C8J

As other threads have mentioned/ discussed, OTA updates (and whatever) may become or require a monthly/yearly subscription. This link discusses how it's being implemented in GM'S overall strategy and specifically in the link with GM'S electric vehicles current and future. Just like requiring fees for baggage on airline travel, extra for home deliveries with UPS, it is required for the companies to do their job, but they charge their loyal customer base anyway for items they have no business charging for. GM is just looking at another revenue stream - even if it has nothing to do directly with their products. New forms of greed are ever increasing. How long before it hits the C8. It along with others are going to be partially or fully electric.

https://www.cnn.com/2023/04/01/busin...evs/index.html

johnodrake

Mixed emotions for me. I don't use Car Play on the C8 and it isn't on my AMG. Wife will likely be pissed though; she uses it all the time on her Benz. At my age, the likelihood of me buying a new car in 2035 is almost nil.

Vetteman Jack

I would agree - just another revenue stream for the car manufacturers.

RKCRLR

I see a market for tablet mounts in cars for people that want to run apps that the system doesn't allow or don't want to pay for the subscription. (I'm assuming this isn't an April 1st joke)

C8J

No it's not April fools joke.
I do use my cell phone as a mobile hot spot (for secure wifi) and connect my laptop to it when traveling in my RV, but unfortunately the C8 doesn't have enough room to do so. The last part is an April fools joke, but not the not enough room.

tsigwing

GM going to TRY to generate revenue from subscriptions.

They certainly won't get any of my money, or business if this becomes mandatory in the future.

RKCRLR

I had read somewhere (don't remember where but it was on the internet so take it with grain of salt) that GM's long term model is to have people have a lease subscription to vehicle fleets. You don't own the vehicle, you call up when you need a ride and a driverless vehicle shows up at your door.

papillion

According to GM CEO Mary Barra, the automaker hopes to generate $20 billion to $25 billion in annual revenue from subscriptions by the 2030 calendar year.

Sign of the times.

Chemdawg99

@Bold and underlined...

Hope is not a strategy. I very highly doubt this plan will work out as people are not going to pay for updates to a product they already own in order for the product to remain functional or maintain the functions already purchased. The market will decide if such a thing will generate profit.

aaronj_76

It's already taking place for some OEMs, and the latest super cruise, which I like, is subscription based after a certain time period, similar to On Star. The way that Netflix and all of these other subscription based services make money, why not try. We really can't be mad at GM or any other company for trying to add value for themselves or their shareholder. What we can do is either participate or don't. Consumers have a major voice, we just don't always use it. I'm an engineer in automotive, so I may be biased, but software updates and attempts at revenue from subscription based services is where the market is headed. We'll see how it goes.

But I'm in Michigan, please don't charge me for heated seats or steering wheels! . In all seriousness, safety items will NOT be subscription based...mainly comfort items that are optional today.

C8J

I may agree with you re Cars, but not the people statement. people are already purchasing and using software on their computer that is renewable yearly, .. vs owning it outright. MS Office, Antivirus, ....

Korbek

Eh, I turned down OTA updates and have no intention of ever doing one, or even letting dealer install any updates. Dont use onstar, android auto, or apple carplay.

Its a scummy potential practice, but it wont affect me.

Red Mist Rulz

So is every other car company. Some are already doing it.

sshallen

I hate this.

Here's what CarPlay means to me.

Sixty seconds after I start the vehicle, my Lexus, Mercedes, Corvette, other vehicles all present the same infotainment/navigation look and feel.

Now it will be back to learning how each manufacturer chooses to implement all these controls. Back to madness.

Deus_Meridius

This. I'm an Apple user and perfectly happy with Carplay. Now GM and Google will build some unusable, frustrating POS. I won't be paying for it.

Chemdawg99

My comment about people not paying for updates to things in order to maintain their functionality is only really relevant to cars. Computers are not driven on public roads and are considerably more expensive than a computer, though you make a good point.

I will worry about such things when happen and cross that bridge when I come to it.

Avanti

Just like Musk's notorious "blue check marks"

Spitfire Mk1

And they will be tracking every movement with the car to create more individualize advertising. i also see links to insurance companies to monitor usage and driving habits. All will be up in the cloud.

jerhofer

Every Tesla owner pays a fee to access factory updates, updated map info, etc. As mentioned above, many of us are paying fees to services like Microsoft Office.

What upset me the most is the discontinuance of Apple Car Play. I absolutely love it. So much so, that I changed out the radios in my motorhome and my 2017 Jeep Cherokee (which we pull behind the motorhome) so I could have Car Play. I too like having the same interface in multiple cars and I really like using Apple Maps for navigation. One thing they do that I haven't found in any other navigation app is to show every stop sign and stop light on the screen when a destination is selected. It makes it so much easier to navigate in new locations. The visual and audio prompts make it much easier to turn at the correct intersection. The Audio prompt will commonly say, "Drive through this stoplight and turn at the next stoplight." This is invaluable information when driving the motorhome, as making a wrong turn in it can be difficult to correct.

The navigation maps in my Tesla Model 3 are excellent but do not have this function. Waze is the best app for choosing alternate directions when there is a traffic situation ahead, but I don't like their graphics. So, when we are traveling in the motorhome, I run Car Play on my dash radio while my wife runs Waze on her phone.