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Buick's Wildcat concept shows how the brand is approaching EVs
Buick has unveiled its first concept EV, the Wildcat, and plans to deliver its first production EV in 2024.
GM plans to exclusively sell electric vehicles by 2035
GM has unveiled plans to exclusively sell electric vehicles by 2035, dropping combustion cars entirely.
Alexa is coming to newer GM vehicles in 2020
The US's largest automaker is about to add Alexa to its vehicles. Starting in the first half of 2020, General Motors plans to update 2018 and newer Chevrolet, Buick, GMC and Cadilac model cars, trucks and crossovers to feature the digital assistant. The automaker says the rollout marks the biggest auto-related expansion of Alexa to date.
Google Assistant and Maps are coming to GM vehicles in 2021
GM and Google are working to bring a voice assistant, embedded navigation and in-vehicle apps to Chevrolet, Buick, GMC and Cadillac vehicles beginning in 2021. The companies announced the partnership today, and according to GM, it plans to eventually roll the tech out in all vehicle brands.
Buick adds Yelp Reservations to its car dashboards
Until Buick lets you order coffee and fuel with your voice, you'll have to stick to using your digits. The brand launched its Marketplace app for its in-car infotainment system late last year and it's been adding new services ever since. Yelp Reservations is the latest to make the cut, allowing you to book a table at thousands of restaurants up and down the country.
Buick Marketplace adds in-dash fuel payments for Exxon
General Motors is giving customers in the US the ability to pay for gas at Exxon and Mobil stations from within their infotainment systems, and it's starting with Buick vehicles. Today, the automaker is rolling out a Marketplace update for Buicks that have access to it, which will add Exxon Mobil as one of its partner brands. It works like the in-dash fuel payment system GM-owned Chevy launched for Shell stations back in April: fire up the in-vehicle commerce platform, tap the Exxon Mobil icon and choose the Pay for Fuel option. You'll also need to type in the pump number to unlock it, but it doesn't get more complicated than that.
All Cadillacs will have semi-autonomous features starting in 2020
Every model Cadillac sells will be available with semi-autonomous features starting in 2020. The luxury automaker's Super Cruise system for hands-free highway driving will be available across its entire model line in two years; currently, it's exclusive to the CT6 sedan. After 2020, the feature will make its way to other GM lines including Chevrolet, Buick and GMC, according to TechCrunch.
Buick's offroad EV concept boasts an ambitious 370-mile range
Buick, a brand not known for adventurous styling, has unveiled an electric concept that, dare I say, actually looks cool. The Enspire crossover is like the love child of a Camaro SS and Cadillac XT5, but it's more about what's under the hood, or wherever they put electric motors and batteries. It packs a 410kW electric powertrain that can take it to 60 mph in four seconds, and a battery that will last up to 370 miles -- pretty ambitious specs, even for a concept that will never be built.
GM thinks you'll buy stuff through your car's dashboard
As more cars roll off production lines with WiFi and LTE capabilities as standard, brands are falling over themselves to find ways to monetize this connectivity. Jaguar and Shell have partnered for in-car fuel payments, while BMW and Ford are bringing Alexa to your dashboard. Now, General Motors (GM) has unveiled a new on-board marketplace where drivers can buy coffee and gas, and make restaurant and hotel reservations, without getting out of their car.
Apple lists the cars that can wirelessly charge your iPhone
Sure, you know that most wireless charging pads will top up the iPhone 8 or iPhone X, but what about the pad in your car? That's a little more complicated, but Apple is willing to help out. It just posted a list of manufacturers whose vehicles can charge the latest crop of iPhones, and it's mostly good news... mostly. Audi, BMW, Chrysler, Ford, Honda, Mercedes-Benz, Toyota, Volkswagen, Volvo and the PSA group (Citroen, DS, Peugeot, Opel and Vauxhall) all have cars that will charge at least the iPhone 8 (and likely X), and can charge the 8 Plus if there's enough room. Be careful if you're a GM fan, though, as you'll have to be extra-picky about your driving machine.
Buick and GMC vehicles will support Android Auto and CarPlay
If you prefer to drive big honking Buick sedans and GMC trucks, you won't have to give up a phone-savvy infotainment system for the privilege. Both Apple's CarPlay and Google's Android Auto are coming to the Buick and GMC lineups, starting with the 2016 model year. CarPlay will arrive first, beginning with Buick's LaCrosse and Regal as well as GMC's Canyon, Sierra and Yukon. The Android option will show up some time later in the model year. Between this and similar moves from Cadillac and Chevy, you won't have to be fussy about your choice of cars or smartphones -- so long as you like GM's brands in the first place, you'll be taken care of.
GM wants voice-controlled cars that learn what you really mean
Voice control is easy to find in cars, but it's not always intuitive. You often have to use specific syntax, which might be hard to remember when you're barreling down the highway. GM may have a smarter approach in store, though. The Wall Street Journal understands that the automaker is working with machine learning firm VocalIQ on an "advanced voice-control system" that would let you control navigation, wipers and other car components in a more intuitive way.
