GM wasn’t kidding around, it has no interest in an Apple CarPlay future, at least not in its EVs.
Buried in the 2026 GMC Hummer EV fleet vehicle order guides is a nugget of news that the hulking electric SUV and truck will lose wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto support. Pour one out for smartphone mirroring and actual Apple Music onscreen interface usage.
The Drive reached out to GM for comment and will update this story if or when we hear back.
The GMC Hummer EV launched for the 2022 model year at the tail end of 2021. The SUV variant arrived in 2023. Both versions launched with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The end was in sight not long after.
In 2023, just two months after the SUV model went into production, GM announced its new EVs would not have Apple CarPlay and Android Auto starting in 2024. Predictably, consumers were not amused and the people want Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.
GM has claimed all along this is about the user experience and not having to flip in and out of various interfaces. It’s the same argument Rivian and Tesla have used throughout, through, notably, those two automakers have eschewed the usage of buttons and have almost all controls locked into the onscreen interface. It’s a key difference. Also different: Both Tesla and Rivian have natively integrated the Apple Music app, among others while not relying on the Google Play store.
At the time of the announcement in 2023, then Executive Director of Digital Cockpit Experience Mike Hermiche told Reuters, “we have a lot of new driver assistance features coming that are more tightly coupled with navigation.” Hermiche also said, “we don’t want to design these features in a way that are dependent on a person having a cellphone.” To date, these features had yet to appear. For 2026 GM’s Super Cruiser hands-free driver-assist system is said to integrate with Google Maps to navigate the correct lane for a chosen route .
GM’s latest infotainment systems run on Android Automotive OS, which also has the Google Store built in for native apps such as Spotify and Pandora. The system also features built-in navigation via Google Maps. Bluetooth streaming works, but is a mess with Apple Music.
The rollout of moving away from Apple CarPlay has been a little messy. The Hummer EVs launched with CarPlay as did the Cadillac Lyriq, the latter of which we don’t know what 2026 will bring, yet. While the Lyriq’s cousins, the Chevrolet Blazer EV and Equinox EV arrived without CarPlay, ironically, the Honda Prologue and Acura ZDX, both of which are reskinned Blazer and Lyriq twins, launched with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.
Consumers wanted CarPlay in their Blazer EV so badly an aftermarket solution was whipped up. GM claimed it was “unauthorized” and “could affect critical safety features.” The automaker shut the retrofit kit down.
The 2026 GMC Hummer will lose the CarPlay and Android Auto, but it’s gaining King Crab mode, which GM said all Hummer EVs will get thanks to an over-the-air software update. The King Crab model is said to turn the rear wheel faster than the front wheels for extra maneuverability in tight spaces. Though, this will only be standard on the 2X and 3X trims.
The new Carbon Fiber Edition Pickup is even quicker then the already quick Hummer EVs thanks to revised software dropping the 0-60 mph sprint to 2.8 seconds.
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