Google to Reportedly Unveil its Apple CarPlay Rival Soon

According to a report by Automotive News, Google is ready to unveil its first in-car operating system at its annual software developer conference later this month. Google’s system, which is said to be known internally as “Google Auto Link”, is poised to rival Apple’s CarPlay as part of company’s efforts to become the leader in dashboard computing.

The Google Auto Link (GAL) will reportedly be the first product to emerge from the Open Automotive Alliance, a Google-led consortium that also includes Audi, General Motors, Honda, Hyundai and chipmaker NVIDIA. The source also notes that GAL is not an embedded infotainment system, but a “projected” system, which means that compatible Android smartphones could be controlled using a car’s own controls and touch display.

Google plans to reveal the interface and offer demonstrations to developers at the Google I/O conference, scheduled for June 25-26 in San Francisco, but will not announce which model will use it first, the sources said. When the Open Automotive Alliance’s formation was announced in January, the group said it would bring the Android operating system to cars “starting in 2014.”

At the same time, Google is also developing new Android platform features that will enable the car itself to become a connected Android device.