I think they are afraid that Google's software will become an industry standard and that they will be left out. They are in the position where they need to make a bet and that bet will determine how the next decade of business will look like for them.
If the best product wins then Google’s is likely to become industry standard. Android Auto is not panacea, but no European or Asian company has shown any talent to build high quality software in scale. Only US/Silicon Valley companies can do this. And this is not just about cars - it’s also the same for mobile phones, etc.
Just to be clear. The article is about “Android Automotive” a self contained OS built into the car. Android Auto is basically a display that requires an Android phone to operate.
