4 ms·

In a way it feels like a sick and twisted joke that GM is willing to help with this, especially how they've been treating their current EV lineup. BrightDrop's

by kotaKat 7mo ago

In a way it feels like a sick and twisted joke that GM is willing to help with this, especially how they've been treating their current EV lineup. BrightDrop's dead, the Bolt was loved and killed and brought back and killed again, they keep making questionable decisions with their infotainment and subscription models (no CarPlay, mandatory consumer Google Account and OnStar subscriptions), the best thing they even apparently sell right now has a Honda (re)badge on it...

InUrNetz 7mo ago
The anti CarPlay stance is a real deal killer for me. I put an aftermarket radio in my Chevy Express to get CarPlay, and have a long history of Chevy, GMC, and Buick ownership, but this one blocks me from buying a new GM car.
- wlesieutre 7mo ago
  Honda Prologue is an option if you really like the Ultium SUVs, sadly only a Blazer sized rebadge and no Equinox. I do wonder what the outlook for that is now, they were supposed to be a shorter term bridge until Honda had their own EVs but Honda recently killed a bunch of EV plans so maybe the GM partnership sticks around a while?
  - twoodfin 7mo ago
    The Prologue was part of the EV bloodletting at Honda.
    - wlesieutre 7mo ago
      Too bad. This is just a US market problem though, Honda still has new EVs, just not for us. Insight EV (formerly a hybrid sedan) announced earlier this month. https://www.honda.co.jp/INSIGHT/ https://www.honda.co.jp/INSIGHT/
- fullstop 7mo ago
  I've been satisfied with Android Automotive on my Equinox EV. I did see that there are USB dongles which can allegedly add Android Auto to the car.
  - bluGill 7mo ago
    My blazer doesn't have android auto either... where are these usb things, I might be interested. I really want my phone to respond to 'ok google' not the car saying 'this needs a subscription'
    - fullstop 7mo ago
      These cars are sold with data plans which last quite a few years. What model year is your Blazer? I think that my Equinox has app access for 3 years and maps / google assistant for 8 years. I've tested tethering with my phone and it works with that, so I have a path forward once the built-in subscription lapses. This is the one that I saw: https://evplay.io/shop/ev-play-lite-gm https://evplay.io/shop/ev-play-lite-gm It's kind of expensive, and there's a non-zero chance that GM does something to block it.
      - bluGill 7mo ago
        2024. I refused their privacy policy, so that might be why I'm getting nothing. I don't drive much so I'm worth more to GM than they are to me. If GM tries to block it there are a number of ways a lawyer can fight back and likely win. The Magnuson Moss warranty act was historically written about car radios for starters. There are other consumer protection laws as well. You need a good lawyer, but I suspect they will take the case for the expected gains in the return lawsuit. If I were them I'd get a lawyer to write this up in a "white paper" - It would be a few thousand, but it is also something GM will likely see if they think about doing anything.
    - stetrain 7mo ago
