I had one mission when I stepped into LaFontaine Chevrolet in Highland, Mich., last month. Have Apple CarPlay installed in my 2024 Chevy Blazer EV. I’d read about a neat retrofit kit from White AutoMedia that could bring CarPlay back to GM’s EVs. Boy, was I in for a surprise.
The service guy, Mike, stared at me as if I’d just asked him to do a magic trick. “Sorry pal, those days are behind us,” he said with a shrug. As it happened, GM had recently closed down the entire operation. The GM Apple CarPlay retrofit kit removal happened faster than you can say “software update.”
My heart sank. Here I was, stuck with GM’s built-in system when all I wanted was to use my iPhone as I do in any other car. The whole thing started with GM pulling CarPlay and Android Auto from its electric vehicles back in late 2023. Their reasoning? They wanted to push their own Ultifi software instead.
What Actually Happened Behind the Scenes
White Automotive & Media Services (WAMS) had built something pretty special. As such, they created a retrofit kit with which the automaker can bring factory-style Apple CarPlay and Android Auto integration to GM’s newer crop of EVs. The unauthorised configuration implemented by White Automotive “may impact essential safety measures as General Motors discontinues CarPlay across its product line,” GM said in a statement.
The kit was great, said the people who got it installed. It was not some cheap aftermarket bodge. This product was tested over the course of nearly a year on many vehicles for thousands of miles. But GM would have none of it.
The Drive has subsequently confirmed that the Michigan dealer received an order from GM to stop outfitting vehicles with the kit, leading to WAMS shutting the project down. Just like that, the only real solution for CarPlay in new GM EVs was gone.
Mike at the dealership said they had put in perhaps a dozen of these kits before G.M. pulled the plug. “Customers loved them,” he said. “But when corporate says stop, we stop.”
Why GM Really Shut Down the Retrofit Solution
Here’s what bugs me the most about this whole situation. GM is claiming it is about safety, but come on. This is purely about money and control. General Motors waged a war against third-party smart driving systems as it chose to develop its infotainment system.
GM is trying to get you to use their Ultifi system so they can harvest your data or maybe charge you subscription services in the future. And they’re not being shy about that strategy, either. The company has been pretty open about wanting to create new revenue streams through their software.
Aftermarket solutions that implement features not originally designed and fully tested and approved by GM may introduce unplanned consequences for customers. That is G.M.’s official line, but plenty of us aren’t buying it. The WAMS kit went through extensive testing and worked perfectly fine.
The Real Impact on GM EV Owners
Allow me to illustrate the real-world significance of this GM Apple CarPlay retrofit kit removal. I have friends with Chevy Bolt EUVs, Cadillac Lyriqs, and other GM EVs; they’re all just stuck with worse infotainment systems. They can’t use their favorite navigation apps, the streaming music apps they prefer or their favorite messaging apps in the way they are accustomed to.
My buddy Dave bought a Lyriq last year specifically because he heard about the WAMS retrofit option. Now he’s stuck with GM’s system, which actually seems like it’s from 2015. It has a clunky interface, terrible voice recognition features, and no chance of flawless iPhone integration.
“I’m feeling like I was played,” Dave said to me over beers last week. “They sold me this high-end electric car and they took away a basic smartphone capability that my 2018 Honda has.”
Nor could the timing be worse. As electric vehicle purchases ramp up, GM is taking on Tesla, Ford, and others that either integrate CarPlay or offer superior built-in systems. This move just gives customers one more reason to look elsewhere.
What WAMS Was Actually Offering
The White Automotive kit was not a fly-by-night affair. The upgrade kit brings full functionality to both connectivity options for GM electric vehicles that were not equipped at the factory with either CarPlay or Auto. It worked perfectly with the factory infotainment and looked like it came from the factory.
The ORIGINAL approved kit to add factory Apple CarPlay and Android Auto to most 2013-2015 GM vehicles with BRAND-NEW modules and a full GM warranty! WAMS had been doing this kind of work for years on older GM vehicles, so they knew what they were doing.
The install required about 2 hours. Everything functioned through the screen and controls that were already in place. You wouldn’t even be able to tell it was an aftermarket solution but for the fact that it worked better than GM’s in-house solution.
The Fallout Continues
The discontinuation may be related to the fact that White Automotive only offered the upgrade kit through GM dealership installation. Smart move by WAMS, actually. They attempted to play by GM’s rules and operate with the dealer network. Fat lot of good it did them.
Now, the customers have almost no recourse. And you couldn’t even have the kit installed at independent shops because it needed dealer-level access to GM’s systems. WAMS has pulled the product completely and all promotional materials.
Some folks are holding onto older GM vehicles specifically because they still have CarPlay support.
Others are jumping ship to Ford, Hyundai, or other brands that embrace smartphone integration instead of fighting it.
Looking Forward: What This Means for GM
Here’s my take on this whole mess. GM is making a huge mistake. They’re prioritizing short-term software revenue over customer satisfaction and loyalty. In today’s market, that’s a recipe for disaster.
Every other major automaker either supports CarPlay and Android Auto or is working on better integration. GM is going in the opposite direction, creating a worse user experience in the name of controlling their software ecosystem.
The GM Apple CarPlay retrofit kit removal sends a clear message to customers: GM knows better than you do about what technology you should use in your car. That’s not exactly the kind of message that builds brand loyalty.
I ended up trading my Blazer EV for a Ford Mustang Mach-E. Same electric performance, better range, and guess what? Full CarPlay support right out of the box. GM’s loss is Ford’s gain, and I don’t think I’m the only customer making this switch.
Until GM changes course and brings back CarPlay support, they’re going to keep losing customers to competitors who actually listen to what people want. Sometimes the customer really is right, and this is one of those times.