Android Auto gets insight into EV range and Automotive gets Chrome

Android Auto gains insight into the range of electric cars. This allows Google Maps to take that range into account when calculating routes and plan charging stops. Android Automotive also gets the Chrome browser and a Crunchyroll app.

Insight into the range of the EV first comes to two Ford models: the Mustang Mach-E and the F-150 Lightning. This integration will be coming to these two EVs in the ‘coming months’. Later, other cars should be able to share their range with Google Maps. Android Auto apps currently have no insight into the range of an EV, which means that drivers have to manually schedule charging stops if they want to use Google Maps via Android Auto for longer routes, for example.

With the range integration, Maps shows how many charging stops are needed, how much time they take and what battery percentage the driver has left upon arrival. Google says the range is shared in real time; These charging stops will probably be adjusted in real time if necessary. This is how it works at Android Automotive, the car operating system that has long been able to share the range of EVs with Maps. It is not clear whether other navigation apps on Android Auto can also gain insight into the range of an EV. Android Auto is a system that allows drivers to connect their Android smartphones to supported cars and use Android apps on the car’s screens.

In addition to the range integration, Google is adding a ‘Send to car’ function to Google Maps. This allows users of an Android Automotive car to plan a route on their smartphone and send it to their car.

Google also announced at CES that Android Automotive will receive support for the Chrome browser, The Weather Channel and Crunchyroll. Some Android Automotive cars already had the Vivaldi browser, but now Google says all AAOS cars will get Chrome. The browser will first come to ‘select Polestar and Volvo cars’ in beta. The browser should come to more cars later this year. The browser can only be used when the car is parked. AAOS is found in cars from, among others Polestar, Volvo, Renault and Honda. This year, according to Google, Nissan and Ford will release cars with AAOS; Later, Porsche will also release models with the operating system.