Audi team up with NVIDIA for stuffing cool tech in hot cars.

At 2011 Consumer Electronics Show (CES), Vegas, Audi chairman Rupert Stadler said that mobile tech is going to play a major role in future driving, the way we drive and making it safer.

"These technologies have the potential to change the way we drive, making you safer in every driving situation," said Stadler.

For this, Audi has team up with e solution from Finland, to develop a software for it's in-car hardware platform, the Modular Infotainment System(MIS).

With this tech, Audi hopes to stop accidents caused by distraction due to mobile phones and electronic gadgets used by a normal pedestrians.

Audi with NVIDIA to develop, low-power, high-performance graphics. Stadler invited NVIDIA CEO Jen-Hsun Huang on stage and showed off next-generation dashboard controls rendered using 3D graphics rather than physical dials and gears. Audi is using NVIDIA's just announced Tegra 2 processor in its new A8.

Stadler also showed off the new Audi A7's full-color heads-up display and predicted further innovation in the way information is presented to drivers.

Via: [Information Week]

Android penetrates into car stereos

Mobile Electronic provider from French, Parrot has announced two stereos for cars. So whats special in that ??? This Car stereos work on Android OS.

At CES, Vegas, Parrot unveiled a pair of devices named, the Parrot Asteroid, and the Parrot Asteroid Touch.

The Asteroid is a single-DIN model, has USB slots for both a GPS receiver and a 3G dongle. There's also a third USB key to connect to an optionsal USB key, a dedicated iPod USB port, a MP3 audio jack, and an SD card reader which are located on the rear of the device. There is a rotary dial with a push button controls, 3.2-inch TFT color display, which detaches via a faceplate.

It is expected to have voice recognition, navigation, dialing contacts and much more what an android can do its upto you.

Where as The Parrot Asteroid Touch spotted with 4.3-inch touchscreen, with a different interface and is in still developing stage.

Via: [Android Plaza]
Src: [PC Mag]

Ratan Tata invests $15 million in a research facility, aimed to power car by simple water.

Recently, in a press conference convened by the Chemical Research Society of India, revealed the dream of Tata Group Chairman Ratan Tata.

Ratan Tata's dream is to see cars fueled by only water, simply water which may be toilet water, sea water or drinking water. In order to make it happen soon, he has invested USD 15 million in a start-up firm supporting research in the field, carried out by an eminent scientist from Massechusetts Institute of Technology in the US.

The scientist, friend of Prof C N R Rao who is chairman of the Scientific Advisory Council to the Prime Minister said that he(scientist) has found a way to split water directly into hydrogen and oxygen.

- PTI Inputs

Scientist develop a device that won't let motorists fall asleep

Do you know that approx 300,000 people die in road accident that occurs to sleepy driving.

Now, this can be prevented. Scientists from Germany have developed a device to prevent motorists from falling asleep.

Developed at the Fraunhofer Institute in Germany, It is a system which involves tiny cameras that monitor eye movements which trigger an alarm when drivers seem about to nod off.

Cameras are set up to follow the line of vision even when the driver's head moves left or right, reports the Daily Mail.

Utilising up to six dashboard-mounted cameras with compact three to four mm lenses, the system processes up to 200 images per second to detect sleepiness using parameters like line of vision and eyelid position, irrespective of the position of the driver's head.

The system is called 'Eye Tracker' and could be in the market as early as the end of next year.

The alarm can either come in the form of flashing lights or a bell or siren, or even a vibrator on the steering wheel, and can be adapted to any car on the market.

Its testing is due to start January, 2011 and scientists hope it will be ready for sale by December at around 100 pounds a unit.

- IANS Inputs

Src: [NDTV]

Magic Sky Control roof in Mercedes-Benz SLK turns invisible(transparent) with touch of button

New year Mercedes will showcase its new SLK model with a Unique sky roof touch. This new sky roof, at the touch of a button it can be made either transparent or darkened.

In transparent mode it will offer an open-air experience during cold weather, while in darkened mode it will afford a haven of shade and prevent the interior from heating up in direct sunlight.

Mercedes-Benz will be the first auto maker to offer the new glass roof called the panoramic vario-roof with MAGIC SKY CONTROL as an optional extra in the new SLK next year.

