At the Connected Car Conference during CE Week Tuesday, General Motor’s new plans to offer remote start from a smartphone as a free service for 5 years, received a number of mentions.
On one panel, Tom Malone, President of Audiovox Electronics noted that GM’s plan shows the growing popularity of remote start in the car.
Following the panel Malone said that General Motor’s stance is something that car audio retailers can take advantage of. “Every dealer should say to the consumer coming in for remote start, ‘Look how General Motors is embracing the technology for smartphones. We can give you that same technology.’ What a great closer.”
To date, while remote start is immensely popular, remote start from a phone apps (with an accompanying in-car module) is still a “low percentage” of remote start sales, said Malone.
“It’s a big miss in our industry…Retailers could have a way higher attachment rate if they focus on it,” he said.
General Motors says remote start is the most often used feature for its OnStar RemoteLink app. It announced earlier this month plans to convert the feature to a free service, along with remote door/lock unlock, whether users subscribe to OnStar or not.
As for impacting the aftermarket Malone said GM’s service will bring more awareness of the smartphone app for remote start. At the same time it will limit the aftermarket opportunity on GM vehicles. “There’s pros and cons but there’s still a large opportunity for years to come for the aftermarket,” Malone said.
General Motors will begin offering its OnStar RemoteLink App with 5-years free service this summer as 2014 model year vehicles roll out. It will be offered on many car models that include OnStar.
At a GM press event Tuesday, GM’s Nick Pudar said, “We think this will help us sell cars. For somecustomers this is something they absolutely have to have. Others will discover it and won’t be able to live without it.”
bobbg,
I am not certain if your comments were in jest or serious BUT that is EXACTLY the kind of thinking that successful specialty retailers engage in. CREATING a new widget is what the special in specialty retailer means.
I can see a solar charged supplemental battery that warms the interior of the car and perhaps key engine components. This either by programed time or by remote activation. Then there would be no reason to run the car. Can you see the green claim in the advertising…?
I am working on it. You should be too. For sure there are several guys in the business who have the experience and know-how to make it work.
Ray Windsor
German Maestro
Nice Lets deplete the O-zone even more!
Everyone Start your Engines! Greenhouse gases here we come.
How about a remote start system that don’t use Gas to run a motor but is powered by the Sun!
I see this getting a huge demand real fast with the price of fuel today!
Congratulations are in order for the specialty retailer. He has created so much demand for the remote start category that the OE car manufacturers are responding by adding the remote start category with smart phone operation capability in many more new car models. That is a big deal.
It is however, now more important than ever for the specialty retailer to develop another focus to share with consumers. This is the life of the specialty retailer. Create demand for something that the consumer does not yet know about. Fill that demand profitably. Then the big guys (big box, Internet and car manufacturers) exploit this demand. This exploitation of demand dilutes the return to the specialty retailer. He must therefore create something else new for the consumer in order for the specialty retailer to remain relevant in and to the supply chain; suppliers through to consumers.
WELL DONE! It is important to KEEP UP the good work.
Ray Windsor
German Maestro
great. a retailer can hardly get decent tech support anyway on the newer cars. thanks gm.