Google has significantly increased the footprint of its Android Auto in-vehicle infotainment (IVI) system this week by expanding the platform into 18 additional countries, as part of its update to version 1.6. Android Auto launched back in June 2014, when it was originally available in 11 countries, and the latest release brings its total presence to 29 countries. This expansion is largely in South America, but also includes a handful of European countries and, most notably, the booming car industries of India, Brazil, and Russia. The majority of cars manufactured in these markets won’t initially be Android Auto compatible, but this is likely to increase over the next several years with the growth in production of cars featuring IVI systems,…