CES 2016: Ford to include Apple CarPlay, Android Auto support

Apple and Android car entertainment technology will become almost universal inside Ford vehicles.

Workers install a monitor in preparation for the International CES gadget. Credit: AP

Apple and Android car entertainment technology will become almost universal inside Ford vehicles, according to one of the first major announcement at CES this year.

The US motor company said it was expanding its voice activated SYNC connectivity system, adding Apple CarPlay and Android Auto and several new apps so that millions of its customers could stay connected behind the wheel, even when away from their cars.

“SYNC allows customers to bring the smartphone technology they’re comfortable with into a vehicle and use it without hassles,” said Ford executive director Don Butler.

Starting this year, owners of SYNC-3 equipped Ford vehicles can activate Apple CarPlay and Android Auto interfaces built for those types of smartphones.

Workers install a monitor in preparation for the International CES gadget. Credit: AP

And technology powered by 4G LTE will let owned remotely access features on their cars.

Significantly, the technology will be universal on all SYNC-equipped Ford vehicles from 2017 onwards in North America, but with the features expanding worldwide after that.

“In North America, Ford is making Apple CarPlay and Android Auto available on all 2017 vehicles equipped with SYNC-3, starting with the all-new Ford Escape. Owners of 2016 vehicles equipped with SYNC 3 will have an opportunity to upgrade later this year,” Ford said in a statement.

It said SYNC technology would expand globally, reaching more than 20 million of its customers by 2020.

Ford’s app offerings will include Concur, which will automatically log business journeys directly from the odometer and maintain a trip journal.

Ford says its SYNC system is installed in more than 15 million vehicles on the road.

Ford’s is the first of what’s expected to be a series of big announcements by the car industry at CES.

Chris Griffith travelled to Las Vegas courtesy of Sony and Acer.