Your car is already the way you get where you’re going. Soon, it will make sure you’ll have something to do when you get there.
At the International Consumer Electronics Show, starting today in Las Vegas, General Motors (GM) will debut a few big additions to its OnStar services. The new feature, called “AtYourService,” will be able to hook drivers up with retailers, providing them with general information and sometimes deals and coupons.
It will also be able to make hotel reservations — which could come in useful if you’re on one of those road trips without a specific itinerary and you’re looking for a place to rest your head on relatively short notice.
Initial retail partners for the AtYourService include Dunkin’ Donuts (DNKN) and Priceline.com (PCLN). RetailMeNot and Entertainment Book will be providing the coupons, and Audiobooks.com will be providing audio book content. A new feature sure to please people who drive into unfamiliar cities with any frequency will be parking information provided by Parkopedia.
GM and other auto makers are all tinkering with ways to make their vehicles more “connected,” a range of features that has led to some experimentation among manufacturers as they angle to offer the right mix of real-time data often found on smartphones. Connected car services of all kinds have become standard on many new cars and trucks, according to Edmunds.com. Some of the features GM is touting, such as the parking information, have been featured in offerings by BMW and other auto makers.
Among the other OnStar features that will also be rolled out this summer — driver feedback.
Customers will be able to sign up for a service that tells them how they’re driving. If its good enough, users could be eligible for discounts through Progressive Insurance (PGR).
Correction, January 5, 2015: An earlier version of this story misstated the company that provides audiobooks for OnStar. It is Audiobooks.com, not Audible.com.
