Google Aiming For Autos With Native Android Auto

New system will ditch the need for a smartphone

It’s been a long time coming, but the next natural step for Google in the automotive space may arrive soon.

According to Reuters, Google is developing their next Android operating system with the ability to natively run on car infotainment hardware.

The current Android Auto requires a connection with an Android-powered smartphone and projects certain apps to the infotainment screen. The new system would eliminate this requirement, allowing the system to run apps natively on the car’s infotainment system connected to the internet though its own hardware.

Android M — the speculated name for the next-generation Android ecosystem — is expected to be released in a year or two.

A standard infotainment system might be great for consumers but strangles automakers who market differentiation in their offerings. It also gives up control of a major component of a vehicle to Google.