Button TrackR extends Indiegogo campaign: never leave your coat or keys behind again
Way back in November, TUAW first covered the Wallet TrackR campaign on Indiegogo. That initial campaign offered a device that could be slipped into your wallet or jacket, and that used Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) to ensure long battery life and easy iOS integration. Originally scheduled to ship in April, units are just now getting ready for delivery. CEO Chris Herbert tells TUAW that the delay was unavoidable and frustrating. The first samples Phone Halo received from the manufacturer did not pass their quality assurance standards, so the company had to go a few more rounds before they could begin their mass production run. The units are currently in shipment from China and should be sent out to the original purchasers by the end of the month. Even as they were working to fulfill their initial crowd funding effort, their second foray into personal item tracking was well underway. Their new product Button TrackR streamlines Bluetooth Low Energy tracking even further. Units are smaller, use just one battery, and are (frankly) better looking and more portable. Button TrackR was built using the same technology that powered Wallet TrackR but this second generation uses miniaturized circuitry that enabled Phone Halo to fit it into a much smaller form factor. Customer feedback helped drive a fundamental redesign that makes it easier to stick the unit onto things -- such as remote controls. It ships with 3M double-sided semi-permanent sticky tape in the package. A new attachment hole enables you to attach a loop (also provided in the package) to connect the TrackR to your keychain or even to bracelets to put on your kids and pets. When I first tested the Wallet version of the device back in November, my family fell in love with it. Its beep-to-locate feature means you can find your keys even if they fall into cracks in the couch (and yes, my kids pushed items down there just to make sure during testing). Even better than that, you can set up the software to alert you if you walk away from items that have been left behind -- this was a godsend for items like coats at restaurants, specifically items you don't normally hold in your pocket or backpack. The Bluetooth LE feature means this functionality works even if the Phone Halo app is running directly in the foreground, and best of all, it's super energy efficient, so you won't kill your batteries if you use this tech. Now with Button TrackR, a new crowd-sourcing recovery system plays an even bigger role. Although your phone remembers the last-tracked location of your lost item, many customers want to find items that have gone out of range from their phones. The challenge is getting the lost item in touch with devices that could help send its location back to you. "So we thought, what if other people could help you find your lost stuff for you," Chris Herbert explained. "What we did is update the software so that a lost device starts broadcasting a pre-registered unique ID stored in a cloud database. When other people with our app move near the tracker, the Bluetooth LE on their device can pick up that broadcast and will send those GPS coordinates to our company." The Phone Halo system associates that device ID and coordinates with your account, and sends the location data to you. "This provides an almost live GPS tracking stream for all your lost items without a subscription like other device providers might charge," said Herbert. Worried about privacy? The "call home" signal never activates so long as the device stays in contact with its primary phone. It only starts broadcasting after an hour. What's more, the Wallet TrackR owners who are helping you out will never know anything about your details, your device, or any location. That information is sent invisibly and encrypted for privacy. Want to pick up a device or ten for yourself? Head on over to Indiegogo and place your order. Originally established with a $15,000 goal, Button TrackR has now raised almost a quarter of a million dollars. The developers kindly extended the campaign to the end of the month specifically at TUAW's request. You can pick up a single tracker for $25, two for $40 or if you want to go crazy, the best value for most consumers is going to be 10 devices for $95. The units should ship in August, but given the company's insistence on high quality controls please allow a little extra time for them to get things exactly right.
AT&T LTE coming to GM's 2015 fleet
Ready to trade your old car in for a shiny new mobile hotspot? AT&T and GM are using the international platform that is Mobile World Congress to announce a partnership that'll bring the carrier's LTE network to "millions of cars" under the Chevrolet, Buick, GMC and Cadillac umbrellas. The rollout is set to hit the 2015 models due out in 2014 in the US and Canada. The partnership with GM-owned OnStar will bring AT&T connectivity to a variety of services, including safety, diagnostics, infotainment and safety -- the carrier's president of emerging enterprises and partnerships, Glenn Lurie, told us that the latter was a chief concern for his company. "First and foremost is making the car safer," he explained, referencing the company's "It Can Wait," anti-driving-while-texting campaign. Such will certainly be a concern when the company realizes its dreams of turning GM vehicles into mobile hotspots. Details of the partnership are forthcoming, though Lurie insists that AT&T will be "working on every aspect of what's going into the vehicle," including opening up SDKs and APIs for developers in an attempt to, "futureproof the car for things to come." As far as futureproofing after market vehicles, Lurie says, "we are working and looking at all opportunities in the after market space. We are absolutely working with partners on the after market." More info from GM and AT&T can be had after the break. Daniel Cooper contributed to this report.
