Ford says ‘millions’ of its vehicles will run on Google’s Android from 2023

Ford is the latest automaker to hand over its vehicle operating systems to Google. The Dearborn, Michigan-based company said it will use Google’s Android to power the infotainment systems in “ millions ” of cars starting in 2023. That means Google’s voice assistant, Google Maps and other car-approved Android apps will be available. in Ford cars without the use of an Android smartphone.

Android’s deep integration will allow drivers and passengers to use Google Assistant to change things like climate settings, and it will also enable over-the-air updates that can add new features or fix some maintenance issues, Ford said. But iPhone folks, don’t despair: Ford’s system will still be compatible with Apple CarPlay. And Ford will continue to offer Amazon’s Alexa as an option, too.

Ford wouldn’t say which of its vehicles will get the Android operating system from 2023, only ‘millions’ of vehicles under the Ford and Lincoln brands would have it. The vehicles will be available all over the world, except in China. But Ford wouldn’t say whether it will use Google’s Android Automotive product, which is embedded in the vehicle by default. Instead, using Android would be “uniquely Ford and Lincoln,” Ford’s VP of Strategy and Partnerships, David McClelland, said in a conference call with reporters.

In addition, Ford is signing a six-year partnership with Google to use the technology giant’s cloud as its preferred cloud provider for its connected car services. And Ford and Google will create a new group consisting of employees from both companies, called Team Upshift, who will be tasked with finding other areas of innovation.

“We will use the talent and assets of both companies to push the boundaries of Ford’s transformation, unlock personalized consumer experiences and create disruptive, data-driven opportunities,” McClelland said in a Medium post. “These could include projects ranging from modernizing our factories to vision AI, developing new shopping experiences when buying a vehicle, creating new ownership offerings based on connected vehicle data, and more.”

It’s a big coup for Google, which has flexed its muscles by adding some major car manufacturers to its clientele that use Android in its vehicles. Ford is joining Volvo, General Motors and the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance to negotiate a deal with Google to use its software to power its automotive infotainment services.

But it can also be a slippery slope. Initially, car companies seemed to want to keep large tech companies at bay to avoid taking advantage of the lucrative data streams of customers flowing in and out of their vehicles. But Ford thinks that by leaving Google under the hood it could likely sell more cars to customers who prefer a smartphone-like in-car experience than the software currently provided by the automaker.

It’s unclear where this exits the Ford Sync infotainment system. All of the automaker’s most recent models, such as the recently released Mustang Mach-E, run on Sync 4 to power functions such as navigation, radio and climate settings. In a conference call with reporters, McClelland said Sync was a “differentiated brand” operating in millions of vehicles, but did not directly address the future of the operating system.

Ford shouldn’t have to abandon Sync altogether, given the flexibility offered by Google’s native Android Automotive system. This approach allows Google to do more of the heavy lifting on the software side, while giving the automakers the freedom to design the operating system to suit their tastes. For example, the built-in Android system on the Polestar 2, which is made by Volvo and Geely, is very similar to Volvo’s Sensus infotainment system.

There have been other important links between auto companies and technology companies in recent weeks. Microsoft and GM’s self-driving subsidiary Cruise recently announced that it would collaborate to accelerate the development of self-driving cars. And rumor has it that Apple is in talks with Hyundai about a similar partnership.

It is an interesting development in the relationship between the country’s oldest car manufacturers and the largest technology company. It was rumored that Ford and Google formed a joint venture around autonomous vehicles in 2016, but that never materialized. While the JV never materialized, the two companies kept things open and, given today’s news, never lost touch with each other.