Report: Google and Audi develop Android in-car system

The announcement excepted to come at CES next week, will let Google take on Apple's iOS in the Car

Apple and Google are such fierce rivals, it seems, that whenever one of them decides to get in on some new piece of technology, be it smartphones, tablets or even smart watches, the other has to follow.

And so it goes for the connected car as well.

Google and Audio are all set to announce that they are going to be working together to develop in-car entertainment and information systems, which will be based on Android software, according to a reportfrom the Wall Street Journal on Sunday.

This will allow both drivers, as well as their passengers, to access music, apps and other services that they can currently access on their Android devices. 

The announcement will reportedly be coming at next week's Consumer Electronics Show, which will be taking place in Las Vegas.

With this new initiative, Google is taking on Apple and its iOS in the Car service.

Apple first made the announcement of its car integration plans back at the WWDC 2013 keynote in June of this year. It said it be making deals with car manufacturers to integrate more features from iOS into their cars, including maps and iMessages. 

Those who have signed up for iOS integration include BMW, Daimler, Mercedes-Benz, General Motors and Honda.

Google and Audi will be be collaborating with chip maker Nvidia, as well as other tech companies, in order to "establish Android as an important technology for future vehicles."

When exactly this service will be available was not made clear.

Google's car initatives

This is not the first car technology that Google has tried to get into the car technology business. The company has also been getting into the driverless car business.

The company first announced that it was testing out driverless cars, which would be capable of driving themselves with minimal, if any, human intervention, back in 2010. 

Since then, a company called Velodyne had a Google car drive itself from 300,000 miles, from San Francisco to Las Vegas, without getting into a single accident. 

Earlier this year, CEO Larry Page addressed why the company was focusing on that aspect of the business, saying," We invest the vast majority of our resources and time into core products, as well as big bets like Chrome, YouTube, and Android. But as CEO, it’s super important to focus on the future. Companies get comfortable doing the same thing with minor tweaks."

VatorNews reached out to both Google and Audi but neither would comment on the report.

(Image source: https://www.vehiclepdf.com)