OnStar Mobile App takes Silver in Remote Driving Aids segment
DETROIT The Chevrolet Volt continued to build its resume of honors, winning the 2011 Edison Awards Gold Medal in the Personal Transportation Segment. The Edison Awards honor the innovation in the spirit of Americas greatest inventor and marketer Thomas Alva Edison.
Being selected as an Edison Award winner validates our drive to develop an all-new transportation solution, said Tony Posawatz, Chevrolet Volt Vehicle Line Director. Innovation has been at the heart of the Volt from its onset; from the development of the Li-ion battery to the drive unit and the driver connectivity.
At the same ceremony Tuesday evening in New York City, the OnStar Mobile App won the silver award as the 2011 Best New Product in the Transportation in the Remote Driving Aids Segment. In the Volt, the app allows users to control vehicle charging functions and view charge level, electricity rate tables and electric vehicle data along with other features.
The OnStar Mobile App allows users to access current vehicle diagnostics, such as fuel levels, oil life, tire pressure, miles per gallon or next scheduled maintenance. It also lets users control certain vehicle functions, such as remotely starting the vehicle, locking and unlocking the doors, and sounding the horn and lights.
OnStar recently expanded the availability of the app, certifying 14 Chevrolet, Buick, GMC and Cadillac vehicles from 2010, with more certifications expected in the future. The app has been downloaded by nearly 60,000 active users to date in North America and has more than 1 million interactions.
The Edison Gold Medal for the Volt highlights the innovative engineering that resulted in the production of the worlds first electric vehicle with extended range capability. With a full charge, Volt drivers can travel 40-80 kilometres completely emissions- and gasoline-free and then continue for over 500 more kilometres.
Complementing its groundbreaking propulsion system, engineers in the General Motors wind tunnel helped to develop the most aerodynamic vehicle in Chevrolets history. Reducing the energy needed to overcome air resistance added an estimated twelve kilometres of electric range and 80 kilometres of extended range to the Volt.
The Edison Gold Medal for the Volt joins the Motor Trend, Automobile Magazine and Green Car of the Year awards, Popular Science Best of Whats New and Wards 10-Best Engine designations awarded earlier.
For OnStar, this was its second consecutive Edison award. OnStars Stolen Vehicle Slowdown, a technology designed to reduce dangerous high-speed chases, received a Silver Edison Award for Best New Product in the Technology category in 2010.
The Edison Awards are voted on by roughly 2,000 members of the not-for-profit Marketing Executives Networking Group, Americas top executives and academics nominations based on societal impact, marketplace innovation, marketplace success and market structure innovation of new products launched in the past year. The awards symbolize the persistence and excellence personified by Edison whose innovations and new product developments earned him 1,093 U.S. patents.
About Chevrolet in Canada
Founded in 1911, Chevrolet celebrates its centennial as a global automotive brand with annual sales of about 4.25 million vehicles in more than 140 countries. From todays Cruze Eco which consumes just 4.6 L/100 km on the highway to the Volt coming this fall, which provides up to 80 kilometres of electric, gasoline-free driving and an additional 500 kilometres of extended range, Chevrolet offers gas-friendly to gas-free solutions. Chevrolet provides customers with fuel-efficient, safe and reliable vehicles that deliver high quality, expressive design, spirited performance and value. The Chevrolet portfolio includes award-winning passenger cars and crossovers such as Cruze, Malibu, Equinox and Traverse and a host of new, smaller, highly efficient models to come including the all-new Orlando and Sonic (fall 2011) and Spark (2012). Chevrolet also provides iconic performance cars such as Corvette and Camaro as well as dependable, long-lasting pickups and SUVs such as Silverado and Suburban. Most new Chevrolet models offer OnStar safety, security and convenience technologies including OnStar Hands-Free Calling, Automatic Crash Response and Stolen Vehicle Slowdown. More information regarding Chevrolet models can be found at www.chevrolet.ca or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/chevroletcanada.
About OnStar in Canada
OnStar, a wholly owned subsidiary of General Motors, is the leading provider of connected safety and security solutions, value-added mobility services and advanced information technology. Currently available on more than 40 MY 2011 GM models, OnStar safely connects its more than six million subscribers, in the U.S., Canada and China, in ways never thought possible. OnStar Stolen Vehicle Slowdown is a recipient of the 2010 Edison Award for Best New Product in the technology category. More information about OnStar can be found at www.onstar.ca
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