GM taps Google for in-vehicle apps, voice assistant starting in 2021

General Motors plans to integrate Google for in-vehicle applications and technology across its brands starting in two years, the automaker announced Thursday.

GM said it will embed Google Assistant, Google Maps and in-vehicle applications available through the Google Play store to all compatible Chevrolet, Buick, GMC and Cadillac vehicles beginning in 2021.

The automaker said it plans to expand the technologies globally, excluding China, in the years following.

GM already offers its own infotainment features in its vehicles, such as service recommendations, vehicle health status and in-vehicle commerce, currently powered by Android.

The company said that while it will continue to offer these features, the Google applications and services will be "complementing our offerings."

The built-in Google Assistant "will continue to evolve over time," the company said, so that drivers will be able to use their voice to renew their OnStar or Connected Services plans, check on their tire pressure or schedule service.

The company joins a number of automakers expanding their own infotainment systems and integrating in-vehicle technologies through Apple CarPlay and Google's Android Auto as they face challenges creating systems that drivers find useful.

A 2018 J.D. Power study found the systems provided by tech companies are less distracting and demanding to drivers than built-in vehicle infotainment systems.

GM will continue to offer CarPlay and Android Auto to allow consumers to project a version of their smartphone screen onto a dashboard screen in addition to its own system and the new Google applications.

A company spokeswoman told Automotive News that having all of these in-vehicle technology options caters to customers who "like their choices" and "all have their own preferences."

These technologies haven't always clicked with customers, however.

J.D. Power's 2019 U.S. Tech Experience Index Study found that more than 68 percent of survey respondents with Apple CarPlay and/or Android Auto in their vehicle want factory-installed navigation on their next vehicle, compared with 72 percent of vehicle owners without those technologies. J.D. Power says this poses a potential profit loss for automakers.

Some automakers are also adding Amazon Inc.'s voice-assistant Alexa to their infotainment portfolios. Audi and BMW Group, including the Mini brand, were the first with plans to begin installing Alexa into their vehicles' software system.

Ned Curic, vice president of Amazon Alexa Automotive, previously told Automotive News that consumers should expect "a significant number of vehicles having access to Alexa" in the coming years.

GM told Automotive News that pricing for packages that include Google services have not yet been set. The financial details of the partnership were also not publicly disclosed, the company said.

Reuters contributed to this report.