jerkwagon said:
its ridiculous that it doesnt support android auto. this day and age why not?
I work in the Auto industry for a manufacturer. Before I say anything else, I want to stress that these are my own thoughts, don't represent the views of my company, etc, etc. That said, to me there are a couple of reasons Android Auto (and CarPlay) haven't seen broad adoption across the industry:
First, Apple and Google have specific reasons to want access to the infotainment unit in a vehicle. Apple wants to own the user experience, the whole thing. To an Auto Manufacturer (OEM), the Infotainment system is one of the most visible components of the brand to the customer. The OEM doesn't want to cede that space to another company, nor lose control over it. Google wants the space because they want to accumulate data on driving, the driver, and the environment, but they're not particularly interested in sharing that information back with the OEM. Since that data is a source for not only the future of design and development, but also potentially of revenue, there's naturally resistance to giving the space to someone else.
Second, Cost: It may seem like the Infotainment system in your LEAF is just a simple computer, and adding support for another technology is relatively trivial. Due to the complexity and tight regulation of what that computer does, and how it can do it, means that adding support for a given technology means that it has to be planned years ahead of time. Manufacturers are always working to reduce that, and we all see how important it is that the speed in which that's updated is increased.
I have no doubt that even though the LEAF design is ~2009-2010, that doesn't mean that Nissan has been resting on its laurels. They've probably spent a good amount of time considering whether or not adding Android Auto (and CarPlay) fits their brand, provides a valuable add to the customer, is something that dealers can sell to customers, and is cost effective enough include (to name a few - I don't know what other considerations they may be making)