![]() ![]() Long journeys can be made more enjoyable by streaming music and films without worrying about mobile data charges, while the ability to use a laptop to work on the move is bound to appeal to business users. The wi-fi hotspot is a boon for smartphone and tablet users, both in terms of work and leisure. Vauxhall says a growing number of OnStar customers have been reunited with their cars thanks to the system, including cases where the vehicle had been taken abroad after being stolen. Similarly, if your car is stolen, OnStar can help the police track it down, as well as immobilising the engine as soon as it’s switched off. OnStar’s location service comes into its own in the event of a crash, automatically contacting the emergency services if the airbags deploy and pinpointing precisely where you are. If you’re worried about your children spending too much time on their electronic devices, though, a quick call to OnStar will see the wi-fi function switched off. OnStar also provides a wi-fi hotspot, allowing up to seven people in the car to connect their phone, laptop or tablet to the internet at once. If you car has sat nav, OnStar advisors are able to send route guidance to the system for you to see. All calls are answered in person, with the call handler knowing where you are and what model of car you’re in. Information on UK OnStar customers’ cars is sent to Vauxhall’s command centre in Luton. In essence, OnStar is a cross between an integrated smartphone, the ‘black box’ recorders fitted to airliners and a concierge service. It provides communication and GPS services and can also diagnose technical and maintenance issues with your car. OnStar was devised to make driving both safer and easier. Our sister publication, Auto Express, gave OnStar its Technology Award at the 2015 Auto Express New Car Awards. Take-up of the service in Europe was also successful: in the first nine months of its operation, over 300,000 calls have been made to the OnStar Command Centre, while 150,000 monthly diagnostic emails have been sent out. ![]() China is another important market for OnStar, with almost 25 million calls to the service made every month. OnStar has been available in the US for almost 20 years and has roughly seven million annual subscribers who push the blue OnStar button about five million times a month. For example, all new cars sold in the European Union from April 2018 are fitted with an ‘eCall’ system that will automatically contact the emergency services in the event of a crash. While Vauxhall is one of the first manufacturers to offer a service like this, OnStar is a form of ‘connected car’ technology that’s likely to become increasingly popular in the next few years. The third button is a privacy switch that deactivates your car’s GPS locator. One has a blue OnStar logo and is used to speak directly to an advisor should you need assistance a second red ‘SOS’ button can be pushed in an emergency, giving you a priority connection to an OnStar advisor who can contact the emergency services on your behalf. In cars with OnStar, the only additions you’ll notice are three small buttons above the rear-view mirror. OnStar provides a direct link between your car and Vauxhall, using the same GPS technology as sat navs and mobile phones. OnStar was first introduced in 2015, and in May 2018 Vauxhall announced it will cancel the service on 31 December 2020, with no new vehicles fitted with OnStar from January 2019.īut what exactly is it? How does it work? Why is it being turned off? Are there any implications for your privacy considering your car is so ‘connected’? Read on to find out all about it. ![]() Vauxhall’s OnStar is a concierge service that can help with technical queries, automatically alert the emergency services in the event of a crash and even help trace a stolen car. ![]()
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