Ford, Lincoln Vehicles Launch With Google Built-In This Year

January 10, 2024 2:03 pm

Back in April, Ford’s cross-town rival, General Motors, announced that it would be ditching Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity in its future EV models, instead opting to go with its own infotainment system developed in partnership with Google. However, Ford EVs won’t be following suit, as CEO Jim Farley has stated numerous times, and in fact, The Blue Oval continues to expand its available features pertaining to both. The Ford F-150 Lightning just added Apple Maps EV routing capability last October, and Farley recently hinted that Google Maps EV route planning was next on the automaker’s list. At the 2024 Consumer Electronics Show (CES), Google announced that Ford EVs will be the first to receive a new charging info upgrade, and added that its new “built-in” feature will launch in Ford and Lincoln vehicles this year, too.

“We’re continuing to partner with more brands and developers to expand the helpful apps and services for your car,” the tech giant said. “Android Auto is compatible with nearly every major car brand and is in over 200 million cars on the road, bringing the best of your phone experience to the car. And the list of major brands that offer cars with Google built-in continues to grow, with Nissan, Ford and Lincoln models rolling out this year and Porsche expected to launch in the future.”

Google built-in is a new type of connectivity system that features full integration of Google apps and services such as Google Assistant, Google Maps, and Google Play. At the moment, it’s unclear what Ford and Lincoln vehicles will be the first to debut this feature, but The Blue Oval has been working on developing a new Android-based operating system for some time now, which is said to have “robust” third-party apps.

Regardless, it’s most likely that we’ll see Google built-in featured in some newer FoMoCo models following its debut in the redesigned 2024 Lincoln Nautilus, such as – perhaps – the forthcoming refreshed Lincoln Aviator and Ford Explorer crossovers. However, it’s seemingly unlikely that the refreshed Ford Expedition and Lincoln Navigator will come equipped with it, since the also-refreshed 2024 Ford F-150 is sticking with Sync 4 for now.

We’ll have more on Google built-in soon, so be sure and subscribe to Ford Authority for non-stop Ford news coverage.

By Brett Foote

Brett's lost track of all the Fords he's owned over the years and how much he's spent modifying them, but his current money pits include an S550 Mustang and 13th gen F-150.