Shanghai OnStar, the Chinese telematics division of General Motors’s OnStar unit, has announced the addition of a new service to its suite of offerings. Announced at Auto China 2014 in Beijing, the new service is called Traffic on Demand — and allows subscribers to obtain real-time traffic information without having to input text.
To obtain traffic info, subscribers would need to press the white OnStar button. From there, they can use the traffic information voice command to check on driving conditions on main roads, tunnels, and bridges. According to Shanghai OnStar, Traffic on Demand “represents a breakthrough in real-time road navigation and voice recognition”. It initially supports 22 Chinese cities and is updated every five minutes.
Traffic on Demand is made possible by an upgraded voice recognition system that also brings Weather Check and Dealer Promotional Information Query services.
As part of its series of announcements at Auto China 2014 in Beijing, Shanghai OnStar also announced a redesigned OnStar Mobile App as well as a new Vehicle Theft Alert service.
The GM Authority Take
Although the addition of the upgraded voice recognition system and the three new services is great for Chinese consumers and for GM/OnStar in China, we wonder if and/or when the services will become available in North American markets.
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