Buick, GMC getting IntelliLink smartphone connectivity
Back in February, General Motors debuted its MyLink smartphone integration for the Chevy Volt and Equinox on the Engadget Show, letting drivers control their iOS, Android, and BlackBerry smartphone apps via voice or touchscreen. The company announced today that it will be offering the same technology -- albeit rebranded as the tongue-twisting IntelliLink -- on several 2012 Buick and GMC models, including the Buick LaCrosse, Regal, Verano, and the GMC Terrain. IntelliLink offers up a fairly similar feature set as its Chevy counterpart -- connecting to iPhones and Android handsets via Bluetooth or USB, and leveraging Nuance voice recognition and Gracenote databases to control the likes of Pandora and Stitcher Radio. Autoblog reports that IntelliLink will hit the Buick Verano first, followed by the LaCrosse and Regal, though you might be more interested in the Terrain -- owners will also be able to control their vehicle's rear-view camera with IntelliLink, and who doesn't like manipulating megapixels in the name of pedestrian safety?
GM extends OnStar smartphone control to 14 more vehicles
Once solely slated for the Chevy Volt, the OnStar MyLink smartphone app has gained considerable ground -- last July, GM expanded the iPhone and Android remote domination over your horn, door locks, and real-time data to every 2011 automobile, and now it's reaching back through time to activate fourteen vehicles from 2010. As you'd expect, that's mostly a smattering of SUVs and crossovers like the Cadillac Escalade, Buick Enclave, GMC Yukon and Chevy Avalanche, though the Impala will also get the goods, and if you live in the lap of low-end luxury, you may be able to listen to Facebook updates on your 2010 Cadillac DTS or Buick Lucerne. Find the full list of compatible vehicles at our source link.
OnStar partners with Verizon to bring LTE 4G to your rear view (video)
We're lucky to be bathed in warm, refreshing 4G waves while reporting live from Vegas, Sprint and Clearwire taking care of that. Verizon's catching up in a big way with its LTE rollout and now OnStar is onboard -- conceptually, anyway. The company has outfitted a Buick LaCrosse with a 4G LTE modem for the purpose of experimenting with what can be done in a car with that kind of bandwidth. It wouldn't have been our choice of cars for such application, Buick not exactly screaming "hot new thing" at this point, but of course it's not really about the car, it's about the bandwidth. What are they going to do with it? High-def streaming both ways, for one thing, including the ability to watch home security cameras from within the car or, alternatively, to look at cameras within the car when it's parked in the night, in an alley, somewhere you're having second thoughts about. OnStar wants real-time streaming of traffic cameras and even Skype video chat, which sounds like overkill to us, but don't let us rain on your crazy mobile video chat parade. At this point we're not sure how much of this stuff will find its way into a proper car of the future (Buick or other), but you can get a bit of a taste in the video teaser below. %Gallery-112620%
GM's new crash test dummies can say 'ouch!' 10,000 times a second
General Motors may have gone through a teeny tiny bankruptcy problem, but that doesn't mean it's behind the times. The American motor maker's just unveiled its latest crash test dummies -- or anthropomorphic testing devices, to give them their highfalutin title -- which are capable of beaming out status reports 10,000 times per second. Equipped with 70 to 80 sensors each, the new family of test devices spans a wide range of potential passengers, from fully grown males to toddlers, though it is slightly disappointing to see they all have washboard abs and perfect posture. Come now, GM, we'd hardly call a race of perfectly sculpted drones that can speak fast enough to converse with a hummingbird representative. Video and the full press release can be found after the break.
Google Maps Send-To-Car feature goes live on Ford SYNC systems
Avid OnStar users received this here functionality a fortnight ago, and BMW owners have been bragging about it for years. But it looks as if the world's other automakers are finally coming around to one of life's undeniable facts: Google Maps is top-notch, and in almost every instance, trumps whatever factory mapping system that any given consumer has overpaid for. Today, drivers of Ford, Lincoln and Mercury vehicles in the US enabled with Ford SYNC can send business listings or addresses found on GMaps directly to their cars (from a web browser, naturally). With the new additions, Google's Send-To-Car feature is now active in 19 countries and across 20 brands, but we're guessing that your brand isn't one of them. Or maybe that's just us moping and looking for company.
GM to offer $500 Autonet Mobile WiFi option in select vehicles
First came Cadillac (naturally), and now some of General Motors' other remaining brands are finally scratching the WiFi itch. Beginning next month, Buick, Cadillac, GMC and Chevrolet dealers will all begin offering up Autonet Mobile's $499 WiFi router as a dealer-installed option, though it's on you to pony up the $29 (or more) it takes to get said device online month in and month out. As always, you'll also get a docking station to take it from one GM vehicle to another, though (at least initially) it'll only be offered in SUVs, crossovers and trucks, which are whips most likely to be used by internet-addicted families. 'Course, those looking to do a little retrofitting need only head to gmextras.com to snap one up themselves, but don't say you heard it from us. [Via Autoblog]
