Why Ford's CEO Doesn't Love Apple CarPlay Ultra

Jim Farley said Ford is considering Apple’s all-in-one software solution, but that he didn’t like “the execution in round one.”

Jim Farley

Photo by: Ford

Iulian Dnistran

By: Iulian Dnistran

Sep 30, 2025 at 7:28am ET

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Ford CEO Jim Farley is all for Apple CarPlay connectivity.
However, when it comes to Apple CarPlay Ultra, the outspoken boss isn’t so sure.
It all comes down to what car functions Apple can access through CarPlay Ultra, and whether or not it makes sense from a security standpoint.

Apple CarPlay is a big part of the car ownership experience–at least that’s what the internet will tell you if you browse a lot of forums and Reddit posts. Whether you love it or not, it’s a great way to integrate your smartphone into the car’s infotainment system without having to fiddle around with accounts, syncing contacts and downloading apps. The same goes for Google’s Android Auto.

But as technology progresses, so does Apple’s CarPlay system, with the next iteration of it, dubbed CarPlay Ultra, taking over all the screens inside a car and replacing what would normally be a manufacturer-made digital gauge cluster, infotainment system and climate control panel. Apple CarPlay Ultra is already up and running in a handful of Aston Martin models.

Apple CarPlay Ultra

Photo by: Apple

More companies have pledged to bring the system to their upcoming vehicles, but other carmakers are apprehensive about it, including Ford. During an interview with The Verge, Ford CEO Jim Farley said that while the American automaker is considering integrating CarPlay Ultra, there are a lot of questions regarding what data is being collected and used by Apple.

"Are you going to allow OEMs to control the vehicles?” said Farley on The Verge’s Decoder podcast. “How far do you want the Apple brand to go? Do you want the Apple brand to start the car? Do you want the Apple brand to limit the speed? Do you want the Apple brand to limit access?”

In this respect, Ford has already rolled out several features to its Pro customers, such as limiting access to the vehicle on the weekend and limiting the maximum speed during a certain period. “Is Apple going to want to do that? If Apple wants to do that, I think we’re going to have a tough time because then the digital experience gets really messy,” Farley added.

All this being said, Ford won’t give up on regular CarPlay anytime soon, as opposed to General Motors, Rivian and Tesla, among others.