GM will soon let you order Starbucks while driving
General Motors (GM) wants to help you get your favorite cup of coffee faster with its new Marketplace platform. Available for eligible Cadillac, Chevy, Buick and GMC vehicles, Marketplace lets you order your venti mocha latte with a double shot of espresso right from your car’s touchscreen.
Marketplace, which GM says will roll out alongside a host of other interface updates for its vehicles throughout the next 12 to 18 months, will use your vehicle’s built-in 4G LTE connection to connect to different retailers and purchase items ranging from a cup of joe to gas to your favorite food at Applebee’s.
Interestingly, GM says Marketplace will let you make purchases while driving using your car’s touchscreen. Most automakers seemingly prevent you from doing most anything having to do with apps while behind the wheel.
Marketplace doesn’t offer voice support yet, so you can’t order your coffee by telling your car to get you a large with cream and five Splenda packets just yet.
A GM representative said Marketplace was tested and validated by GM to be safe to use while driving.
The automaker has released a list of 12 different retailers that will offer some form of compatibility with Marketplace. Starbucks (SBUX) and Dunkin’ Donuts (DNKN) integration will allow you to order your favorite drink or “food item” from your car and then pick it up in the store or at the drive-through.
Applebee’s and IHOP (DIN) will let you search for their nearest locations and reserve tables. TGI Fridays will also let you reserve tables for your group, while Wingstop will let you reorder your favorite foods from your car.
ExxonMobil (XOM) and Shell (RDS-A) integration will help you find nearby gas stations. In fact, Shell’s service will let you pay for fuel from within your vehicle.
A GM-specific offering, meanwhile, will let you do things like top off your 4G LTE data pool from your car. It’s important to note that Marketplace doesn’t require you to sign up for a separate LTE plan.
Outside of simply being able to order drinks or food directly, Marketplace learns your habits and preferences, so eventually it will be able to suggest that you visit certain stores based on the hour of the day and where you’re driving.
That’s a convenient feature, but it’s sure to raise concerns from privacy advocates.
Either way, it will be interesting to see if more retailers jump on board with Marketplace. Something about demanding that my car buy me a Dairy Queen (BRKA) Blizzard without having to wait in line sounds irresistible.
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Email Daniel at dhowley@yahoo-inc.com; follow him on Twitter at @DanielHowley.