This innovative glass shields against the sun’s rays far more effectively than conventional thermal insulation glass or sunblinds, there giving the user max climatic comfort .

The operating principle is based on the physics of a plate condenser: if the glass structure is subjected to an electrical voltage, particles in the structure position themselves so that light is able to pass through the glass. If the voltage remains switched off, however, the particles position themselves randomly. This partially blocks the light, and the glass remains dark. The control unit and converter are integrated into the front section of the roof, and the switch is in the overhead control console.

The panoramic vario-roof with MAGIC SKY CONTROL will be available to order as an optional extra for less than 2000 euros.

Source: emercedesbenz

Instead of calling a cabbie, now you can call your own car to pick you up.[Video]

Researchers from Berlin's Free University (FU) has unveiled a new concept of self-driving car technology - an autonomous vehicle named "MadeInGermany" (MIG).

Team lead by Raul Rojas came up with the system of self driving concept by combining the smartphone or even an iPad if you have one with Global positioning system integration reveals the caller's location to the car, which then works out the best route and tells the passenger how long it will take it to get there.

Raul Roja's team say their invention will support environmentally friendly developments by making car-sharing more practical.

Optimal use of the technology could see the number of cars in Berlin reduced to one-fifth of their current number, they say.

"With an ordinary mobile multimedia device (iPad) the driver can access all the on-board electronics," a spokesman said. "This opens up entirely new possibilities for operating the vehicle, far beyond the previous ideas of remote control."

Drivers who suddenly decide they want to steer the vehicle via an iPad can turn the automatic technology off and take control themselves.

The MIG uses sensor technology to create a three-dimensional image of the street on the car's computer so that the car is able to detect bikes, pedestrians, road markings and signs.



- Reuters Input

BMW-iPad bond caught at 2010 Paris Motor Show

On going Auto show in Paris had gain some electronic-automotive importance. The auto enthusiast has witnessed something new in this year auto show. German Automaker BMW had showcased its car integrated with apple's iPad at the back of the front seat.

Photo courtesy: autospies.com

Virginia-based company bags $ 5 Million Automotive X Prize.

As a result of encouragement of developing high efficient cars, Automotive X competition was held.

Virginia-based company has developed a ultralight, gas-powered car . It was made of lightweight materials with good Aerodynamically design to reduce the opposing force from the wind and its very low production cost.

The contest was held to develop highly efficient, production-ready vehicles.

Lynchburg, Va.-based Edison2 won $5 million for its "Very Light Car No. 98."

The car can get 102 miles per gallon. It seats four and is built on a steel frame of mostly aluminum parts.


Edison2 founder Oliver Kuttner says some of the prize money will go into development of the next generation light car.

All of the winners are now eligible for a U.S. Department of Energy program that will help ready the vehicles for introduction to the U.S. market.

- AP inputs

Avion drove 1,400 miles journey without refuelling

Craig Henderson of Bellingham, Washington, made a home-built car with his friend Bill Green which he planned to drive from the Canadian border to the Mexican border without stopping for fuel.

The car is named as Avion had completed the voyage, after using only 12.4 gallons of fuel, at an average of 119.1 miles per gallon.

This thing earned them a place in the Guinness Book of World Records in 1986 during a similar drive from Canada to Mexico at an average 103.7 miles per gallon.

Avion in French is for airplane.The car body is made of fiberglass exterior and gullwing-style doors that swing up and out from the body.

Avion is powered by a 3-cylinder diesel engine from a Smart Fortwo is mounted behind the passenger compartment. Power is delivered to the rear wheels using a 6-speed semi-automatic transmission. It has a capacity for 2 adults.

The total driving time took 29 hours and 28 minutes. Stops were made for food and rest, but never fuel.

"People gave lots of thumbs-up and cellphones were out snapping pictures," Mr. Henderson said. The only hiccup came almost within site of the finish, during a grueling traffic jam in San Diego. "I was thinking, this won't work if I crash," Mr. Henderson said.

Two years ago he drove the car, a slightly updated version (he enlarged the gas tank from 10 gallons to 17) of the original Avion, at an average of 113.1 miles per gallon from the Canadian border to the Oregon line. But with corporate sponsorship from Goodyear that got him new tires, Mr. Henderson's ambitions turned back to a run along the length of the West Coast.

