What if KDE Plasma had an interface for car infotainment systems?
This was a random idea I had one day for an interface akin to Apple CarPlay but with the customization and flexibility of Plasma. The name I had in mind is Plasma Auto (no connection to the Android Auto name), but that might be subject to change unless it’s a good name already.
The home screen would use the already existing Plasma Widget system, but likely with a percentage-based grid to accommodate the various screen sizes found in cars. If a docked phone is used as the display method, it would inherit its Plasma color scheme settings onto Plasma Auto.
Integration
It might be possible to reverse-engineer some of the Android Auto tech stack to get arbitrary images onto any car that supports it. But if certain car manufacturers are kind enough to implement support for Plasma Auto devices themselves (I doubt all but one would do that), that would be awesome. Or it could just be directly integrated into custom or off-the-shelf head units if that’s what you’re in to.
With some head units (and CarPlay Ultra) allowing the access and adjustment of car-specific settings such as climate control and the instrument cluster, support for those items could also be implemented.
Applications
KDE already has an app for calling, texting, and playing music, but not really a good app for navigation. Yes Marble Maps exists, but it would need a significant rework to be a viable option for Plasma Auto. So that’s where I had the idea for KNav, a new maps & navigation app designed for quick on-device routing from one place to another. Or you could use one of the many already functional turn-by-turn navigation apps on Flathub and those would work just fine.
Conclusion
Take some code from Plasma Bigscreen, remove some jarring transitions, partner with Mercades Benz again, and you have yourself KDE Plasma in your car. 