Alphabet Inc.’s Google is making a major push into the auto industry, partnering with the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance to use the tech company’s Android operating system to power media display that will eventually be sold in millions of cars world-wide.
The auto-making alliance 7201, +1.27% 7211, +1.84% RNO, +0.15% , which together sells more vehicles than any other auto maker, is picking Google GOOGL, -1.54% to provide the operating system for its next-generation infotainment system, marking a major victory for the Silicon Valley tech giant, which has spent more than a decade trying to replicate the success it has had with the smartphone in the car.
The alliance, which last year sold a combined 10.6 million vehicles globally, will debut the new system in 2021, giving drivers better integration of Google’s maps, app store and voice-activated assistant from the vehicle’s dashboard, the companies said.
The move comes as other auto makers have been reluctant to cede control of this space to tech rivals, in part because they see the technology as generating valuable consumer data that can be turned into new revenue streams.
An expanded version of this story can be found at WSJ.com
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