Renault cars will be the first to run Waze directly on the car’s system without a phone

Waze is one of the most widely used navigation apps for driving, but it’s only available through a smartphone. Whether used directly on the phone screen, or on the car screen via CarPlay and Android Auto, Waze couldn’t be used any other way until now. The Renault-Google partnership, however, brings Waze factory-equipped cars for the first time, with the app installed directly on the car’s operating system.

Waze will be available on Android Automotive as a native app

That’s because Renault cars will use Android Automotive OS, a version of Android made specifically for cars. These aren’t the first to use this software platform, but they are the first to get Waze natively on the car’s screen. So you won’t have to depend on your smartphone and its internet connection, as the car will be connected to the internet independently and run Waze without the help of your mobile device.

The first two cars to run Waze natively will be the Renault Austral Hybrid and the Renault Megane E-Tech. The cars will also benefit from other features with technology from Google. For example, the new openR link multimedia system will benefit from Google services such as Google Maps, Google Assistant and the Play Store, allowing the installation of new apps and even voice control for car functions such as navigation routes, music selection or climate control. Even Smart Home devices in Google Home will be controllable directly from the car.

It seems that after Renault, other Google partner manufacturers already using the Android Automotive platform will offer Waze on their cars. Those confirmed are Polestar, General Motors, Chevrolet and Volvo, and Honda will also adopt the platform in the near future.

“The availability of Waze real-time navigation, with routes and alerts directly on the display of Renault vehicles, provides an easier driving experience. We look forward to bringing this great experience to more users around the world in 2023.”, said Aro Di Castro, Director of Marketing at Waze.