Plug and CarPlay: Is Tesla about to overturn its 11-year ban on Apple CarPlay? You use Android? Bad luck
Tesla is rumoured to have abandoned its anti-Apple CarPlay agenda.
The US car-maker is said to have already begun work on adapting the smartphone mirroring app for its entire range of vehicles including the Model Y and and Model 3 top-sellers in Australia.
As a result, CarPlay is set to be introduced via an over-the-air update.
READ MORE: Open for business: Most Aussie Tesla Superchargers now available for drivers of other EVs … but there’s an expensive catch
READ MORE: More affordable 2026 Tesla Model Y Standard and cheaper Model 3 revealed. Not coming to Australia any time soon.
READ MORE: Range buster! Tesla Model 3 Long Range Rear-Wheel Drive launches in Australia with 750km range, AWD Long Range dropped
According to newswire Bloomberg, Tesla has decided to relent and cave in to buyer demand for Apple CarPlay.
However, it isn’t currently working on introducing Android Auto.
Tesla is also not reportedly investing in CarPlay Ultra, which can take over every screen in the car and operate some of the vehicle’s functions.
Instead, the Tesla-style CarPlay has been tipped to not inhabit the entirety of the screen, enabling owners to still easily access features like the climate control without having to exit the interface.
Tesla’s advanced Full Self-Driving (supervised) will also not work using Google Maps, Apple Maps or Waze, with the driver still having to use the Tesla navigation app for the semi-autonomous feature to work.
There’s no word out of Tesla confirming when it will roll out Apple CarPlay, but it’s been rumoured it could be deployed in the coming months.
It’s thought the updates should be capable of being downloaded to the entire Tesla fleet with the availability of CarPlay set to be a valuable sales tool.
A high proportion of US and Australian buyers list the Apple interface on their list of wants when it comes to new car purchases.
Tesla is having a pretty torrid 2025, with global sales reportedly down by six per cent in the first nine months of the year to 1.22 million units.
Worse still, the once-leading EV-maker has been overtaken by BYD. The Chinese brand has managed to shift an incredible 1.61 million cars over the same period, representing 37 per cent growth. Attributed to Tesla’s fall from favour with buyers is increased competition from European and Chinese brands, an ageing model line and an outspoken CEO with right-wing views
