BMW Ditches Apple CarPlay Fee in the U.S., But Canadians Still Pay [u]

Update 12/5: BMW Canada no longer charges for Apple CarPlay for newer vehicles and is now offering the service free.

According to Autoblog, BMW has eliminated the subscription charge for Apple CarPlay in the U.K and the U.S. “BMW is always looking to satisfy our customers’ needs and this policy change is intended to provide BMW owners with a better ownership experience,” said a BMW spokesperson.

Apple claims it doesn’t charge car manufacturers a fee to use CarPlay, but costs are incurred in integrating it with the car’s screen. Most manufacturers factor this into the list or lease price of the model, but BMW was the first to decide to pass that cost onto the customer and give them a choice.



However, Canadian BMW owners are still paying subscription charges for CarPlay. Back in July, the price for one year of Apple CarPlay for 2019 BMW owners was $100 CAD for 12 months and $400 CAD for 240 months (20 years). As of today, BMW’s Connected website only lists the 240-month option for $400.

We have reached out to BMW Canada for clarification and will update the article as soon as we hear back.

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