In a speech Thursday, General Motors CEO Dan Akerson said most GM cars by 2015 will include 4G Internet access and he called the car “the next major technology platform.”
GM announced in February that many cars starting in 2014 will offer 4G service through OnStar. Akerson’s speech in Boston underscored the car maker’s aggressive timeline to bring the service to the majority of its cars.
Why? Because the use of smartphones and tablets in cars is now a “megatrend.”
J.D. Power & Associates says more than two thirds of car buyers own a smartphone but Akerson says that number will quickly rise to ALL car buyers and it wants to harness the demand for connected devices in the car.
4G service could help tell drivers when they need a new battery so they aren’t stranded. Or it might allow drivers to place an order at Dunkin Donuts and pay for it so its easy and quick to swing by and pick it up.
GM said it wants to do a better job at satisfying the demand for connectivity than any other car maker.
Earlier this month it announced it will make remote start from a smartphone a standard feature many 2014 cars as a free service for a five year period.
GM said people use their smartphones or tablets more than 2.5 hours per day on average and they drive for 15 hours a week.
“Marry the two and you have a megatrend that we intend to harness for competitive advantage,” Akerson said.
Source: Detroit News, Reuters via Yahoo News