GM follows Ford, brings Google Maps to OnStar eNav systems
By Darren Murph 
posted June 9th 2010 9:33AM
posted June 9th 2010 9:33AM
[Thanks, JL]
OnStar, Google Partner to Expand Turn-by-Turn Navigation
Subscribers Can Load Google Maps at Home and View via OnStar eNav
2010-06-08
Detroit - OnStar and Google have reached an agreement that will let OnStar users search for and identify destinations using Google Maps and send those destinations to the Turn-by-Turn Navigation Service in their vehicles.
OnStar eNav, a feature of Turn-by-Turn Navigation, will become available through Google Maps at the end of this month. Drivers can access the destinations whenever they choose and get OnStar Turn-by-Turn directions to the destination from wherever they are.
Turn-by-Turn Navigation is the most widely available built-in navigation system in the automotive market today.
"eNav is a perfect solution for subscribers who like the flexibility of being able to use Google Maps to plan their trips in advance, but without the hassle of bringing printed maps into the vehicle," said Nick Pudar, OnStar vice president of new business development.
"The eNav feature of our Turn-by-Turn service allows drivers to keep their eyes, hands and minds where they need to be – on the road," Pudar said. "And if they ever need help on the road, they can always just push the Blue OnStar Button to speak to a live advisor."
The Google Maps option will be available on all current Turn-by-Turn capable GM vehicles starting with the 2006 model year and also will integrate with OnStar Destination Download to send destinations directly to the vehicle's screen-based navigation system.
This follows last month's announcement in which OnStar and Google demonstrated mobile mapping and location functions for the Chevrolet Volt electric vehicle that leverage the Google Android platform.
For the 2011 model year, OnStar Directions and Connections service is standard on all OnStar-equipped, GM retail vehicles. General Motors is the only auto manufacturer to offer navigation standard across all price points and all vehicle segments. Since launch, OnStar has delivered more than 54 million Turn-by-Turn Navigation routes, currently averaging more than 1.4 million per month.
OnStar, the leading provider of in-vehicle safety, security and communication services, also announced today that it has been honored with the Best Use of Telemetric Technology in the Public Sector award at the Telemetric Update conference in Detroit.
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About General Motors
General Motors, one of the world's largest automakers, traces its roots back to 1908. With its global headquarters in Detroit, GM employs 205, 000 people in every major region of the world and does business in some 140 countries. GM and its strategic partners produce cars and trucks in 34 countries, and sell and service these vehicles through the following brands: Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, GMC, GM Daewoo, Holden, Opel, Vauxhall and Wuling. GM's largest national market is the United States, followed by China, Brazil, Germany, the United Kingdom, Canada, and Italy. GM's OnStar subsidiary is the industry leader in vehicle safety, security and information services. General Motors acquired operations from General Motors Corporation on July 10, 2009, and references to prior periods in this and other press materials refer to operations of the old General Motors Corporation. More information on the new General Motors can be found at www.gm.com.
About OnStar
OnStar, a wholly-owned subsidiary of General Motors, is the leading provider of in-vehicle safety, security and communication services. OnStar is available on more than 30 MY 2010 GM models. OnStar is standard for one year on nearly all new GM retail vehicles in the United States and Canada. OnStar provides services to more than 5.5 million subscribers in the U.S. and Canada. Shanghai OnStar Telematics Co. Ltd., a joint venture between OnStar, LLC, Shanghai Automotive Industry Sales Co., Ltd. and Shanghai General Motors, provides services in China. More information about OnStar can be found at www.onstar.com. OnStar Stolen Vehicle Slowdown is a recipient of the 2010 Edison Award for Best New Product in the technology category.
GM and the rest of the American automakers can go to debtors prison.
@NoOrdinaryMSFT
While I can completely understand your post in regard to GM and to a lesser degree Chrysler how can you lump Ford in there?
@NoOrdinaryMSFT
Wow, why so angry?
First point, only 2 of the 3 automakers took federal funds. Ford stayed free and clear of all that mess, so quit generalizing.
Second point, letting GM and Chrysler go into bankruptcy and restructuring using federal funds saved countless jobs in the US, not to mention the world stage. I would rather see the line workers keep their jobs so they can buy consumer goods vs loosing their jobs, not having any money to spend and drive the economy further into the tank.
