OnStar FMV makes Best Buy (NYSE: BBY) its first retail partner

Excitement is surely growing with the consumer launch of OnStar’s new retail product, OnStar FMV (For My Vehicle). Consumers will be able to enjoy the core safety, security and connectivity features of OnStar on their vehicle, by simply replacing their rearview mirror and subscribing to the service.

The expanded availability of the telematics service has the potential to expand to more than 90 million vehicles on the road.

OnStar FMV is a rearview mirror that delivers the core features that have made OnStar the most trusted and popular in-vehicle safety, security and convenience service on the market today, with more than 6 million active subscribers.

The connection with Best Buy, OnStar’s first strategic retail partner - with onsite installation makes sense. OnStar FMV will be available later this summer at all Best Buy stores, and at other consumer electronics retailers.

OnStar FMV will carry a suggested retail price of $299. Installation, which consists of replacing the existing rearview mirror with OnStar FMV, is expected to take less than an hour and cost no more than $100 in most vehicles. A range of service plans will be available for OnStar FMV, starting at $18.95 a month or $199 a year.

Of course, the question that may concern consumers is over compatibility. So, to help consumers determine whether their current vehicle is compatible with OnStar FMV, OnStar has launched an online compatibility tool called “Vehicle Selector”. The tool allows users to enter in basic vehicle information, like make, model and year, to see if the upcoming retail product will work on their vehicle.

“The Vehicle Selector was accessed more than 10,000 times in the first 24 hours of availability,” said Sam Mancuso, chief marketing officer, OnStar. “Since we announced OnStar FMV, consumers have been very interested in whether or not they can get it for their vehicle. Now they only have to visit OnStar.com and there’s a simple tool they can use to find out, and they can even sign up to receive updates on when OnStar FMV will be available in their area.”

To date, OnStar has validated 90 million vehicles manufactured in the last 10 years as compatible with OnStar FMV – up from 55 million when the product was announced at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES 2011) in January.

OnStar FMV features include the following:

• - Automatic Crash Response
• - 24/7 Emergency Services
• - Turn-by-Turn Navigation
• - Stolen Vehicle Location Assistance
• - Roadside Assistance
• - Hands-Free Calling, through OnStar or a Bluetooth connection

For more information on OnStar FMV or the “Vehicle Selector”, visit www.onstar.com

[Sources: media.gm.com and OnStar.com]

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About the Reporter: After 39 years in the auto industry as a design engineer, Frank Sherosky now trades stocks and writes articles, books and ebooks via authorfrank.com, but may be contacted here by email: [email protected]

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