Developer Showcases Apple CarPlay Workaround for Teslas

A Tesla Model 3 owner has resorted to a workaround to implement Apple CarPlay in his vehicle, amid no sign of official support from Tesla (via Tesla North).

Apple ‌CarPlay‌ and Apple Music support are among the most-requested Tesla features, but with no indication that Tesla is willing to implement Apple ‌CarPlay‌ in its vehicles, Polish developer Michał Gapiński took matters into his own hands. Using a Rasberry Pi and the car's browser, Gapiński was able to get a fully functional version of Apple ‌CarPlay‌ running on his Tesla's display and shared the result on Twitter.

The system works using a Rasberry Pi with an LTE modem and a Wi-Fi access point, running a custom Android-based firmware. The in-car browser is then used to connect to the Rasberry Pi and display the ‌CarPlay‌ interface on the Tesla's screen, with all apps working as expected, including Maps and ‌Apple Music‌. The Tesla Apple ‌CarPlay‌ solution continues to work while driving and can even be controlled with the car's steering wheel buttons.

Gapiński is now working on improving the Wi-Fi connection to make the stream smoother. He says that the project is still in its early stages, but once it is ready he plans to release the solution to the public.

Tesla has a strained relationship with Apple and seems to want full control over its infotainment system, making the chances of Apple ‌CarPlay‌ support in the near future very unlikely. Despite signs that Tesla was planning to support Apple Music, this has similarly not come to fruition.

Most carmakers offer Apple ‌CarPlay‌ in their vehicles, making Tesla's omission a notable exception. Some electric cars that seek to directly compete with Tesla, such as the BMW i4, BMW iX, and Porsche Taycan, offer heavily integrated versions of Apple CarPlay, as well as other Apple services such as Apple Music and Apple Podcasts, including support for features such as time-synced lyrics.