Third point, (which applies to second point) a great deal of the funds that were given to GM and Chrysler are paid back already and when they both start their IPO's the Gov't will be out of the auto industry and have been paid back even more.
@Pacey
+1 for explaining the bigger picture to idiots
@Pacey Actually what I'd rather see is American car companies making cars in AMERICA!, it amazes me to see Kia making a plant in Georgia, and Volkswagen making another in Tenessee, while Ford builds the North American car of the year (Ford Fusion Hybrid) in Mexico. And GM builds their Cadillac SRX in Mexico too? While all of the German, Japanese and S. Korean makers make better cars right here. I really don't get it.
@Pacey
Had GM and Chrysler gone through normal bankruptcy procedures, they would have come out leaner and more competitive companies instead of their bloated, business as usual selves. Plus their shareholders would not have gotten totally screwed. As far as paying back federal loans, what a joke. The infinitessimal amount they've paid back was with OTHER federal loan money and they're STILL in the hole for 30 billion that we will NEVER see.
@brenro
The problem with letting them go through 'normal' bankruptcy proceedings would have most likely resulted in countless thousands being laid off and the plants grinding to a halt. I don't think people realize really how many people the auto industry directly employs as well as indirectly through suppliers. If even 1/4 to 1/2 of them had been laid off, its tens to hundreds of millions of dollars monthly that would have been removed from the economy.
@rstoplabe14
I'd love to see that as well, the problem is that it's been made cheaper to manufacture products in foreign countries by laws passed here in the US which increase price per piece as well as incentives in foreign countries to being our manufacturing to their country.
There was a time where we actually BUILT things in this country. A strong manufacturing base is a requirement to having a strong country and a strong middle class. As US manufacturing has been shipped off to foreign countries our middle class has been suffering. It's remarkably frustrating that the middle class only exists because foreign industry has filled the holes left by US manufacturing leaving.
@brenro Well, if the UAW didn't perpetually try to take more than they deserved, the American companies might be tempted to actually build cars here. When a union screws you for years and years and nearly drives you to bankruptcy, I can see why there would be no love lost and the car companies would rather build in different countries.
@bluesolace
Agreed, but look who owns a majority of GM now.
@Pacey
I know that many governments have interests in their larger corporations to prevent just such a scenario but come on, GM has been losing market share for 40 years due to poor management and all the bailout has accomplished is to let these nimrods go right on doing what they've already failed at. Are we going to continually bail this overblown behemoth out every time it's business model fails? GM management's snail-like pace to change is legendary. Had we really effected some change at the top, I'd have more faith in the billions of OUR tax dollars doing some good but I remain skeptical.
@Pacey
You seem to think bailout money grows on trees. Money that was used to keep these money pits alive will/does come from taxes, which means less private investment, which means fewer jobs. And because that bailout money had to go through the extremely wasteful hand of government first, it means that far more jobs are lost than saved. Keeping that failed company alive COST jobs.
@Pacey Ford received billions from the government for "retooling to make more efficient vehicles". Which is something that is part of their normal business. So Ford definitely took government money.
Of course, Chrysler and GM took a lot more than Ford.
@rstoplabe14 @Pacey
Pacey, of course your argument is right. It's cheaper for american manufactures to produce in Mexico. But as rstoplabe14 pointed out all the german and japanese brands have built their factories in the US. Not in Mexico. So what does that say about GM, Chrysler and Co.?
@rstoplabe14
You point out 2 cars that are assembled elsewhere, but studies have shown the domestic automaker use a higher percentage of parts that come from the US and a higher percentage of cars are assemble here in the US.
On top of that you point about quality is completely wrong, Ford's quality is consistently rated at or above all other automakers and GM has been climbing considerably in the last few years. Chrysler still has a way to go, but they have definitely made good strides in the past 2 years.
@Pacey "Ford received billions from the government for "retooling to make more efficient vehicles". Which is something that is part of their normal business. So Ford definitely took government money.
Of course, Chrysler and GM took a lot more than Ford."
