wants to get into your car—specifically, make it easier for its Android smartphones to hook into new cars.

Automotive News reports that as part of the Open Automotive liance, will be teaming up with automakers like Audi, Mercedes, Hyundai, GM, Honda to put its software in its cars by the end of the year. Apparently, ’s Android-based car software will be called Auto nk, though it’s not entirely clear whether it will actually launch under that name.

Auto nk won’t be an embedded system, like Microsoft’s SYNC or BlackBerry’s QNX. Instead, it’ll be a “projected” system that helps drivers interact safely with their existing Android smartphone using the car’s screen controls. It’s similar to Apple’s own Caray interface, which is launching in cars a few aftermarket systems starting this summer. 

’s own proprietary in-car technology would ensure that Android users can spend their hours in traffic engaging safely with their phones, rather than avoiding them. But all this new in-car technology is making my car’s dashboard system—merely a 30-pin id hookup—seem antiquated. It’s too bad we can’t switch out cars like we do smartphones.