Do you remember the last time you accessed the GPS system included in your car’s multimedia? Many manufacturers are considering removing the feature from their cars, as it is a function considered useless by them, since users use the phone to navigate, but Ferrari was the first to declare the end of its own map system.
In an interview, Emanuele Carando, Ferrari’s head of product marketing, said the next Maranello cars would not feature the native GPS function. In the executive’s opinion, it is not worth investing a significant amount of money in a system that many users will not use.
According to the executive, systems such as Android Auto and Apple CarPlay are fantastic, and provide a very beneficial experience for users. In addition, Carando understands that software such as Google Maps, Apple Maps and Waze always have updates almost in real time, while a native satellite navigation system from the manufacturer would depend on periodic updates, which takes more time and money from brands.
Updating these systems without over-the-air updates requires the owner to take the car to a technical center of the brand, for example. In more modern electric and hybrid cars, models can already use these over-the-air updates.
Ferrari’s case is even more complex. Carando explains that a system of its own is difficult for its users to operate, since Italian models are not used very often, and spending money developing such a system does not make much sense.
According to the Italian manufacturer, providing connection with Android Auto and Apple Car Play is already enough to improve the user experience, after all, it is just connecting the smartphone with the vehicle and users are already using the platforms and applications they are already more used to and using updated maps and better routes.
Although
Ferrari’s choice makes sense, not all brands will follow Maranello’s path. Tesla and Rivian, for example, use their own navigation system. Chevrolet, for example, has made the same move as Ferrari, but is trying to backtrack with its own navigation system.
It is not yet known what the brands plan with their own GPS and navigation systems. It is possible that some even study to charge a monthly fee, to use this function. Despite being a seemingly bizarre idea, BMW announced in 2022 that it would offer car seat heating through a monthly subscription package, so what’s to stop them from charging for a GPS system?
