If you read our recent article on Fiat’s move to install an on-board espresso maker into the 500L, you might be thinking that automakers have run out of A-List ideas of vehicle options to improve sales. Well, we’re happy to announce that GM has not moved to the B-List yet.
GM rocked the Chicago Auto show in 1996 with the introduction of OnStar, an on-board device that promised automatic crash response, roadside assistance, stolen vehicle tracking, and turn-by-turn navigation. What’s more, absentminded drivers no longer needed to call a locksmith if they locked their pesky keys in in their vehicle; OnStar could unlock it remotely. Pretty innovative for the late 90s.
Since then GM has made several significant improvements on their OnStar system, but nothing that has brought the product back into the limelight it had in the late 90's. Their latest improvement for OnStar just might be a winner. It not only might help sell more GM vehicles, it could pay for them as well. Recently, GM has entered into a partnership with RelayRides, a peer-to-peer car-sharing marketplace (think Airbnb meets ZipCar). The partners have created a mobile app that integrates with Onstar’s API to connect prospective renters with GM owners that are looking to make some money by renting their vehicle out.
How it works
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Developers will receive access to Manufacturer General Motor's OnStar API which is called ATOMS (advanced telematics operating system) sometime in the first half of 2012. OnStar president Linda Marshall described the consumer benefits in terms of functionality comparable to computers, smartphones and tablets as a response to the growth in the mobile applications market for Android and iOS platforms.
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