"It's great to get a sponsor to help do this," he said.

Mr. Henderson says work has already begun on a second Avion.

- NYTime Input

Saab Auto in talk with other Carmakers to share its Tech in order to reduce it's on going crisis

Saab Automobile, the  Swedish car manufacturer  is talk with three car makers to share its technology in an effort to cut model-development costs and cement its recovery from near collapse, the head of the manufacturer's parent company said.

“We've had discussions with three carmakers,” Spyker Cars NV Chief Executive Officer Victor Muller said today in an interview. The company wants an industrial partner to invest technology and cash in an updated version of Saab's classic 92-model compact car of the 1950s, he said.


Muller, speaking after Spyker announced a wider first-half loss stemming from its purchase of Saab from General Motors Co. in February, declined to identify potential partners, citing non-disclosure agreements.

- Bloomberg Inputs

An Android app named State Farm, texts while you drive.

State Farm Insurance Company is updating its application for Android with a widget that will do your texting for you, sort of. The On the Move widget is essentially an SMS auto-responder that will intercept incoming text messages and automatically reply with a response.

After loading the app, users are able to compose and save their automated responses. Although the widget is primarily designed for use while in a moving vehicle, multiple responses can be saved and used for different situations or moods.


Similar auto-response widgets can be found as part of the free Vlingo voice and MotoSpeak applications for Android. State Farm does not have analogous widgets or functionality for the iPhone or Blackberry versions of its app, but states that its "development team is currently evaluating options beyond the Android offering."

The State Farm Pocket Agent app is compatible with devices running Android OS 1.5 or higher and is currently available as a free download in the Android Market or on State Farm's website.

Download the app

Source: androidplaza.blogspot

Ford advances EV battery testing with wireless monitoring systems.

Ford has ambitious plans for several upcoming zero-emission vehicle fleet launches including the Transit Connect Electric, in North America in late 2010 and in Europe in 2011, and the Focus Electric passenger car in North America in 2011 and Europe in 2012.

In an effort to make the new electric fleets more efficient, the company today said it is using the Internet and wireless technology to test advanced lithium ion battery systems, collect real-time performance data and make software updates.

Engineers use two monitoring methods to collect data from batteries in the lab and in the field via a secure Internet server, and wirelessly update system software. These methods have reduced test-fleet downtime and allowed Ford to more than double its battery lab-testing capability, the company said in a news release.


Ford researchers are conducting rigorous lifecycle tests of new lithium ion battery systems to evaluate the technology's ability to recharge under a broad range of environmental conditions, including state of charge (from empty to full), battery age (from new to old) and environmental temperatures (from freezing cold to scorching hot). As engineers learn how lithium ion's material properties perform under extreme conditions, they can better create control algorithms that will assist in charging the batteries without decreasing the life if the batteries.

"Remote monitoring allows us to access real-time data and make continuous improvements very quickly," said Sherif Marakby, Ford director, Electrification Program and Engineering. "This degree of efficiency would have been unthinkable a few years ago and will help Ford bring more fuel-efficient, low-emission vehicles to market more quickly than ever before."

Source: Cnet

Audi 2010 A8 sedans get mobile hotspot

2010 Audi A8 will be the first vehicle to get factory-installed mobile hotspot, Marvell and Harman announced Monday.

The companies have come together to bring a built-in WLAN module to the car that enables high-speed online and Internet access via cellular link or Bluetooth. The 802.11 (WPA2) hotspot will support up to eight devices, including smartphones, laptops, tablets, and portable gaming devices.

"I believe today's consumers want the convenience of seamless connectivity and live content whenever and wherever they choose--whether in the home, office, classroom or automobile...finally, the car is connected to the rest of our lives," said Weili Dai, Marvell co-founder and vice president and general manager of the consumer and computing business unit.

