The IT Nerd

This should prove to be interesting.

Performance carmaker Porsche has green lighted the use of Apple CarPlay in their next 911. But at the same time they will not be using Android Auto in the same car. That’s unusual because most carmakers are using both to avoid having their customers not look at their cars because they don’t have the right smartphone. But Porsche has a reason to make this move:

As part of the agreement an automaker would have to enter with Google, certain pieces of data must be collected and mailed back to Mountain View, California. Stuff like vehicle speed, throttle position, coolant and oil temp, engine revs—basically Google wants a complete OBD2 dump whenever someone activates Android Auto. Not kosher, says Porsche. Obviously, this is “off the record,” but Porsche feels info like that is the secret sauce that makes its cars special. Moreover, giving such data to a multi-billion dollar corporation that’s actively building a car, well, that ain’t good, either. Apple, by way of stark contrast, only wants to know if the car is moving while Apple Play is in use.

I’ll point out that Apple is building a car too. But clearly, they don’t need to do what Google is doing to move their car project along. And I’ll also point out that the possibility of having that sort of data handed over to any third party just creeps me out. But in any case, not being in the next generation of 911 which is only the most desirable sports car on the planet has to qualify as a major “bitch slap” to Google. Also, you have to wonder if other automakers who have made deals with Google to put Android Auto into their cars are rethinking their association with Google?