This is the first Ford car with Android and Google Maps integrated into the touchscreen

More and more drivers are fed up with touchscreens in cars, especially manufacturer-specific systems. Brands like Ferrari are already fully committed to Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, the platforms where users really want to be able to use the apps they need, like Google Maps.

Faced with this demand, some manufacturers have already taken the next step: adopting Android Automotive. The difference between Android Automotive and Android Auto is that it does not require a connection to our mobile phone, as it works directly on the touch screens of our car. Porsche had already announced that it would adopt Android Automotive, and now another major brand has made the leap to the platform: Ford.

The 2025 version of the Ford Explorer will be the brand’s first model based on Android Automotive. In other words, it will not use the Ford Sync 4 system developed by the company itself and which was present until now in all its new models; instead, the 13.2-inch main screen runs Android natively, opening the door to many possibilities.

For example, the Ford Explorer is capable of use apps like Google Maps without connecting your mobile to the car; The maps are downloaded directly to the screen memory and used with the vehicle’s Internet connection. In other words, as if they were the maps provided by default in other cars. Another advantage is that the heating and air conditioning systems can be controlled directly from this version of Android on its dedicated screen (although the fact that it does not have physical buttons for these functions will not please everyone).

The Ford Explorer also uses Google Assistant as a voice assistantinstead of the assistant developed by Ford. But perhaps the biggest difference from Ford’s system is access to the Google Play Store, which allows you to download all sorts of apps tailored to driving. At the last Google I/O, the company announced a new project to automatically and easily add more apps to Android Automotive and Android Auto.

A striking detail is that Ford offers great freedom to the driver to use what he wants. For example, maintains compatibility with Android Auto and Apple Carplayso if we want, we can connect our mobile phone and use the applications we have installed. This contrasts sharply with Ford’s great American rival, General Motors, which harshly criticized Android Auto and announced its withdrawal in favor of its own system. They are two different visions of what automotive systems should be, and for the moment, Ford’s vision is more popular.

The Ford Explorer will probably not be launched in Europe, as it is a model traditionally designed for the American market. Fortunately, Ford has confirmed that other models available in Europe, such as the Mustang Mach-E, will soon switch to Android Automotive.