General Motors is hoping to make a name for itself as an innovator following the release of its upcoming Chevrolet Volt plug-in electric car. To better compliment the car’s tech gadgetry, GM’s OnStart telematics unit has devised a new application that will allow Volt buyers to remotely control and monitor many of the vehicle’s functions via smartphones such as the Blackberry Storm, Apple iPhone, or Motorola Droid.
To show off all of the new capabilities that this application delivers, GM used the International Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas to host a demonstration. Among its functions includes scheduling or starting charging, building status reports on electricity levels, and even enables drivers to warm up the vehicle prior to getting inside. The application will also be able to send text messages to drivers to remind them to plug the Volt in.
Production for the Chevy Volt is scheduled to begin in California later this year and will be available by 2011. Thanks to its plug-in hybrid powertrain, the Volt will likely provide a very different ownership and driving experience compared to other hybrids on the market, but with OnStar’s new application the operation of this vehicle will be even more of a trendsetter.
As an OnStar product, the Volt’s smartphone application will also feature some of the same functions drivers have come to expect from OnStar, including getting emergency assistance, remote door looking and unlocking, and turning the lights on and off to help drivers find their vehicles. Eventually, this smartphone application may become used in other GM vehicles as well.
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