PRESS RELEASE

Irvine and Santa Clara, Calif. (Aug 9, 2010) Marvell (Nasdaq: MRVL), a worldwide leader in integrated silicon solutions, and HARMAN, the global automotive audio and infotainment leader (NYSE: HAR), today announced they are enabling automakers to offer integrated Wi-Fi connectivity via award-winning Marvell® Mobile Hotspot (MMH™) technology. The 2010 Audi A8 is the first automobile on the market to feature a factory-installed mobile hotspot, representing a significant milestone for in-car Internet technology. The 2010 Audi A8 with MMH technology is now available in Europe.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20100719/SF36559LOGO-b)

(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20100719/SF36559LOGO-b)

Marvell and Harman Automotive integrated MMH technology into the Audi vehicle through a built-in WLAN module, enabling high speed online and internet access via cellular link or Bluetooth connected mobile devices. The MMH technology implements a full-featured, WLAN access point integrated entirely on the wireless chip. The technology integrated into Harman connectivity system realizes a full-featured local Wi-Fi mobile hotspot within the vehicle, giving passengers access to Web-based services. Up to eight devices can be supported, from Smartphones to high-performance tablets and other advanced mobile devices like Wi-Fi enabled digital cameras, laptops and portable gaming devices.

"I believe today's consumers want the convenience of seamless connectivity and live content whenever and wherever they choose -- whether in the home, office, classroom or automobile. Marvell is proud to be the industry driver of this new 'connected mobility' revolution," said Weili Dai, Marvell's Co-founder and Vice President and General Manager of the Consumer and Computing Business Unit. "Harman's solution for the Audi A8 sedan is a perfect example of using Marvell's live, always-on technology to bring the car fully into the broader connected ecosystem. Marvell's connectivity technologies transform the car into a mobile office and entertainment center, making accessible everything from productivity tools to passenger gaming and live media experiences. Finally, the car is connected to the rest of our lives."

"We are pleased to partner with Marvell in extending a key component of the mobile office concept to our customers through this milestone application," said Sachin Lawande, Harman Chief Technology Officer and Co-President, Automotive. "We are committed to providing a comprehensive in-car experience in cooperation with leading automakers, and the mobile Wi-Fi innovation takes this to a new level."

Marvell's unique Wi-Fi software architecture is optimized for extremely low power consumption on battery-powered consumer electronics, enabling passengers to connect to the vehicle's network without affecting the battery life of their connected devices. MMH technology provides a secure Internet connection with standard 802.11 WPA2 authentication and data encryption mechanisms.

About Marvell

Marvell is a world leader in the development of storage, communications, and consumer silicon solutions. Marvell's diverse product portfolio includes switching, transceiver, communications controller, wireless, and storage solutions that power the entire communications infrastructure including enterprise, metro, home, and storage networking. As used in this release, the term "Marvell" refers to Marvell Technology Group Ltd. and its subsidiaries. For more information, visit http://www.marvell.com.

About Harman

HARMAN (www.harman.com) designs, manufactures and markets a wide range of audio and infotainment solutions for the automotive, consumer and professional markets -- supported by 15 leading brands including AKG®, Harman Kardon®, Infinity®, JBL®, Lexicon® and Mark Levinson®. The Company is admired by audiophiles across multiple generations and supports leading professional entertainers and the venues where they perform. More than 20 million automobiles on the road today are equipped with HARMAN audio and infotainment systems. HARMAN has a workforce of about 11,000 people across Americas, Europe and Asia, and reported sales of 3.2 billion for the last twelve months ended March 31, 2010. The Company's shares are traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol NYSE:HAR.

Marvell and the M logo are registered trademarks of Marvell and/or its affiliates. MMH is trademark of Marvell and/or its affiliates. Other names and brands may be claimed as the property of others.

Have some extra bucks ? It cost you just £7,200 for a carwash :D

One Guy for UK Gurcharn Sahota charges a staggering £7,200 for Britain’s most expensive car wash which he does – from his PARENTS’ GARAGE.

Car-nut Gurcharn, 30, has a string of celebrity clients and takes up to 250 HOURS to clean each motor.

He has cleaned hundreds of dream machines including a Lamborghini Gallardo , Bugatti Veyron and an orange McLaren F1 GTR worth £5 million.

Since he started the business five years ago he has travelled the world with his hi-tech kit which includes a microscope, 100 cleaning fluids and £8,200 car wax.

Gurcharn charges customers up to £7,200 for a wash which includes polishing and buffing every inch of the car inside and out – FIVE times.

He even uses a computerised microscope – normally used by forensic scientists – to examine the body work for the minutest scratch not even visible to the naked eye.

Started his passion for cleaning by washing his neighbours’ cars with a bucket and a sponge – for FREE.

