Google and Audi Are Working on In-Car Android

The Wall Street Journal is reporting that Google has been working with Audi to develop in-car entertainment and information systems based on Android-and the pair plan to make an announcement at next week’s Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.

The newspaper explains that the announcement will also detail collaborative efforts with other manufacturers-it specifically names Nvidia, for instance-in order to “establish Android as an important technology for future vehicles.” According to the Journal’s sources, the new Android initiative will “allow drivers and passengers to access music, navigation, apps and services that are similar to those widely available now on Android-powered smartphones.”

Last June at its 2013 developers conference, Apple announced its plans to integrate iOS into the car dash, and has garnered support from BMW, Mercedez-Benz, GM and Honda in the process. A rumor that Google is playing catch-up, then, is hardly surprising. There are few further details in the Journal article, though, so we’ll have to wait and see just how much water this story holds. [WSJ]