FEATURE Story:
General Motors claims it is first to offer in-car purchases from the dashboard.
It launched Tuesday an in-the-dash app called Marketplace that will let drivers pay for their morning coffee, gas and other goods using the touchscreen on the radio.
The Marketplace technology will be uploaded starting now to almost 2 million vehicles (model year 2017 and later) that are equipped with 4G capability. About 4 million vehicles across many GM brands will have the capability for the system by the end of 2018.
Dunkin Donuts is an initial participant and Starbucks will join the program in early 2018. Other initial partners are Shell, ExxonMobil, Wingstop, Priceline.com, Parkopedia, Applebee’s, IHOP and Delivery.com.
Drivers can order food, and make dinner reservations. They may also schedule oil changes and other maintenance services.
“The average American spends 46 minutes per day on the road driving,” said GM executive Santiago Chamorro. He added that, “Marketplace is the first of a suite of new personalization features that we will roll out over the next 12 to 18 months to nearly four million U.S. drivers.”
The Marketplace system, developed with IBM, is especially designed to operate while people are driving, using machine learning and drawing on the driver’s past digital history.
BMW by contrast is working with Amazon’s Alexa for in-car shopping.
Source: General Motors, Automotive News, Reuters
WOW I cannot wait to get rear ended by someone ordering coffee and donuts or lipstick !!!!!
We are over the top with the acceptance of this nonsense. Its dangerous and not necessary. In the quest for profits, the car manufacturers are selling our safety away.