Google has revealed several updates for Android Auto and vehicles equipped with built-in Google features during the Consumer Electronics Show (CES). Among the enhancements, electric vehicles (EVs) utilizing Android Auto will soon have the ability to share real-time battery information with Google Maps.
This feature, set to debut in the Ford Mustang Mach-E and F-150 Lightning, will offer benefits such as estimating the battery level upon arrival, suggesting charging stops, and providing charging duration estimates based on the vehicle.
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The Chrome browser, part of a host of new apps, is being rolled out in select Polestar and Volvo vehicles as part of a beta test. Additionally, Crunchyroll, PBS Kids, and The Weather Channel app have been introduced in select cars, responding to user demand.
Owners of vehicles with built-in Google features can now send planned trips directly from Android or iOS devices to their cars, enhancing trip planning convenience. Looking ahead, Google built-in will extend to Ford, Lincoln, and Nissan vehicles later this year, with Porsche joining the lineup around the middle of the decade.
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The announcement also included plans for the rollout of digital key technology in select Volvo cars soon, with intentions to expand to more phone and car brands in the future.