Apple's (AAPL) CarPlay and Google's Android Auto are facing a push back from automakers led by Ford Motor Co. (F) and Toyota Motor (TM).
Ford and Toyota on Wednesday said four medium-sized automakers — Mazda Motor, PSA Group, Fuji Heavy Industries and Suzuki Motor Corp. — have joined their SmartDeviceLink Consortium, which aims to develop an open-source software platform that app developers can use as an alternative to Apple's CarPlay and Google's Android Auto.
Apple and Google have revved up efforts to integrate their smartphone technologies with auto communications systems.
Apple's CarPlay technology is built around its iOS software. Alphabet (GOOGL)-owned Google unveiled an "autocentric" variant of Android N at its Google I/O developer's conference in May. General Motors (GM) and Harman (HAR) have announced plans to build Android-based infotainment systems for GM vehicles.
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Toyota plans to launch a new infotainment system that integrates SDL in 2018, Bloomberg reported.
QNX Software Systems, a subsidiary of BlackBerry (BBRY), has also pushed into Web-connected infotainment and telematics systems, along with AT&T (T).
Ford and Toyota announced the new consortium members at the CES consumer electronics show, which is going on all week in Las Vegas. Ford stock hit a five-month high, rising 4.6% to 13.17 in the stock market today, helped by solid December U.S. sales. Toyota stock rose 2.2%.
Google and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCAU), which have teamed on autonomous-driving technology, on Tuesday said they would expand their relationship to create an in-car infotainment system using Google's software.
Chipmaker Intel (INTC) on Tuesday said it will buy a 15% stake in Here, a developer of digital mapping technology for self-driving cars, deepening its ties to German automakers as well as to auto tech firm Mobileye (MBLY).
Here's owners include BMW, Daimler (DDAIF) and Volkswagen's (VLKAY) Audi.
Autonomous vehicles and next-generation auto technology again are again taking the spotlight at CES along with the Internet of Things — web-connected consumer and industrial devices.
On Wednesday, Mobileye, Intel and BMW announced that they will roll out autonomous vehicles for testing in the second half of 2017 as part of their plan to sell self-driving cars to consumers in a few years.
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