Faced with Tesla’s indifference to repeated calls to bring CarPlay and Android Auto to their vehicles, Polish developer Michal Gapinski demonstrated that Apple’s OS could be used on the Tesla Model 3 (which we tested in this magazine) earlier this year.
In just six months of work, Gapinski published the first alpha version of “Tesla Android”. on Github so others can download and try.
The solution is to use a Raspberry Pi with an LTE modem and Wi-Fi hotspot, Android-based custom firmware installed, and a microHDMI-to-HDMI cable and an Ethernet cable.
First edition @TeslaAndroid not available at https://t.co/YFkhmc5QOf Sources are available at https://t.co/UHhfaNq8Ow under the GNU GPL v3.0 Please use the issue tracker for any installation related questions! Run CarPlay or ScanMyTesla directly on your Tesla display! pic.twitter.com/XVtvG2Qvyr
— Michal Gapinski (@mikegapinski) May 7, 2022
As shown in the YouTube video, the car navigator is used to connect to the Raspberry Pi and display the CarPlay interface on the Tesla screen, where Apple apps, including Maps and Apple Music, work properly.
The system works while driving and can also be controlled using multimedia buttons on the Tesla steering wheel. I mean it is fully functional.
Gapinski claims that the main goal of the latest alpha was usability. “For a project to scale and become popular in the Tesla community, it must offer a responsive interface on Android. Otherwise people won’t use it“, it says on its website.
Despite the prevalence of CarPlay in many other electric vehicles, Tesla does not offer official support. Hints in 2020 that Tesla planned to support Apple Music never materialized.
Tesla (and now Twitter) CEO Elon Musk doesn’t appear to be responding to calls on Twitter for the company to bring CarPlay into its cars, despite it being one of the most requested features among Tesla owners today.
Source: Computer Hoy
