Tag Archives: OnStar

Chevy Volt EcoHub app tells drivers how little they pay to charge, goads them into staying green (video)

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Chevy Volt EcoHub app tells drivers how little they're paying to charge video

GM's OnStar team would really like us to stay on the electric side of the Chevy Volt's powertrain as much as possible. That's the selling point, after all. Rather than simply preach green driving and hope for the best, the division is testing a new EcoHub app that reminds Volt drivers just how miserly their plug-in hybrids can be. Qualifying owners who opt in or subscribe to OnStar have the Volt's energy usage costs compared to their home's total electricity bill, showing how much cheaper it can be to avoid the gas pump. There's more if money isn't enough of a motivator -- the app also builds in a counter that estimates how much gas Volt drivers are saving nationwide. The eco-friendly ego boost is currently limited to Android users participating in Pecan Street's smart grid project in Austin, but long-term plans have the app reaching iOS and all Volt fans eager to justify their ride.

Continue reading Chevy Volt EcoHub app tells drivers how little they pay to charge, goads them into staying green (video)

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Chevy Volt EcoHub app tells drivers how little they pay to charge, goads them into staying green (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 05 Oct 2012 23:53:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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RelayRides and OnStar Make It Easy for GM Owners to Rent Their Car

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RelayRides and OnStar have announced a partnership that will help owners of GM vehicles equipped with OnStar rent out their cars when the car isn't being used. RelayRides uses an app to let people...

OnStar seals partnership with RelayRides, makes renting out your car even easier (hands-on video)

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OnStar seals partnership with RelayRides, makes renting your car even easier

Remember that partnership between OnStar and RelayRides we wrote about last March? Well it's finally coming to fruition today, with the peer-to-peer car sharing service launching support for remote door unlocking via OnStar's proprietary API. As a result, RelayRides members with OnStar-enabled vehicles no longer have to exchange keys in person if they so choose. Another benefit is that participants can list their automobile on RelayRides directly from their OnStar account -- renters then benefit from the added safety and security that comes with OnStar.

We had the chance to test an early version of the functionality on a Chevy Volt at SXSW a few months ago and it worked pretty much as advertised. There was a bit of a delay between the time we sent the unlock command from RelayRides' website on the demo iPad and the moment the doors actually unlocked on the car, but we're told this has been significantly improved since our hands-on. Of course, RelayRides also supports remote unlocking via text message. Take a look at the galleries below then hit the break for our hands-on video, RelayRides' video and OnStar's PR.

Gallery: RelayRides with OnStar hands-on

Gallery: RelayRides with OnStar PR

Continue reading OnStar seals partnership with RelayRides, makes renting out your car even easier (hands-on video)

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OnStar seals partnership with RelayRides, makes renting out your car even easier (hands-on video) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 17 Jul 2012 07:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Mobile Miscellany: week of May 21st, 2012

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Mobile Miscellany: week of May 21st, 2012

Not all mobile news is destined for the front page, but if you're like us and really want to know what's going on, then you've come to the right place. This past week, it was revealed that the HTC EVO 4G LTE likely supports simultaneous voice and data connections on Sprint's network, Samsung's Galaxy Ace 2 landed at Three in the UK and Vertu revealed a refresh to its Constellation series of luxury phones. These stories and more await after the break. So buy the ticket and take the ride as we explore the "best of the rest" for this week of May 21st, 2012.

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Mobile Miscellany: week of May 21st, 2012 originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 26 May 2012 21:45:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Engadget interview: OnStar’s Nick Pudar talks smart grids at CTIA 2012 (video)

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The Engadget interview: OnStar's Nick Pudar talks smart grids at CTIA 2012 (video)

While visiting the Innovation Showcase at CTIA 2012, we ran into Nick Pudar -- OnStar's VP of Business Development -- who was kind enough to give us a few minutes of his time. We sat in the LTE Skype-enabled Chevy Volt on display and discussed such topics as OnStar FMV, RelayRides and smart grids -- wherein power utilities can (with the customer's consent) send a signal to a vehicle to control when it charges. The idea is to allows utilities to maximize grid efficiency and minimize power spikes while giving customers options for when to charge the vehicle -- like when the rates are the lowest or when the power generated is coming from renewable energy, for example. Pretty neat stuff, eh? Watch our video interview for all the (pardon the pun) juicy details.

The Engadget interview: OnStar's Nick Pudar talks smart grids at CTIA 2012 (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 12 May 2012 10:07:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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