Google maps will have a new presence in cars in 2021.
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Google plans to embed Android in millions of cars by partnering with the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance.
The mobile operating system will be used to power media displays in vehicles sold by the alliance, which altogether sells more than any other automaker, according to The Wall Street Journal.
The displays will offer better integration of Google’s maps, app store and voice-activated assistant from car dashboards, and they’ll start appearing in 2021. The automakers are targeting increased sales of more than 14 million units a year by the end of 2022.
“With the integration of the Android platform into our infotainment systems, we are adding a new level of intelligence to our connected vehicles,” said Kal Mos, global vice president of connected vehicles at Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi, in a statement.
“In the future, the Google Assistant, which employs Google’s leading AI technology, can become the main way customers interact with their vehicles, hands-free.”
Google and the alliance “share a common vision of delivering an intelligent, safe and seamless in-car experience with apps and services that are familiar, upgradable and connected,” said Hiroshi Lockheimer, senior vice president of platforms and ecosystems at Google.
For several years now, Google has had a presence in cars through its Android Auto software, a rival to Apple’s CarPlay.
Shares in TomTom lost over a quarter of their value in the wake of the announcement, Reuters reported. The Dutch digital mapping company supplies maps for cars’ built-in navigation devices, and the licensing deals formed a third of TomTom’s revenue last year.