GM's OnStar may link with Google's Android

GM's OnStar may link with Google's Android
Journal says Shawn Wright
Automotive News -- May 13, 2010 - 4:26 pm ET

DETROIT -- General Motors Co. and Google Inc. are discussing a deal that would link cell phones using Google's Android operating system with the automaker's OnStar driver information service, the Wall Street Journal reported today in its print edition.

Users of Android-based smartphones will likely be able to use OnStar features from their phone while not in their car, according to the newspaper. Under one scenario, users could get information about their vehicle's maintenance needs through the Android phone.

The Chevrolet Volt,GM's upcoming plug-in electric vehicle, could use the technology to help an owner keep track of the car's battery charge from a distance, the paper said.

This partnership is another indication of how electronics and in-car information systems are becoming a key battleground for carmakers that are used to competing on horsepower and mileage, according to the Journal.