Porsche won’t use Android Auto because Google wants too much information

CarPlay can be used with any iPhone 5 or later, in cars built by the manufacturers listed on Apple’s CarPlay iOS page or in cars that use an Alpine, Kenwood or Pioneer aftermarket system.

As part of the agreement an automaker would have to enter with Google, certain pieces of data must be collected and [sent] back to Mountain View, California. If this report is true and Porsche really have dismissed Google due to the intrusiveness of Android Auto, the company may face an uphill battle in convincing vehicle manufacturers to carry its operating system.

Porsche appeared to be especially thinking of the troves files Google was regarding tha in to remove over its Android Auto product when the auto was also in motion.

In contrast, the report notes that Apple’s CarPlay demands no such information and only needs to know whether or not the vehicle is in motion.

“Porsche feels info like that is the secret sauce that makes its cars special”, Motor Trend said. “Moreover, giving such data to a multi-billion dollar corporation that’s actively building a auto, well, that is not good, either”.

However the publication criticized the selection since Apple’s CarPlay only checks if the car’s powertrain control module just to make sure that the vehicle is actually moving.

The data collection is made for safety reasons and to improve user experience. Android Auto also restricts typing and allows only voice recognition when the vehicle is not in park, so that the driver doesn’t get distracted. Google apparently wants auto manufacturers to provide it with a complete OBD2 dump. “We take privacy very seriously and do not collect the data the Motor Trend article claims such as throttle position, oil temp, and coolant temp”, Google said in a statement to The Verge. For instance, Android Auto does not record oil and coolant temp or gas pedal position.