Sure but I’m just providing more info to the other person? I’m not defending the author. I think many of their criticisms on both sides have flawed arguments and misconceptions .

Ummm, no? Sort of. First we don’t really know much about CarPlay 2. It was announced in 2022 but hasn’t been detailed yet. However, all the assumptions are that it runs of your phone just like CarPlay 1, but with more control and integration in the car. Nothing I have seen from Apple or others suggests that Apple is building an Android Automotive-like product. I.e: Apple software that runs off the car itself. Also it will be very unlike Apple to sell software that car companies run, which is what Android Automotive is. Unless the plan is to sell an iOS box that car manufacturers integrate into the car. But I haven’t seen any thing that suggests that.

It couldn’t be simpler.

Android Automotive (AA) is obviously different from Android Auto (AA). You see, AA runs on the car and runs the infotainment system whereas AA is just screen mirroring for Android phones. AA supports CarPlay just like it supports AA. Apple doesn’t have anything like AA, CarPlay is equivalent to AA.

Lastly, it’s not like “Auto” is short for another word such that people would mistake the two. It’s clear as day.

/s

No problem. It’s a really common misunderstanding because Google purposefully like to name things to reduce distinction.