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by makestuff 1048 days ago
This sounds like someone is trying to empire build at GM to create their own version of carplay so they can be promoted.
4 comments

Imagine the pleasure in 3-4 years when your 130k car plays an advert on the main screen whenever you start your car, a "feature" that can only be disabled if you pay for the 20$/month premium GM+ package that includes GPS map updates and unlocks the sunroof.
How long until Waze-like "ads-when-stopped" show on your heads up display?

Or "I see you're navigating to McDonalds, would you rather go to Burger King and get half off your Whopper meal?"

This is more about having and being able to use the data collected from cars. Some auto execs have talked about being able to know your location and the music you're listening to there. Being able to bundle that data and use it is a way to make money.

The allure of money made via stalking and influence is hard to resist.

It is even worse than that - the CEO has this pipe dream that they are going to build a Netflix sized subscription business:

https://techcrunch.com/2021/10/06/gm-aims-to-build-netflix-s...

> “Our research indicates that with the right mix of compelling offerings, customers are willing to spend $135 per month on average for products and services,” said Wexler.

Assuming this is not a maintenance contract, who in their right mind will spend 135$ per month on "products and services" for their car?

Nobody

I think the CEO's gambit here is that she can keep the reality distortion field up long enough to land $100-150M in compensation by waving hands and saying the word AI.

This is the cross industry playbook, and I'm really tired of it.
Tesla FSD is $100/month, OnStar is $30-$50.
The phrase "people with more money than sense" comes to mind.
The same people willing to spend $130k on a SUV?
OnStar's been around so long, and people value it enough, that it's unreasonable to sneer about pipedreams.

Once you throw in Tesla-like subs for automation, etc., it's reasonable to make that a goal for 2030.

Does OnStar have that many paying subscribers? I know the cars come with X years of free service but are they really getting that many takers for years X+1 and beyond?
Feels like a quicker way to get fired tbh.