You are skewing the facts. Ford (and Nissan and Tesla) received energy loans to develop green/fuel cell technology. These are loans, with low interest rates that have to be paid back (by the end of 2013 if I remember correct). So Ford in no way received a handout of any sort. In fact, they were the first was to receive the low-interest rate loan because they did not get bailed out.
@SpartanOLP
I only pointed out the tip of the iceberg because i did not want to write an essay. But if you must, ill give you one more. The Chevrolet Camaro ( 5th Generation) has become quite an example of the new GM, They proudly show it off on their new commercials. But the hidden part of that is where it came from. The cars i pointed out before, were made in Mexico, but designed in the US. But the new Camaro is by no stretch an American car. Most of the final design, testing, and engineering of the great muscle car was completed by Holden (Owned by GM) in AUSTRALIA! and the car is assembled by Oshawa Car Assembly in Canada!. Therefore the car is not American. There used to be a time when people said. "Whats good for GM is good for the US" and look at where that led us.
Also, this "American Quality" is kind of how my dad pays the bills. If he did not have to fix so many cars, the vast majority American
Oh, and one last thing. When I had to take my VW GLI in for some body work after a teen drove into me in the parking lot my insurance company gave me a Chevy Cobalt. That car was a big POS, sluggish, and really bad fit and finish. Not only that, then they gave me a Ford Fusion, and while driving on the expressway, the steering and suspension was a joke. and those were new cars, the one that they keep saying are SO much better. Thats when I stopped believing.
@SpartanOLP
That wasn't me. I was the one who said Ford didn't take loans.
@SeeKo
The German and Japanese manufacturers don't have to deal with the Unions in most of their plants. That's where the major difference in costs comes from. If GM, Ford, and Chrysler were building cars in most of the same place they'd have to deal with additional union costs and yes, I'm aware certain southern states don't have union laws and that the US auto industry could move there, but I think Detroit might be a tad pissed. Being that I'm from Detroit, the last thing I want to see is more jobs leave the state.
Still won't let me subscribe to Onstar... unless they bring the cost down by a lot
@TheTabe
*make me (not let me)
Either way, this crap took way too long.. its 2010, this crap should be standard in every new car.. whats a GPS device, $150? Get with it.
@html5FLOP
I agree, looks like they have a nice 90's display fail.
GM needs to make this service free of charge, the Google maps thing I mean. If they don't Ford will be able to push that you can use Google maps free of charge in their cars, a nice selling point.
Never actually see a GM car in real life. Seen a lots of fords though , drove a friends ford focus RS a while back , it was nice. This seems like a good feature to have in cars (for those who really need it) , but how much is a OnStar subscription ?.
@IMarius
Did you just say you're never SEEN a GM car?! Or you saying you've never seen the navigation features in a GM? The nav is OK in GM... Cars without a nav screen show you the directions on the radio display (arrows, road names, etc) and give you the audible directions). You can currently send a route to GM Nav from MapQuest...
Onstar is over $34/month with the Nav feature... Not worth it IMO. I wish they would let me subscribe to just nav and not the other onstar features (for a low cost or FREE).
Are they going to recall these as well?
@Mr Pips
Recalls happen for every automaker, from Kia to Cadillac. It's when you try and bury the defects and DON'T recall a product to repair something faulty that people get upset.
Meh, I got Google Maps on my iTouch, no biggie.
Who would ever buy a car from Government Motors? Screw the thieves.
GM = Going Mobile
It's about time they did that. Kudos to Ford for leading the way though.
Do you see the aesthetics of the radio in that picture? This is why I cannot buy American yet...
@smakus That is actually a very nice radio. Have one in my Saturn Aura. Nothing like 36 preset radio stations.
It would help if some of GM's vehicles *cough Chevy Colorado cough* didn't have dashboards from 1992.
When I had to go from Toronto to NYC, I rented a 2010 Chevy Impala. It was one of the worst cars i've driven. It accelerated like a turtle (lots of noise though), the pedals were stiff as a rock, handling was like on a big boat. Not to mention the cheapnes of materials used for the interior.
I have an '09 Malibu LTZ and love it... To each their own I guess.
GM, I think you mean yardS.