The OnStar Guardian mobile app launched for GM’s OnStar subscribers in June 2020, but subscribers told the automaker they wanted to connect with loved ones who drive non-GM vehicles. Guardian is the first non-vehicle OnStar application GM has launched in OnStar’s 25-year history, said Chamorro. There are about 16 million connected GM vehicles in the U.S. and a “meaningful number” of paying OnStar subscribers, said Chamorro.
GM last year also launched OnStar Insurance, which provides insurance services to GM and non-GM vehicle owners. The services are part of the automaker’s mission to become a technology and subscription services company. The services could turn the vehicle purchase, typically a one-time transaction, into a wider profit net over the lifetime of the vehicle.
As many pandemic restrictions are lifted, “in the case of families that are perhaps getting ready to go back to some level of normality, we believe this is great timing for us to launch these products,” said Chamorro.
Through the app, which costs $15 per month for non-GM owners, customers can access OnStar safety and security and connect with an OnStar adviser when necessary. Customers can add up to seven family and friends to the Guardian app.
