GM Canada Adds Google Action That Can Start And Lock/Unlock Your Vehicle
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General Motors Canada has developed a new Google Action that will enable owners to control aspects of their vehicle using voice commands and a Google Assistant compatible device.
The new Google Action, available for certain Chevrolet, Buick, Cadillac and GMC vehicles, allows users to lock and unlock their vehicle, start and the engine and control other parameters using voice controls. All they have to do is say “Hey Google, ask Chevrolet to start my car,” for example, and the Google Action will do so. This could be useful if you think you have may forgotten to lock your vehicle, or if you send someone else out to grab something from your car.
The Google Action is compatible with all Google Assistant devices, such as an Android phone or Google Home, GM Canada says.
This feature uses the existing integrated OnStar system in GM vehicles, so owners who wish to take advantage of the new Google Action will have to have a pre-existing paid OnStar subscription. It is compatible with GM vehicles that are of the 2011 model year and newer. Customers will have to link their OnStar account with their Google account in order to enable these functions.
This is one of the many ways that GM Canada customers, and the modern day vehicle owner in general, can use various connected technologies to make car ownership a bit more straightforward. GM has even taken things a bit further, allowing owners to have Amazon packages delivered to their vehicles and developing shopping apps like the Dominos app for in-car pizza ordering, for example. Owners of new GM vehicles can also pay for gasoline at Shell stations through their in-car infotainment system.
Additionally, Cadillac recently announced its partnership with ParkWhiz, which gathers parking info from around the country and allows drivers to use an in-car app to locate and pay for parking in major metropolitan areas. We would not be surprised if the app’s availability extended to other GM cars in the future.
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I hope Siri integration is coming soon, too, for Mac, iPhone, and HomePod users. It would be really handy to precondition or unlock my car by talking to Siri. I’d also like to be able to do things like “charge now,” ask what my electric range is, ask when the car will be done charging, etc.
Google can pound salt. They don’t deserve any control over anything else.
What are the implications for this feature given the recent announcement to discontinue OnStar?
It’s just the handsfree calling they’re discontinuing.
Active Onstar Subscription required!
The increasing costs for what started as an INCLUDED reason to buy GM has become an “Additional Expense” reason to buy Something Else.