Apple CarPlay for iOS 16 will soon let car drivers pre-authorize fuel purchases through the car’s infotainment system. This feature was first mentioned at WWDC 2022, and a gasoline firm recently told Reuters that it plans to embrace the new CarPlay functionality.
In an interaction with the media house, HF Sinclair’s Senior VP for Marketing, Jack Barger, said the oil and gas company would like to adopt the functionality. The firm operates approximately 1,600 gas stations in the US. Other oil companies also expressed interest in having their apps on CarPlay.
“We are excited by the idea that consumers could navigate to a Sinclair station and purchase fuel from their vehicle navigation screen.”
In one of the developer sessions at WWDC 2022, Apple explained that CarPlay would let users navigate to a gas pump and pre-authorize a purchase. Oil companies will offer individual apps which iPhone users can install on their devices and then use via CarPlay. If the users enter their credentials on the iPhone app beforehand, they can quickly activate the pump, refuel, and get going because CarPlay would help them save time by prepaying the required amount.
Besides this exciting addition, Apple has added other “fuel and driving tasks” to CarPlay in iOS 16. iPhone users will be able to access toll road information and request towing assistance from their vehicle’s CarPlay-enabled infotainment system. Apple explains that developers working on driving task apps should try to make it easier to perform non-navigation-related activities while driving. One example the company mentioned is an app to log trip mileage for business trip expenses.
CarPlay is evolving into a comprehensive suite of iPhone-enabled tools which are easy to use while driving. The system already has tools that make it easier to use Maps, play music in your car, access messaging apps, find EV charging stations, vacant parking spots, and drive-thrus.
iOS 16 is currently available as a beta for developers. A beta build for the masses is expected to debut this fall, and the stable version is expected to make its way to all compatible iPhones later this year. For this refueling prepayment feature in CarPlay, the implementation also relies on the availability of requisite apps from the partner petroleum companies. So, an exact date for functional availability cannot be ascertained.
[Via Reuters]
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