Google will soon make its Chrome browser available in certain vehicles with built-in Google, meaning owners will be able to use their vehicle’s dash to surf the web instead of their phone.
Google made the announcement on Tuesday at 2024 CES in Las Vegas alongside several other announcements related to its Android operating system.
The availability of Chrome will initially be offered to select vehicles from the Volvo and Polestar brands starting this week, though the plan is to role it out to more models.
Additional apps for vehicles were announced by Google at CES. These include The Weather Channel, PBS KIDS, and Crunchyroll.
Trip planning also gets easier for vehicles with built-in Google. Starting this week, owners will be able to send a trip they’ve searched in Google Maps on their phone directly to their vehicle.
For EV owners, the vehicle will soon be able to share real-time battery information with Google Maps. This integration should help ease range anxiety, as it will provide a more accurate estimated battery level upon arrival at a destination, suggest charging stops along, and estimate how long charging will take based on the vehicle. The feature will be available in the coming months, initially in Ford’s Mustang Mach-E and F-150 Lightning.
Google also said its digital car key feature will continue to expand to more phone and car brands in the future. The feature lets you unlock, lock, and start a vehicle using a compatible Android phone, as well as securely share keys with friends and family, regardless whether theyt are using an iOS or Android phone.
