GM Killed CarPlay. This $199 Gadget Just Brought It Back.

General Motors made a bold move in 2023: ditch Apple CarPlay and Android Auto from its entire EV lineup. Then it doubled down last October by pledging to phase the same tech out of its gas-powered vehicles too. It was corporate overreach disguised as innovation—a power play to lock customers into GM’s own infotainment ecosystem whether they liked it or not. Well, turns out you can’t kill smartphone integration that easily. A startup called EVPlay just launched the EVPlay LT, a small USB dongle that restores both wired and wireless CarPlay and Android Auto to most GM electric vehicles for a flat $199.

The Workaround That Makes GM Look Silly

Here’s what makes this genuinely impressive: the whole system takes two minutes to set up. You download an app onto your vehicle’s infotainment system, plug the EVPlay LT device into a USB port, and you’re done. No special tools, no modifications to the car, no subscription fees lurking in the fine print. It’s the kind of elegant solution that makes you wonder why the automaker couldn’t have just left well enough alone in the first place.

The device works with a surprisingly broad range of GM’s EV lineup. That includes the 2024–2026 Chevy Equinox EV, Blazer EV, and Silverado EV; the GMC Sierra EV and Hummer EV; and most Cadillac models including the Escalade IQ, Optiq, and Vistiq. Basically, if you’ve bought or are considering a newer GM EV and you’re pissed about losing CarPlay, this covers you.

Why GM’s Move Backfired

Let’s be clear about what happened here: General Motors bet that customers would tolerate its in-house infotainment system. They bet wrong. Phone mirroring has become table stakes for new-car shoppers. When you’re trying to sell premium EVs at premium prices—especially against Tesla, Rivian, and the growing EV threat from every other manufacturer—yanking out a feature people actively want is a brand-damaging move. It screams “we prioritize control over convenience.”

This isn’t the first time an automaker has tried to lock down its digital ecosystem. But the backlash to GM’s decision was swift and brutal, with plenty of EV shoppers citing it as a dealbreaker when comparing options against competitors. EVPlay’s emergence proves that when a manufacturer creates artificial friction, the market will find a way around it.

Two Options: Budget and Premium

EVPlay is smart enough to know that not all customers want the same thing. For $199, the LT gives you straightforward CarPlay and Android Auto restoration—that’s the product that solves GM’s problem. But if you want to go deeper, the company also sells the EVPlay Max for $425. That’s the really weird one.

Max adds video streaming, gaming, HDMI connectivity, Bluetooth accessory support, and access to the Google Play Store for downloading Android apps. It can technically function as a standalone Android computer outside the vehicle, which is a strange flex—but it’s there if you want it. EVPlay even makes a version designed specifically for Rivian owners, because apparently other manufacturers are also playing around with limiting smartphone integration.

The Caveat: GM Could Still Kill It

There’s one uncomfortable reality both EVPlay and potential buyers need to acknowledge: General Motors still owns the vehicle. The company has been transparent about this on its website, essentially saying that while they’ll “fight the good fight,” GM technically has the power to disable the software with a firmware update if it really wanted to. It would be a catastrophically stupid PR move, but it’s theoretically possible.

This is the dark side of vehicle software in 2025. You don’t buy a car anymore—you lease the software that runs it. The right-to-repair movement exists precisely because of situations like this. A company like EVPlay can offer a workaround today, but it exists in a fragile legal and technical gray area. Still, EVPlay’s bet is that GM would face far worse customer loyalty consequences by actively blocking a solution than by leaving it alone. They’re probably right.

The Real Story Here

This isn’t just about one garage hack saving CarPlay lovers from GM’s stubborn decision. It’s a snapshot of where automotive power is shifting. A startup can now do something a $100+ billion corporation explicitly chose not to do. That matters. It means customers no longer have to accept every corporate decision as final, and it means manufacturers can’t count on total control over the software experience anymore. The market finds a way.

If you own a recent GM EV and you’re frustrated by the lack of CarPlay, the EVPlay LT is a no-brainer at $199 with no subscription. Two minutes of setup buys back something GM took away on purpose. As for GM? They’re sitting in a weird spot where a third-party company just made their EV experience demonstrably better. That should sting a little.

Sources: Car and Driver