Apple CarPlay in Tesla Vehicles: Alternatives, Benefits and Aftermarket Solutions

Apple CarPlay has become a popular feature in many cars, allowing users to access their favorite apps and services from the comfort of their vehicle. However, Tesla vehicles are not equipped with Apple CarPlay as standard, leaving many owners looking for solutions.

One potential solution is Carlinkit, which requires its own SIM card and carries a monthly service fee. This may be too costly for some users, so they may wish to wait until Tesla releases an over-the-air (OTA) update that supports Apple CarPlay.

For those new to Tesla, it is worth considering what features Apple CarPlay offers that the Tesla UI does not. Integration with messaging and phone calls is much smoother and easier with Apple CarPlay than with Tesla's interface, which can feel quite dated by comparison. Additionally, third party app support is more extensive on Apple CarPlay.

Those who have used Apple CarPlay before should note that there have been reports of glitches such as unwanted drops and having to reconnect frequently. Some people find it unnecessary altogether and prefer using the native Tesla UI instead.

Tesla recently released a Waze integration for its vehicles, offering an alternative to Apple CarPlay for navigation purposes. However, this still leaves other features exclusive to Apple CarPlay unavailable. For those wanting full access to these features, there are aftermarket solutions available such as T2C dongles. These require configuring the iPhone as a hotspot and updating the dongle with the latest firmware - the latter being essential for Android Auto compatibility.

Overall, while the Tesla UI has seen improvements over time, it still lags behind Apple CarPlay in terms of functionality and usability. As such, many Tesla owners continue to look for ways to use Apple CarPlay in their vehicles without incurring high costs or sacrificing reliability.The good news is that Tesla has promised to release an OTA update in the near future, which should make Apple CarPlay available for all Tesla vehicles. Until then, users can explore aftermarket solutions such as Carlinkit and T2C dongles if they wish to access their favorite apps and services from the comfort of their vehicle.