By Amy Gilroy
General Motors’ (NYSE:GM) OnStar officially answered the question we’ve been asking for months now. It has sold 20,000 retail FMV mirrors to date since the launch this summer. The company is also planning a second version of the mirror that brings OnStar to almost any vehicle, and it plans to expand distribution of the mirror in the next 2-3 months.
Beyond that, OnStar is providing few details on distribution or what the second generation FMV might look like.
The company said it saw a spike in sales around Christmas, and concludes that the mirror is definitely a “gifting item,” said a spokesman. The company also lowered the price of the mirror during the holiday season to about $199, from $299.
OnStar also offers an app called RemoteLink with remote start from a phone, door lock/unlock and other features such tire pressure and oil levels. The app works with some GM models now and is rapidly migrating to new platforms. OnStar announced it opened up the API for the app so third parties can develop new applications for OnStar. A first to do so is RelayRides, a car sharing service.
RelayRides lets you use a “neighbor’s” car for a small fee (instead of renting a car). If the person “renting out” his car through RelayRides has a GM car with OnStar’s RemoteLink, he can use the app to lock and unlock the doors for the person renting the car. RemoteLink works on Android phones and the Apple iPhone.
Source: OnStar
Amy Gilroy is the Editor of CEoutlook and a Contributing Author to Market Playground and Satellite Radio Playground.
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