renault, and Volvo.

Curiously, the list includes some Volkswagen Group brands (Audi, Porsche), but not Volkswagen themselves.

The mention of Volvo, Polestar, and Ford meanwhile shows that each brand has a ‘buck each way’, with each having previously confirmed plans to roll out digital architecture supplied by Google and its Android Auto system.