      Annoyingly "Android Auto" and "Android Automotive" are completely different things. Android Auto is where you can connect your phone to the car and your phone projects onto the car's display with apps and navigation. Android Automotive is when the car itself is running Android Automotive for its infotainment OS, meaning it has access to a limited Android App Store to install apps natively into the car's infotainment system and you can sign in with your Google account. Some cars with Android Automotive also support CarPlay and Android Auto on top of it, but GM has decided to disable those features, meaning you have to use the built-in Android Automotive system to manage your media streaming apps and pay GM for the data access plan.
- bluGill 7mo ago
  I have a blazer ev without it and I agree it is the biggest negative. If I drove 8 hours a day their onstar is better, but if you use a car a reasonable amount it isn't worth a subscription (or setting everything up that is already in the phone)
- thumbsup-_- 7mo ago
  Honestly I'm an apple guy and felt the same until I drove their Blazer EV and loved the native google maps. This is way better than projecting from phone. The native integration knows about car's battery state all the time and auto-suggests stops. Any native map in car do they but they usually aren't good quality maps. In GM's case, the native maps are google maps. I can also sign in on my google account and I don't need internet to use it (in case I'm in a remote area). I feel I want every car to have native google maps now.
  - segfaultex 7mo ago
    >The native integration knows about car's battery state all the time and auto-suggests stops. CarPlay does this on my F150 Lightning. It manages state, preconditioning when routing to a charging stop, will suggest charging stops as I'm routing, etc. etc. There's really nothing special about GM's implementation IMO, except that they charge you monthly to access it.
- segfaultex 7mo ago
  We bought an F150 Lightning instead of a Sierra EV mainly because of this. I'm not interested in 'cars as a service'.
sanex 7mo ago
You've got it reversed. Honda is rebadging the equinox ev. GM.
- kotaKat 7mo ago
  Yeah, and it's still the best thing GM can even build right now. It's an Equinox without GM's bullshit and even includes CarPlay in the package.
  - fullstop 7mo ago
    It's based on the Blazer, and is larger than an Equinox EV.
- wlesieutre 7mo ago
  Actually a Blazer, not an Equinox
  - Tempest1981 7mo ago
    A "Blazer EV", right? Not to be confused with the same-named gas Blazer (built on a different chassis): https://www.caranddriver.com/chevrolet/blazer https://www.caranddriver.com/chevrolet/blazer
    - wlesieutre 7mo ago
      Yes, Blazer EV
kccqzy 7mo ago
GM’s Cadillac is doing alright with EVs: the Optiq, the Lyriq, the Vistiq are all selling well.
- fullstop 7mo ago
  Equinox EV is also doing well.
- parpfish 7mo ago
  Those names are horrifiq
sidewndr46 7mo ago
Given GM's history with this vehicle, I'd assume any contact with them is an attempt to lay claim to ownership of the vehicle. There's no way I'd even communicate with them
mediumdave 7mo ago
The Bolt will be back in 2027. I'm a huge fan of the Bolt, and I love my 2019. It's a very practical car, and has surprisingly decent range.
- kotaKat 7mo ago
  For approximately one and a half model years. https://insideevs.com/news/785214/2027-chevrolet-bolt-limited-run/ https://insideevs.com/news/785214/2027-chevrolet-bolt-limite...
twobitshifter 7mo ago
I hadn’t heard that they killed the Bolt again! At least there is the 2027 model, which us starting to show up at dealers. With the Iran war, I expect much more interest in EVs right now, so this version of the Bolt may sell out fast.

