Onstar, the GM subsidiary specializing in vehicle communications and navigation, is to launch its popular mobile app in China for owners of Onstar equipped vehicles.
The application will enable users to use their mobile phone to remotely start their car, unlock/lock doors, or turn lights on and off. The applications includes a number of other features such as diagnostic information, fuel and oil levels, and even tire pressure.
The Chinese market is especially attractive for a company like Onstar, but not just because of the incredible surge in car ownership in recent years. In a nation where new buildings and roads are constructed at a blistering pace, drivers appear to need navigation services far more often.
The company’s general manager in Shanghai told The Financial Times that Chinese users “are using our navigation service a lot, much more frequently than in the US.” According to that same report, some car makers in China are even providing software that lets drivers play poker, keep up with stocks, and manage social networks.
Of course you never want to be doing any of that while driving, but given the heavy traffic and frequent gridlock in some Chinese cities these days, I can certainly see a demand for things like that. Nevertheless I really hope drivers are careful about when they use their in-car tech.
Stay updated on the go with our mobile app.
Get latest insights with smoother, more personalized experience through TIA mobile app.