He said: ”When I was younger I washed neighbours’ cars and my dad’s car whenever I could.

”They never paid me, I loved it so much I did it for free.

”Things have built up from there and now I’m cleaning some of the fastest, most powerful sports cars in the world.

He built a Formula 1-style pit for scrubbing the underneath of cars and layered the entire workshop floor and walls with specialist tiles imported from Italy which help reflect flecks of dirt on the cars.
After spending hundreds of hours cleaning by hand he uses a £5,000 computerised microscope which examines the car for blotches and scratches.

Gurcharn studied accountancy at university but practiced in his friend’s body workshop in Birmingham.

He moved home to start his car detailing business ‘Elite Detailing’ cleaning cars in his mum and dad’s garage.

Rich drivers flocked from hundreds of miles away to his mum’s garage to have their motors’ body work cleaned.

His customers, have even flown Gurcharn as far away as Jordan, Germany, Monaco and Brussels for his services.

He travels with up to 100 different cleaning fluids that need special clearance at customs. The wax alone he uses costs a cool £8,200 a tub.

Source: swns

China To Build Ginormous Buses That Cars Can Drive Under .[VIDEO]

China's latest solution to its notorious traffic and road congestion combines the best features of subways and buses into a single mass-transportation vehicle that rides above traffic rather than in it. Or under it.

Eliminating the need to tunnel underground or build expensive bridges, these elevated buses straddle the road on rails and provide enough clearance for other vehicles on the road (except for large delivery trucks) to drive under. This strategy will allow the buses to travel faster than the speed of traffic without the need for dedicated lanes or structures.

Construction of 115 miles of track will begin in Beijing's Mentougou district.

Text by cnet.com

Nissan's AC system produces Vitamin C, hydrates your skin

Nissan is taking it Climate Control option to the Next Level. Nissan has developed technology that diffuses into the vehicle cabin breathable vitamin C that can supposedly help improve skin moisture.

Nissan has already implemented in the Fuga its "Forest AC" air conditioning system, which aims to recreate the breezes, temperature, humidity, and aroma of natural forests, and the carmaker is taking its environmental optimization to the next level with its new Advanced Climate Control System. The system enables the occupants to control the temperature, Plasmacluster Ions generator, and the grape polyphenol clean air filter, according to a Dailymail.

Designed by Sharp, the system's highly concentrated Plasmacluster Ions are used to reduce airborne bacteria and mold levels; control odors; and deactivate allergens in the air, and recently research has reportedly shown that they help keep the skin naturally moisturized. The system also uses sensors to detect other noxious odors from farms or factories outside and automatically switches the ventilation system.

Evatran powers brings the concept of wireless recharging of cars.

The future of wireless recharging of cars soon to be real. The concept of  Evatran  "hands free" electric-vehicle charging station from Evatran powers nearby vehicles wirelessly, eliminating the need to recharge your cars manually.

The Plugless Power charging station, introduced this week at the Plug-In 2010 conference in San Jose, Calif., uses electromagnetic induction to deliver power to an electric vehicle's battery within its proximity. The station consists of a model-specific vehicle adapter that's mounted onto the car and a charging station with a floor-mounted magnetic charging block close to where the driver parks.

The wireless charging station is about 10 percent less efficient than charging stations that deliver power the old fashioned way with cords, Evatran says, but it charges in the same amount of time. To compensate for the increased energy loss during transfer, the Plugless Power uses slightly more energy.

But it is said to be cost effective. Evatran recently began customer trials near its headquarters in Wytheville, Va., and one participant who drives a Neighborhood Electric Vehicle (an electric vehicle that doesn't travel at speeds higher than 25 or 35 mph) rang up a $1.43 bill to charge a Zenn.

Evatran plans to begin producing the Plugless Power by early 2011.

Computer Driven Robot vans begins its 8k miles, Italy to China journey.

Now we can see the concept of Driven without human.Self-driving electric vans powered by VisLabs have begun an epic journey from Italy to China to demonstrate autonomous driving technology which will passing through extereme climate conditions of that of cold Siberia and the hot Gobi Desert.

The VisLab Intercontinental Autonomous Challenge began in front of the Milan Cathedral on Tuesday with a goal of traveling 8,000 miles to Shanghai by the end of October.

