Native Google Maps Won’t Work On New GM Cars Without $300 Subscription

Heads up shoppers, those interested in a General Motors product that includes Google Built-In better be ready for subscriptions. According to a new report, key features like native navigation, voice recognition, and the Google App Store will only work when you pay for them every month.

For those willing to fork out $24.95 or more 12 times a year, keep in mind that the experience doesn’t sound very good.

Subscriptions are big news these days because there’s a clear line in the sand. Automakers want to use them to keep revenue streams flowing after the initial sale. Buyers want to simply own the things they paid for without being restricted to subscription-only features.

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What’s perhaps even wilder is that we’re not talking about a groundbreaking bulletproof system that’s hard to live without. Motortrend claims that its success rate is barely better than 50/50. As that team has a long-term test vehicle, namely a 2024 Chevy Silverado ZR2, they know what it’s like to use the system for months rather than days. It reports that the system requires an OnStar subscription (ranging from $24.95 to $49.95 a month) to function.

Evidently, it’s a bit of a pain even when it’s working correctly. Instead of using natural voice commands like the ones most of us do with in-home devices every day, one must not just articulate their speech but use specific phrases and keywords like a street name rather than a simple location prompt.

Notably, GM said a year ago that it would ditch Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. Then, a study made it clear that over half of buyers would blacklist cars without it. Thus, it would seem that the automaker has a good reason to keep them in its models.

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Ultimately, it looks as though GM is sticking to its guns. It’s said that it’s going to axe Android Auto and Apple CarPlay in the future, which would leave buyers with no other option but to sign up for this service. Automakers often talk about simply following the market and what customers want. We’re pretty confident that customers want functional software without a subscription. Do you agree? Let us know in the comments below!