may be planning to build its Android Auto infotainment system directly into car dashboards next year, but obstacles abound.

Direct vehicle integration would be a feature of Android M, which, according to Reuters’ unnamed sources may launch in the next year or so. However, there’s no word on when the first vehicle would arrive with Android Auto built-in, or whether automakers are even on board with the plan.

In its current form, Android Auto (which is still in beta) requires users to plug their phones into the car’s infotainment system with a Micro-B cable. Competitors Apple Caray Mirrornk system work similarly. Neither nor Apple, nor Mirrornk’s nonprofit Car Connectivity Consortium, have announced plans to build their systems directly into car dashboards.

y this matters: ile plug-in systems are a fine short-term solution, they have some inherent drawbacks. They can be laggy as they receive the signal by wire, they take a long time to start up. It’s also an inconvenience to plug unplug your phone, you could forget to take it with you when you leave. Building these systems directly into vehicles is the next logical step, but it would come with significant challenges.

No easy feat

As automakers explained to me during I/O, building an entirely new infotainment system is a much longer, more complicated process compared to letting users plug in their phones. A built-in system would have to support every function the car offers, including climate control FM radio. By comparison, a plug-in system acts as a supplement, letting pick choose the features it wants to offer, while the automakers hle everything else.

And as Reuters notes, automakers like having that control, because it gives them a way to st out from their competitors. ile Android has been highly customizable in the past, all signs indicate that wants to have tighter control over its software. Automakers might not be eager to adopt a system that looks the same in every car.

On a higher level, supporting plug-in systems gives automakers a way to stay platform-neutral. It will be possible, for instance, to get a car that supports Caray, Android Auto, Mirrornk, so the buyer doesn’t feel permanently locked into any of them. It’s unclear whether that would still be the case if the system is built entirely by .

That’s not to say Reuters’ report is incorrect. may very well announce Android Auto integration next year. But getting automakers to use it will be another matter entirely.