TESLA BEGINS INTERNAL TESTING OF APPLE CARPLAY INTEGRATION, SIGNALING A SHIFT IN ITS SOFTWARE APPROACH

Tesla is conducting internal tests of Apple CarPlay integration, according to sources familiar with early development efforts.

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The testing marks the first known instance of the company evaluating support for the iPhone-centric platform after years of declining to adopt outside infotainment systems. While Tesla has not confirmed public plans, the testing suggests the company is weighing whether expanded smartphone compatibility can coexist with its longstanding commitment to a proprietary user interface.

Reports indicate the current implementation under evaluation does not replace Tesla’s native software. Instead, CarPlay appears within a contained window that sits inside the broader interface, functioning as an embedded layer rather than a system-level replacement. The design mirrors Tesla’s historical reluctance to hand over core vehicle functions to third-party ecosystems, maintaining separation between vehicle controls and mirrored smartphone content.

HOW TESLA IS APPROACHING CARPLAY TESTING

The system under review centers on standard CarPlay rather than Apple's more expansive CarPlay Ultra. In early builds, CarPlay runs wirelessly and connects using the same communication framework Tesla vehicles already support for phone pairing. The company has reportedly focused initial testing on navigation, messaging, and audio playback, reflecting functions most commonly requested by iPhone users. Tesla's interface historically revolves around its vertically integrated software stack, with builtin mapping, media, and communications tools. The test version of CarPlay operates within its own window, allowing the Tesla interface to maintain full control of climate, charging, vehicle status, and settings. The design avoids the handoff that CarPlay Ultra would require, where Apple's interface replaces automaker clusters and central displays.