Apple CarPlay and Android Auto have been controversial in the car industry recently. General Motors plans to phase out CarPlay in its upcoming electric vehicles. However, Volvo’s CEO, Jim Rowan, believes it’s important to offer these in-car services.

Rowan emphasized the significance of providing options like Android Auto and Apple CarPlay to cater to the vast number of iPhone and Android users worldwide. He highlighted the convenience of seamlessly connecting smartphones with the car and the multitude of app choices available.

Rowan also expressed opposition to the idea of charging customers for in-car subscriptions, such as heated seats. However, he didn’t rule out the possibility of in-car performance upgrades for electric vehicles.

Volvo currently utilizes an Android Automotive-based operating system and offers both Apple CarPlay and Android Auto in all its vehicles. The company’s latest models, including the EX30 and the EX90, come with CarPlay as standard equipment and offer over-the-air updates.

Volvo recently updated Apple CarPlay in over 650,000 of its cars to enhance the layout and provide native support for Apple Maps and other navigation services on the driver display. This update also allowed the display to show incoming call information.