The two heavily modified Piaggio Porter Electric vans will play various roles en route to Shanghai. Both, however, carry technicians who take control when needed.

Team members will take control of the lead vehicle "every time a decision on the road has to be taken," according to the organizers, but it drives autonomously most of the time. The main function of the lead vehicle is to navigate, since there are no maps for some parts of the route.

The lead vehicle will send out GPS locations via radio that will be picked up by the follower van, which also uses its cameras and laser scanners to aid navigation and avoid obstacles like cars and people . Drivers will take control in emergency situations.

The vans are topped with solar panels that power the computer processors, sensors, and driving actuators, but not the vans themselves, which retain their original electric power systems.

The vans have a top speed of 37 mph and are expected to drive only four hours a day due to recharging needs; the engineers will use gasoline generators if they can't find a power outlet in remote regions. A truck carrying alternate vans is part of the convoy.

Funded by a $2.3 million grant from the European Research Council, engineers at VisLab, part of the University of Parma, are leading the odyssey to determine conditions that cause autonomous driving technology to fail.

A recent demonstration in which the vans entered a congested traffic circle resulted in a communication breakdown between the vehicles, forcing manual driving, according to an Associated Press article.

The expedition is expected to collect about 100 terabytes of data on vehicle performance. The organizers want to test self-driving vehicles in more complex and extreme environments than those used in the DARPA Grand Challenge of 2005 and the DARPA Urban Challenge of 2007. VisLab participated in both through the TerraMax autonomous trucks.

Some of the tech developed from the trek to China could go into self-driving farming and mining vehicles under cooperation between VisLab and heavy machinery maker Caterpillar.

To my chagrin, it seems VisLab director Alberto Broggi believes driverless vehicles are still 20 years away. I'm still waiting for that day when I can play a car racing video game while cruising down the highway in my robot car. I saw it once on "Knight Rider."

You can track the vehicle progress here.

Src: [Cars-Cnet]

Couple charged for GM's Hybrid Tech Theft, tried to sell to Chinese Co.

Yu Chin and his wife Sanshan Du of Troy, Mich., have been charged with, among other things, unauthorized possession of trade secrets and wire fraud.

According to the charges, from December 2003 to May 2006 Du conspired to obtain trade secrets about the automaker's hybrid vehicle technologies and passed that information to her husband who used it for the couple's own company, Millennium Technology International (MTI).

MTI later entered into a business venture to provide hybrid technology to the Chinese automaker Chery Automobile, a company that is a competitor of GM's in China.

In May 2006, the couple drove to a dumpster behind a grocery store where they discarded bags of shredded documents related to the case, authorities charge.

GM estimates the stolen information to be worth about $40 million, according to an announcement from U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Michigan.

"We cooperated with the U.S. attorney's office in developing the case and will continue to cooperate with them as appropriate," GM spokesman Tom Wilkinson said.

Src: [CNN]

GM to integrate Smartphones with Cars from 2011 Models.

General Motors with the help of OnStar had developed an application which let the drivers of most 2011 General Motors vehicles will be able to use a smartphone to carry out functions usually found on a key fob such as remote starting, activating the horn and lights, and remote locking and unlocking of doors.

This application is also available to Chevrolet, Cadillac, Buick and GMC that can be controlled on Apple's iPhone and phones using Google's Android operating system.

This technology was announced by GM 22-July-2010.

Using a mobile phone means vehicle features can be controlled regardless of the driver's distance from the car. For instance, a traveler who forgets to lock the car at the airport can send a locking signal from inside the terminal.

In addition to controlling vehicle functions, OnStar subscribers will be able to get diagnostic information on their phones, such as the fuel-tank level, remaining oil life, recommended tire pressure and average mile per gallon driven.

Src: GM Press Release

PRESS RELEASE

OnStar Expands Mobile App Technology Availability

Soon Available for 2011 Chevrolet, Cadillac, Buick and GMC vehicles
2010-07-22

Detroit – Owners of most new 2011 Chevrolet, Cadillac, Buick and GMC vehicles will soon be able to control key vehicle functions from their smart phones, thanks to the power of OnStar.

