In electric vehicles, waiting can be the hardest part, like the time you spend waiting for an EV to turn on at a charging station. Google thinks it will take some time to catch up with streaming, especially if you have an EV with a large display in the control panel. That's why, as part of the Android update announced during Google I/O, Google said it plans to deploy Google Cast on cars with Android Automotive OS in the coming months. The first up will be Rivian, whose products include electric SUVs and pickup trucks. Google says more automakers will add support in the future. While Google executives were delving deeper into the plans for the Gemini AI model, I was sitting in the back seat of the R1s and watching a trailer for "IF" being cast from the YouTube app on my Android phone to the vehicle's infotainment system's 15.6-inch display. The audio from the trailer was played from the car's 22 speakers and was large enough to hear from behind.

During the Google Cast demo, I immediately switched to the NBA app and got a preview of the playoff game that night, but certainly struggled with the option to cast, as Google says there are 3,000 cast—enabled apps out there, so you can watch your car while waiting for your car to charge. The Infotainment Di

and definitely - this feature is designed specifically for when your car is parked. It's not easy to do when you're parked in the middle of a crowded developer conference — if we were going to rev and drive off that Rivian R1S—Cass so put away those dreams of casting YouTube to your EV's infotainment screen when you cruise at 70 miles per hour.

The casting process is as simple as casting from your phone to your home screen — launch the app, select the casting option, and swipe down if you need access to other controls in the Infotainment panel. 

In my demo, the Android device, like most EVs, was connected to the Rivian hotspot, which is over LTE. It's not yet clear whether such a feature will convince automakers to consider 5G for better streaming.

The addition of Google Cast support was just one of the automotive announcements made in I/O. Compatible cars have access to the app, Google Maps and Google Assistant.