General Motors’ OnStar division and wireless provider Verizon Wireless have unveiled a new Chevrolet Volt concept vehicle showing off the firms’ second-generation in-vehicle infotainment system.
Unveiled earlier today at the 2012 International Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, the Volt concept uses Verizon’s latest 4G LTE high-speed network, allowing passengers to access streaming content. The concept builds on the first-generation research vehicle that debuted at the 2011 CES.
The upgrade to Verizon’s 4G LTE network means the second-generation research vehicle is able to stream content from a user’s home computer or from anything other streaming service. Building on that streaming capability, OnStar has also developed a new system that allows for content sharing between vehicle passengers.
Rear-seat passengers benefit from an all-new dual-zone infotainment system. Thanks to the concept’s Human Machine Interface, each rear passenger has access to their own entertainment, whether that be cached content or streaming content like music, videos, games or news. Each rear passenger can also make individual calls via Skype.
“These applications are just a glimpse of what is possible when you combine the cloud computing capabilities of OnStar and the power of the Verizon 4G LTE network,†said OnStar President Linda Marshall. “Moving forward we want to continue to provide our customers with a comprehensive suite of connected services and create a seamless and safe in-vehicle experience.â€
GM says the features of the research vehicle are still in the conceptual stages, but a production version of the car’s tech isn’t too far out from production viability.