Chevrolet, Cadillac, Buick and GMC are leveraging OnStar technology to develop the most robust mobile applications on the market for new vehicle owners. Each of the brand-specific apps will allow owners to activate all of the functions available on a traditional vehicle key fob – remote start, horn and lights and door lock/unlock – securely from their smartphones. This means drivers will no longer have to be within a requisite distance, or even have their keys with them, to control these functions on their vehicles.

"Giving our customers control of their vehicles with smart phone application technology is a key advantage of OnStar's in-vehicle connectivity," said Chris Preuss, OnStar president. “This technology empowers drivers to make decisions about their travels well before they enter the vehicle, meaning their full attention can stay where it needs to be – on the road ahead.”

For example, say someone is racing to catch a flight and realizes at the gate that he forgot to lock his vehicle. OnStar’s mobile app technology allows him to log into his Chevrolet, Cadillac, Buick or GMC app, enter his custom PIN and send a remote lock signal to his vehicle, giving him the peace of mind to go on with his trip knowing his vehicle is secure.

Or, for example, a family attending a baseball game on a hot summer day could remotely start their vehicle as they are leaving the ballpark, so the vehicle is cooled to a comfortable temperature by the time they reach it.

In addition, the Chevrolet, Cadillac, Buick and GMC apps will leverage OnStar’s unique connection to the vehicle to provide key diagnostic information, including fuel tank level and range, remaining oil life, current and recommended tire pressure and lifetime average miles per gallon . The diagnostic information is current as of the last vehicle start, giving OnStar subscribers an up-to-date health report of their vehicle anytime they need it.

Important vehicle information, such as current odometer reading, vehicle VIN and OnStar account number also will be readily accessible within the apps upon secure login. And should OnStar subscribers need assistance with something that the mobile apps don’t provide, they can one-touch dial to specially trained advisors, who are available to assist customers 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

The OnStar mobile app services will be available to millions of drivers of the vast majority of vehicles in the 2011 Chevrolet, Cadillac, Buick and GMC portfolios, including the just-launched Chevrolet Cruze and Cadillac CTS Coupe, and are currently functional on the iPhone and Android systems. The Chevrolet, Cadillac, Buick and GMC mobile applications will offer a variety of other features tailored specifically for each brand’s customers that will be revealed in totality when the brands begin bringing their apps to market in the months ahead.

“We’re working aggressively to bring the Chevrolet, Cadillac, Buick and GMC applications to market as soon as possible,” says Joel Ewanick, vice president, GM Marketing. “Because we know that each brand’s customers have different tastes, wants and needs, the apps will be very specifically tailored to offer them the services they value most, leveraging these innovative OnStar features as a compelling mutual foundation.”

OnStar and Chevrolet announced the auto industry’s first working smartphone application for the Chevrolet Volt at the 2010 Consumer Electronics Show. The Volt mobile application is a unique app that will be available to customers in tandem with the launch of the vehicle, as previously announced.

###

About General Motors

General Motors, one of the world’s largest automakers, traces its roots back to 1908.  With its global headquarters in Detroit, GM employs 205,000 people in every major region of the world and does business in some 157 countries.  GM and its strategic partners produce cars and trucks in 31 countries, and sell and service these vehicles through the following brands:  Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, GMC, Daewoo, Holden, Jiefang, Opel, Vauxhall and Wuling.  GM’s largest national market is the United States, followed by China, Brazil, Germany, the United Kingdom, Canada, and Italy.  GM’s OnStar subsidiary is the industry leader in vehicle safety, security and information services.  General Motors acquired operations from General Motors Corporation on July 10, 2009, and references to prior periods in this and other press materials refer to operations of the old General Motors Corporation.  More information on the new General Motors can be found at www.gm.com.

About OnStar

OnStar, a wholly-owned subsidiary of General Motors, is the leading provider of in-vehicle safety, security and communication services. OnStar is available on more than 30 MY 2010 GM models. OnStar provides services to more than 5.5 million subscribers in the U.S. and Canada. Shanghai OnStar Telematics Co. Ltd., a joint venture between OnStar, LLC, Shanghai Automotive Industry Sales Co., Ltd. and Shanghai General Motors, provides services in China. More information about OnStar can be found at www.onstar.com. OnStar Stolen Vehicle Slowdown is a recipient of the 2010 Edison Award for Best New Product in the technology category.