BMW takes a guarded view of third-party apps

LAS VEGAS — In March, BMW will integrate Google's Android Automotive infotainment operating system into some of its vehicles.

BMW is following a growing coterie of automakers leveraging Google's operating system to deliver third-party apps and bring new technologies to its vehicles quicker.

But unlike some of its peers that are diving into the deep end, the German automaker is only dipping its toes into the Android operating system. Because BMW wants to create and manage its onboard features, the company will adopt a variant that gives it greater control over customers' data and allows it to develop a custom infotainment experience.

Other automakers, such as Volvo and its EV affiliate Polestar, have chosen the more full-featured Google Automotive Services operating system that takes over the vehicle's infotainment system and offers Google services such as Gmail and Google Maps. BMW's path is different.

"We are not using Google Services because it does not meet our requirements," said Stephan Durach, BMW Group senior vice president of the Connected Company unit.

For instance, Google Services does not integrate well with BMW's in-house navigation system because the operating system doesn't have access to vehicle data, Durach told Automotive News on the sidelines of CES 2023.

Durach said allowing Google Services onto BMW dashboards is a no-go for the automaker because it could compromise data privacy.

"I always want to be in complete control of customer data," he said. "If you want to use Google Assistant to ask, 'Who's the president of the United States,' you have to log in to your Google account."

Another problem is that Google Services doesn't work in certain key markets, such as China, Korea and Japan, Durach said, making that operating system variant impractical for BMW.

Durach conceded that Google Automotive Services is a smart option for new automakers like Polestar that haven't already invested in home-grown operating systems.

"If you're starting from scratch and you have nothing, it's a good start," he said.

But for more mature automakers like BMW, it's less compelling.

"Why should I put so much effort into reintegrating things I already have in my system?" Durach said. "The effort of integrating Google Services is not low."

Automakers remain cautious of turning over critical applications to tech companies that can quickly lose interest in projects and move on.

"At the end of the day, the user experience is a critical part of your brand," Durach said. "I don't want to give this part away to another brand."

The ephemeral nature of some tech companies also gives BMW pause in handing over the keys.

"Players come and players go; that's also true for very big ones," said Christoph Grote, BMW Group senior vice president of electronics and software. "We've been around for 100 years. We're not going to bet the company on something that's going to only last another 10."