Developer Shows Apple CarPlay Running on a Tesla [VIDEO]

Image: @mikegapinski on Twitter

Apple’s CarPlay is sorely missed by some Tesla owners, and is right up there with some of the most requested features for the company’s electric vehicles (EVs).

Tesla owners saw a ray of hope when support for Apple Music was spotted in a firmware update for the cars back in December 2020. Apple Music would definitely have been a start, and it is a plausible addition for Tesla as its infotainment system already supports other music services like Tidal and Spotify. However, it has been over a year since then and the feature is yet to be officially added.

Taking matters into his own hands, Polish developer Michał Gapiński (@mikegapinski) has jury-rigged a workaround involving a Raspberry Pi that let him run Apple CarPlay in his Tesla’s internet browser — reports Tesla North.

We get a look at the CarPlay interface on the Tesla EV’s infotainment system, Apple Maps, and working Apple Music that even plays in the background.

Here’s a video of Gapiński’s Tesla running CarPlay in the built-in browser, which can be controlled with the steering wheel buttons in the car. He says the next step is to improve Wi-Fi, adding that the stream is “2x smoother when viewed on my laptop.”

Gapinski explained to the publication that the “hack” is based on a custom build of Android, running on a Raspberry Pi. The project is still in its early stages with a lot of kinks to work out, but he plans on releasing it to the public “when it’s polished,” he tells Tesla North.

Apple’s CarPlay feature essentially mirrors what’s on your iPhone to a car’s infotainment system, either through a USB connection or wirelessly. The software feature is provided by Apple to automakers at no charge, with most having adopted the software.

Tesla has had years to bring CarPlay to its vehicles, but the EV giant has seemingly decided against doing so and favours its own User Interface. Chances are even slimmer now, with Apple soon becoming a direct competitor to Tesla with its own autonomous EV, so developers like Gapinski might have to swoop in to save the day after all.

Would you be interested in a hacky, third-party solution that lets you run Apple CarPlay on your Tesla? Let us know in the comments below.

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