Standard connected features like remote vehicle commands, voice assistance, and crash notifications will soon come standard across the entire General Motors lineup. Beginning with the 2025 model year, GM will package these features together as OnStar One Essentials and provide them on every Chevrolet, Buick, GMC, and Cadillac vehicle.
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According to GM, OnStar One Essentials will first be included on the 2025 Buick Envista and 2025 Chevrolet Trax and then spread to the rest of the lineup. Vehicles equipped with this package will gain free access to it for 8 years. Fleet customers will get the same deal with a package called OnStar One Business Essentials.
What’s included with OnStar One Essentials?
OnStar One Essentials packages together three key features. The most important one is Automatic Crash Response. In the event of a collision, this system automatically connects the vehicle with a trained advisor who can provide verbal assistance, assess the need for emergency medical help, and summon first responders to the crash site.
Another included feature is navigation and voice assistance. Depending on the model, OnStar One Essentials can help drivers navigate to their destination with apps like Google Maps and Waze. It can also provide voice-activated services via Amazon’s Alexa built-in or Google Assistant.
Finally, OnStar One Essentials provides remote access via smartphone app, allowing drivers to locate, lock, unlock, and remotely start a vehicle. This service can also be used to remotely track vehicle diagnostics and vehicle status information like tire pressure, oil life, and how much gas is left in the tank.
Along with the One Essential bundle, OnStar provides additional services for a monthly subscription fee. Available for most GM vehicles, these include roadside assistance, the OnStar Guardian app, data plans for in-vehicle Wi-Fi hotspots, and a long list of in-vehicle apps.
A longtime editor/writer and recently transplanted Hoosier, Caleb Cook lives in Xenia, Ohio. His favorite activities are reading and listening to music, although he occasionally emerges from the heap of books and vinyl records in his basement to stand blinking in the sunlight. Once fully acclimated to the outside world again, he can be observed hanging out with his wife, attempting a new recipe in the kitchen, attending movies, walking the dog, or wandering into a local brewery to inquire about what’s on tap. See more articles by Caleb.