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At the center of the conflict between Big Tech and Big Auto is CarPlay Ultra, the newest version of the popular CarPlay system that can mirror a user’s iPhone interface on a screen within a vehicle. Announced earlier this year, CarPlay Ultra is going a step further by also displaying car functions like fuel level and speed. It also lets drivers control the air conditioning, radio, and driving modes, all from the same screen. Aston Martin is the only automaker that has fully integrated CarPlay Ultra into its vehicles.

While Ford is committed to Apple, CEO Farley said “We don’t like the execution of Ultra in round one.” 

“I’ve talked to Tim [Cook] many times about this. Ford does not have the right, in our opinion, to disrupt someone’s digital life when they get in their car,” Farley told The Verge in an interview.

Farley later said Apple needs to make a decision on how much it wants to encroach into a vehicle’s systems. Giving an outside company power over a car’s mechanics could be a slippery slope, he added.

“How far do you want the Apple brand to go? Do you want the Apple brand to start the car? Do you want the Apple brand to limit the speed? Do you want the Apple brand to limit access?” asked Farley.

The conflict over Apple CarPlay heated up earlier this year when GM CEO Mary Barra said the company’s future vehicles would no longer support Apple CarPlay or its Google counterpart, Android Auto. The company first began phasing out compatibility for both systems in its EVs in 2023. 

Since the release of CarPlay Ultra, other automakers, including Audi, Mercedes-Benz, Polestar, Volvo, and Renault, currently have no plans to integrate the new system into their cars, the Financial Times reported, despite Apple touting them as committed in a 2022 WWDC announcement. 

Carmakers are in a tough spot as Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are considered must-haves for many new car buyers, according to preliminary data from research firm AutoPacific. A McKinsey report from 2023 found that 85% of car owners who had CarPlay or a similar system preferred it over the carmaker’s operating system.

Still, the data hasn’t yet persuaded carmakers enough to give up control of the dash. Mercedes introduced its own Mercedes‑Benz Operating System (MB.OS) that combines infotainment and car functions. Other car companies like Toyota and Volvo are also developing their own systems, according to the Daily Mail.

Whatever Ford ultimately decides on CarPlay Ultra, it is clear to Farley that a car’s digital experience is quickly becoming one of its most important specs.

“The difference between car companies where you have a software-defined vehicle is not going to be what your sheet metal looks like. It won’t be how powerful your EV motor is. That’s all math. All the cars look nice. It’s going to be this digital experience that says why someone buys this or that,” he said.