Google Plus OnStar Equals Connected Chevy Volt

By David Thomas

May 18, 2010

General Motors’ OnStar — best known for vehicle telematics — is partnering with Google to develop mobile apps for the upcoming Chevy Volt. The company had already announced the app itself, but now it will tie in Google Maps with OnStar’s Turn-by-Turn Navigation system.

It sounds like an odd pairing, considering that Google’s Android smartphone operating system has a pretty darn good turn-by-turn navigation program, which we reviewed here. Instead, users can plug in a destination on their Android phone before getting in the car, and the app will send the directions to OnStar, which will then direct drivers with voice and visual prompts once they’re in the Volt.

The Volt app will have charge status, mileage broken down by gas and/or electric power, remote start and other features still being developed.

[Source: GM]