This week has been a very news worthy week in the connected car space. News stories included the first deployment of 4G LTE in US cars, trade shows, a new research center and liability issues.
GM OnStar 4G LTE Priced
GM finally announced the pricing for its 4G LTE Wi-Fi hotspot for up to seven devices, coming first to the Chevy Malibu in June. To add on to an AT&T share plan it will coast $10 a month. Monthly options through On Star starting at $5 per month for 200MB for OnStar subscribers and $10 a month for subscribers. 1GB is $15 a month for subscribers and $20 per nonsubscribers. 3GB is $30 and 5GB is $50 a month with or without a subscription.
A yearly bucket of 10GB costs $150 for subscribers and $200 for nonsubscribers.
The announcement came without a compatible app shop. GM announced app partnerships with sever apps at CES but has delayed the launch of the AppShop in 2015 models.
First 4G LTE Connected Car on Sale in USA
Audi started selling the the Audi A3 with and option of 4G LTE access with the MMI navigation package.
Connected Car Expo Coming to LA LA Land
We’re excited about what will being on at the Connected Car Expo at the LA Auto Show this November. There is a stellar cast of board members who promise exciting content. We’ve heard from staff members that the board met in Santa Monica this week and are planning a better app-building contest than last year’s FASTPITCH that offered a prize worth $40,000.
California E-Power Here I Come
The State of California may be the best state for hybrid and electric cars, because the the University of California Riverside is testing infrastructure and solar charging to make it work. This is different from the University of Michigan that is researching autonomous cars.
What’s Liable for Connected Cars on Auto Pilot?
There’s good news and bad news for driverless cars. Volvo will insure its auto-piloted vehicles. Insurance companies haven’t been able to figure out how to set driverless car insurance rates and no one knows what will happen if the autonomous network goes down. It may all have to be decided in US courts.