Tesla Working to Add Apple CarPlay in Major Reversal [Report]

Tesla is reportedly developing support for Apple's CarPlay, a major reversal that would bring one of the most highly requested features to its vehicles. According to a Bloomberg report citing people with knowledge of the matter, the carmaker has begun testing the capability internally.

The move would mark a significant shift for Tesla and CEO Elon Musk, who has long ignored customer pleas for the feature and has been a vocal critic of Apple. The landscape has changed, however. Apple canceled its electric vehicle project in 2024, and Tesla is now facing softening sales at a time when studies show about a third of buyers consider the absence of CarPlay a deal-breaker. Musk also now relies on Apple for distribution of the X app and Grok AI on the iPhone.

The new feature will reportedly show CarPlay in a window within Tesla's existing infotainment system, rather than taking over the entire display as it does in many other cars. It's expected to be the standard version of CarPlay, which Apple redesigned with iOS 26 to include features like widgets, rather than the more advanced CarPlay Ultra. Drivers will be able to connect their iPhones wirelessly, but will still need to rely on Tesla's own navigation for features like Full Self-Driving.


The potential move comes as other automakers are going in the opposite direction. General Motors, for instance, recently confirmed it plans to phase out CarPlay entirely from its future vehicles to focus on its in-house software.

According to the report, a release could come in the next few months, but a final plan has not been set. The company is also known to delay or kill new features even after extensive development. Tesla is reportedly not working on support for Google's Android Auto. Both Apple and Tesla declined to comment on the matter.

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