Tesla's major change of direction exposed

Tesla might finally be conceding defeat.

The American electric carmaker has until now famously resisted including smartphone mirroring tech such as Apple CarPlay or Android Auto in its vehicles.

Instead, Tesla uses its own software and allows owners to include certain apps.

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That could all change as a fresh report from Bloomberg states the company is testing CarPlay functionality in its vehicles to help boost sales.

According to the report, Tesla is only testing CarPlay internally and there is no guarantee it will roll it out to customers.

There is also no mention of Tesla working on Android Auto integration.

If Tesla does roll it out to its cars it will likely be deployed via an over-the-air update.

It is a sharp about turn for Tesla and its boss Elon Musk given both were so focused on their in-house multimedia tech.

Musk has also called out Apple on several occasions with the most recent being rankings in its app store with favourable treatment to Musk’s AI rivals.

He also made light of numerous Tesla employees heading to Apple in the past.

"They have hired people we've fired," Musk told German newspaper Handelsblatt. 

"We always jokingly call Apple the 'Tesla Graveyard'. If you don't make it at Tesla, you go work at Apple. I'm not kidding.”

The lack of Apple CarPlay has hit other carmakers, too.

Leapmotor launched its C10 electric SUV in Australia at the start of this year without Apple CarPlay and Android Auto and the Chinese brand’s local boss Andy Hoang admitted it may have cost it sales.

“To be frank, there will be some customers who are adamant that, ‘this is what I need, this is what I want,’” said Hoang to CarsGuide.

“It’s not, from the customer's perspective, a must in China. Now we’re going abroad… [new models] will have Apple CarPlay and Android Auto,” he said.