by kotaKat 7mo ago

InUrNetz 7mo ago

The anti CarPlay stance is a real deal killer for me. I put an aftermarket radio in my Chevy Express to get CarPlay, and have a long history of Chevy, GMC, and Buick ownership, but this one blocks me from buying a new GM car.

wlesieutre 7mo ago
Honda Prologue is an option if you really like the Ultium SUVs, sadly only a Blazer sized rebadge and no Equinox. I do wonder what the outlook for that is now, they were supposed to be a shorter term bridge until Honda had their own EVs but Honda recently killed a bunch of EV plans so maybe the GM partnership sticks around a while?
- twoodfin 7mo ago
  The Prologue was part of the EV bloodletting at Honda.
  - wlesieutre 7mo ago
    Too bad. This is just a US market problem though, Honda still has new EVs, just not for us. Insight EV (formerly a hybrid sedan) announced earlier this month. https://www.honda.co.jp/INSIGHT/ https://www.honda.co.jp/INSIGHT/
fullstop 7mo ago
I've been satisfied with Android Automotive on my Equinox EV. I did see that there are USB dongles which can allegedly add Android Auto to the car.
- bluGill 7mo ago
  My blazer doesn't have android auto either... where are these usb things, I might be interested. I really want my phone to respond to 'ok google' not the car saying 'this needs a subscription'
  - fullstop 7mo ago
    These cars are sold with data plans which last quite a few years. What model year is your Blazer? I think that my Equinox has app access for 3 years and maps / google assistant for 8 years. I've tested tethering with my phone and it works with that, so I have a path forward once the built-in subscription lapses. This is the one that I saw: https://evplay.io/shop/ev-play-lite-gm https://evplay.io/shop/ev-play-lite-gm It's kind of expensive, and there's a non-zero chance that GM does something to block it.
    - bluGill 7mo ago
      2024. I refused their privacy policy, so that might be why I'm getting nothing. I don't drive much so I'm worth more to GM than they are to me. If GM tries to block it there are a number of ways a lawyer can fight back and likely win. The Magnuson Moss warranty act was historically written about car radios for starters. There are other consumer protection laws as well. You need a good lawyer, but I suspect they will take the case for the expected gains in the return lawsuit. If I were them I'd get a lawyer to write this up in a "white paper" - It would be a few thousand, but it is also something GM will likely see if they think about doing anything.
  - stetrain 7mo ago
    Annoyingly "Android Auto" and "Android Automotive" are completely different things. Android Auto is where you can connect your phone to the car and your phone projects onto the car's display with apps and navigation. Android Automotive is when the car itself is running Android Automotive for its infotainment OS, meaning it has access to a limited Android App Store to install apps natively into the car's infotainment system and you can sign in with your Google account. Some cars with Android Automotive also support CarPlay and Android Auto on top of it, but GM has decided to disable those features, meaning you have to use the built-in Android Automotive system to manage your media streaming apps and pay GM for the data access plan.
bluGill 7mo ago
I have a blazer ev without it and I agree it is the biggest negative. If I drove 8 hours a day their onstar is better, but if you use a car a reasonable amount it isn't worth a subscription (or setting everything up that is already in the phone)
thumbsup-_- 7mo ago
Honestly I'm an apple guy and felt the same until I drove their Blazer EV and loved the native google maps. This is way better than projecting from phone. The native integration knows about car's battery state all the time and auto-suggests stops. Any native map in car do they but they usually aren't good quality maps. In GM's case, the native maps are google maps. I can also sign in on my google account and I don't need internet to use it (in case I'm in a remote area). I feel I want every car to have native google maps now.
- segfaultex 7mo ago
  >The native integration knows about car's battery state all the time and auto-suggests stops. CarPlay does this on my F150 Lightning. It manages state, preconditioning when routing to a charging stop, will suggest charging stops as I'm routing, etc. etc. There's really nothing special about GM's implementation IMO, except that they charge you monthly to access it.
segfaultex 7mo ago
We bought an F150 Lightning instead of a Sierra EV mainly because of this. I'm not interested in 'cars as a service'.

sanex 7mo ago

You've got it reversed. Honda is rebadging the equinox ev. GM.

kotaKat 7mo ago
Yeah, and it's still the best thing GM can even build right now. It's an Equinox without GM's bullshit and even includes CarPlay in the package.
- fullstop 7mo ago
  It's based on the Blazer, and is larger than an Equinox EV.
wlesieutre 7mo ago
Actually a Blazer, not an Equinox
- Tempest1981 7mo ago
  A "Blazer EV", right? Not to be confused with the same-named gas Blazer (built on a different chassis): https://www.caranddriver.com/chevrolet/blazer https://www.caranddriver.com/chevrolet/blazer
  - wlesieutre 7mo ago
    Yes, Blazer EV

kccqzy 7mo ago

GM’s Cadillac is doing alright with EVs: the Optiq, the Lyriq, the Vistiq are all selling well.

fullstop 7mo ago
Equinox EV is also doing well.
parpfish 7mo ago
Those names are horrifiq

sidewndr46 7mo ago

Given GM's history with this vehicle, I'd assume any contact with them is an attempt to lay claim to ownership of the vehicle. There's no way I'd even communicate with them

mediumdave 7mo ago

The Bolt will be back in 2027. I'm a huge fan of the Bolt, and I love my 2019. It's a very practical car, and has surprisingly decent range.

kotaKat 7mo ago
For approximately one and a half model years. https://insideevs.com/news/785214/2027-chevrolet-bolt-limited-run/ https://insideevs.com/news/785214/2027-chevrolet-bolt-limite...

twobitshifter 7mo ago

I hadn’t heard that they killed the Bolt again! At least there is the 2027 model, which us starting to show up at dealers. With the Iran war, I expect much more interest in EVs right now, so this version of the Bolt may sell out fast.