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Ford Delays Android Automotive Adoption, First F-150 Lightning Batch to Run SYNC 4

The adoption of Android Automotive is on the rise, and without a doubt, Google is relying a lot on its ongoing work with partners across the world, particularly in the States, to make sure its platform is becoming a hit.
Ford F-150 Lightning 27 photos
Photo: Ford
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Unfortunately for the search giant, one of the biggest names in the car industry has just confirmed that it’s delaying the adoption of Android Automotive, as it apparently needs more time to get everything right.

It’s Ford, the American carmaker that was supposed to bring Android Automotive to its vehicles starting this year. The adoption of Google’s car-optimized operating system will still happen in 2022, but the first models powered by Android Automotive will end up seeing the daylight in the last months of the year.

The newly-announced Ford F-150 Lightning is, therefore, shipping without Android Automotive, though it will only happen on the first batch. In other words, the MY 2023 trucks, which should theoretically enter production after September, will come with Android Automotive pre-loaded, obviously, if nothing changes in the meantime.

Ford has also confirmed that the release of Android Automotive will happen later in the fall, but the really bad news for the existing customers is that the existing models wouldn’t be able to upgrade.

In other words, if you buy the new F-150 Lightning, which comes with SYNC 4, you won’t be allowed to switch to Android Automotive when the new operating system makes its way to Ford vehicles.

Whether or not this is going to impact the early market performance of the F-150 Lightning is something that remains to be seen, but for now, the adoption of Android Automotive is facing a small roadblock that Google certainly can’t be happy about.

Ford claims it’s working with Google on making Android Automotive happen, and CEO Jim Farley even praises the search giant’s engineers who are working with Ford’s own teams, but the delay is living proof that not everything is milk and honey in the development of this project.
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About the author: Bogdan Popa
Bogdan Popa profile photo

Bogdan keeps an eye on how technology is taking over the car world. His long-term goals are buying an 18-wheeler because he needs more space for his kid’s toys, and convincing Google and Apple that Android Auto and CarPlay deserve at least as much attention as their phones.
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