After refusing for more than 10 years, Elon Musk may have said 'yes' to Apple and the reason is ...

Tesla is reportedly planning to do what the company has never done. In fact, not only something that Tesla CEO Elon Musk has stayed away from, but also what he has resisted for many-many years.

According to a report by Bloomberg, Tesla is developing support for Apple's CarPlay system in its vehicles, working to add one of the most highly requested features by customers. The move is seen as a sharp reversal for a company that long resisted one of the auto industry’s most popular infotainment features.The electric-vehicle maker has begun internal testing of CarPlay, according to the people, who asked not to be identified because the project remains confidential.

Apple CarPlay, widely supported by other automakers, mirrors a simplified, vehicle-optimized version of the iPhone’s interface and is considered essential by many car buyers. Other major automakers, including Ford, General Motors and Hyundai, already offer Apple CarPlay across most of their lineups.

What makes Apple CarPlay coming to Tesla cars BIG

If adopted, the move would mark a notable shift for Chief Executive Officer Elon Musk, who has for years rejected customer calls to integrate CarPlay.

Musk has frequently criticized Apple’s practices — especially its App Store rules — and was incensed when the tech giant hired away Tesla engineers during its now-abandoned electric-car effort.Tesla has discussed launching CarPlay support in the coming months, though timelines remain fluid and the feature could be delayed or shelved, the people told Bloomberg. The automaker has a history of pausing or canceling features even after lengthy development cycles.The company currently relies on its proprietary infotainment platform, which includes Tesla-specific messaging tools, a browser and other in-house apps. Tesla’s resistance to allowing Apple greater access to vehicle systems was partly rooted in concerns that Apple intended to compete directly in electric vehicles — an ambition that ended in 2024 with the cancellation of the Titan project.

What may be behind Tesla's 'change of heart'

The shift comes as Tesla faces softening demand, with some prospective buyers citing the absence of CarPlay as a reason to avoid the brand.

Roughly one-third of consumers say the lack of CarPlay or Google’s Android Auto would be a deal-breaker, according to a 2024 McKinsey & Co. survey.Tesla is testing CarPlay within a windowed environment that sits inside its existing interface, Bloomberg reported. That means the Tesla operating system will continue to dominate the screen, unlike in many vehicles where CarPlay can take over entirely.CarPlay will not integrate with Tesla-specific features such as the Full Self-Driving system.

Drivers will need to rely on Tesla’s native navigation for those capabilities. CarPlay will be supported wirelessly, allowing drivers to sync their iPhones without plugging in a cable, as per the report.Tesla plans to use the standard version of CarPlay rather than the Ultra version appearing in some Aston Martin and other high-end models. The standard variant, revamped in iOS 26, adds widgets for weather, calendars and similar information.