Toyota says it won't offer CarPlay in the U.S. any time soon

February 24, 2015

Toyota's national manager for Toyota's advanced technology communications, John Hanson, has confirmed that the Japanese manufacturer will not be adding CarPlay integration to its US vehicles. Rather than Apple's interface — or Google's Android Auto — Toyota will stick with its own Entune system for now. That's according to a statement given to the New York Times:

"We may all eventually wind up there, but right now we prefer to use our in-house proprietary platforms for those kinds of functions."

Toyota is still listed as a "committed partner" for CarPlay and "remains in talks". Based on the wording, it's possible the company could change its mind in the future, or even offer CarPlay on vehicles outside the U.S.

Either way, if CarPlay and Android Auto prove to be compelling features for consumers, Toyota might have to stop playing wait-and-see, and start playing catchup.

Interesting gamble.