Honda has announced it will integrate Google’s Android Automotive OS into an all-new model that will be launched in the second half of 2022 in North America, with further products likely to benefit from the technology in the future.
The Japanese carmaker has been a part of the Google-led Open Automotive Alliance since 2015, which is focused on bringing the Android platform to cars. Currently, Honda cars in the United States feature infotainment systems that also support Android Auto, which is projected from a smartphone onto the car’s head unit.
Android Automotive OS takes things a step further by being a more deeply integrated system capable of controlling everything from media playback to navigation, seat control, HVAC, etc. More importantly, it includes key functions of Google built-in like the Google Assistant, Google Maps and in-vehicle apps. Car companies will be able to design their own user interface on top of the operating system, similar to what smartphone makers like Samsung and Xiaomi are doing with their offerings.
Honda isn’t the only brand on the Android Automotive OS bandwagon, as Volvo has already use it on the XC40 Recharge, while its offshoot EV brand has it in the Polestar 2. Other carmakers like Ford and those in the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance are also working with Google on embedding the system in their upcoming cars.
Honda did not name the first model to get Android Automotive OS in the United States, but as mentioned earlier, we’ll find out by the second half of next year. The company added that the system’s rollout will be expanded globally in stages, so other markets should also get it in due time.
The post Honda will use Google’s Android Automotive OS in its cars from 2022 – US first before global expansion appeared first on Paul Tan's Automotive News.
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