Android Auto gets new apps and features
Google just unveiled a slew of new features for Android smartphones, smart TVs, smart home accessories, and electric vehicles at CES 2024. Supported devices will receive these improvements shortly.
In the next few months, Google Maps for electric vehicles that support Android Auto will be able to access real-time battery statistics. This feature will initially be available for the Ford Mustang Mach-E and F-150 Lightning, with further models to come. With this integration, driving an electric car will be easier because Google Maps will indicate your anticipated battery level when you get there. By recommending charging stations along the way, you can even calculate how long it will take to charge your car, depending on its specifications.
- With Google integrated into cars, travel planning is also becoming easier. With Google integrated, you can effortlessly move from planning to navigating by sending the itinerary you’ve created on Google Maps on your iOS or Android phone straight to your car.
- In automobiles with Google integrated, there are new applications to keep you informed and amused.
- You may browse your bookmarks or do some shopping while parked in the Chrome browser. This is beginning to roll out in beta today in a few Polestar and Volvo vehicles.
- Watch content from PBS KIDS and Crunchyroll, both of which are now accessible in some cars with Google built-in, for entertainment.
- You may now feel safer while driving using the Weather Channel app for automobiles that have Google built-in.
- Hourly forecasts, follow-me, alerts, and “Trip View” radar are now available directly from your dashboard, allowing you to keep informed about your surroundings.
With over 200 million vehicles on the road and compatibility with almost all major automakers, Android Auto brings the finest phone experience to the vehicle. And with the introduction of models from Nissan, Ford, and Lincoln this year, with Porsche anticipated to follow, the roster of well-known automakers offering Google-integrated vehicles is expanding.
The availability of digital car keys is also growing; they will soon be available for a number of Volvo vehicles and will eventually be available for even more phone and vehicle brands.