Unlike rival Apple, Google isn’t working on a full vehicle. The search giant has an entirely different strategy for its automotive expansion, and it all comes down to providing carmakers and drivers with access to software and services behind the wheel.
Android Automotive is Google’s big bet in the long term. It ships as an evolved version of Android Auto and comes with significant improvements, including deeper access of Google services to the vehicle.
Unlike Android Auto, which uses a mobile phone connected to the car to mirror the interface on the dashboard screen, Android Automotive is a fully-featured operating system. It is installed at the hardware level by carmakers, so it replaces the software that Android Auto typically runs on top of the vehicle. This means you can also run Android Auto in an Android Automotive-powered car.
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