Shanghai OnStar Announces Launch Date for Services in China

SHANGHAI, Oct. 29 /PRNewswire/ -- Shanghai OnStar Telematics Co. Ltd., a joint venture between General Motors Company, SAIC Group and Shanghai General Motors (SGM), today announced that OnStar services will be activated and fully operational in China in December 2009. OnStar will be exclusively available on select Cadillac, Buick and Chevrolet vehicles - bringing this industry-leading technology to Chinese consumers.

"The launch of Shanghai OnStar Telematics marks OnStar's first venture outside of North America and we couldn't be happier that China is our next market," said OnStar President Walt Dorfstatter. "China represents a huge opportunity to bring the safety, security, and peace of mind of OnStar to SGM customers. This new venture builds upon our leading position in the United States and Canada and our more than 14 years experience in the telematics industry."

SGM will eventually make this life-saving service available on its full portfolio of products, beginning with Cadillac, then Buick and finally Chevrolet. SGM will provide one year of OnStar as standard to customers with OnStar equipped vehicles. The service will be available throughout mainland China and will be first launched in Mandarin Chinese.

"I'm excited that SGM customers will be first to enjoy the safety and connectivity that OnStar provides," said Ding Lei, President, Shanghai General Motors. "This underscores SGM's customer focus and drive for technological progress. It also improves SGM's products and services as well as market competitiveness. "

OnStar will provide the following 14 services in China at launch:

• Automatic Crash Response
• Emergency services
• Automatic Airbag Deployment Response
• OnStar Vehicle Diagnostics
• On Demand Diagnostics
• Good Samaritan
• Stolen Vehicle Location
• Remote Door Unlock
• Remote Horn and Lights
• Roadside Assistance
• Hands Free Calling
• Point of Interest
• Turn-by-Turn Navigation
• Destination Download
  

"Even though the OnStar system utilizes powerful and advanced technologies, it is simple and easy to use," said Chen Hong, President, SAIC. "OnStar's human connection makes it uniquely special and differentiates it from any other telematics services in the market. We are delighted to be able to offer this human touch to our Chinese customers."

The service will be available throughout mainland China and will be first launched in Mandarin Chinese. Additional information regarding OnStar vehicle availability and pricing in China will be announced later this year.

OnStar was formed in 1995 to help make vehicle transportation safer. OnStar is the global leader in telematics with more than 5.6 million customers and 230 million customer interactions to-date. Next year, OnStar will play an important role at the SAIC-GM Pavilion at the World Expo 2010 Shanghai where visitors will see a vision for personal urban transportation in the year 2030.

About General Motors

General Motors, one of the world's largest automakers, traces its roots back to 1908. With its global headquarters in Detroit, GM employs 219,000 people in every major region of the world and does business in some 140 countries. GM and its strategic partners produce cars and trucks in 34 countries, and sell and service these vehicles through the following brands: Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, GMC, GM Daewoo, Holden, Opel, Vauxhall and Wuling. GM's largest national market is the United States, followed by China, Brazil, the United Kingdom, Canada, Russia and Germany. GM's OnStar subsidiary is the industry leader in vehicle safety, security and information services. General Motors acquired operations from General Motors Corporation on July 10, 2009, and references to prior periods in this and other press materials refer to operations of the old General Motors Corporation. More information on the new General Motors can be found at www.gm.com.

About OnStar by GM

OnStar, a wholly-owned subsidiary of General Motors, is the leading provider of in-vehicle safety, security and communication services. OnStar is available on more than 30 MY 2010 GM models. OnStar is standard for one year on nearly all new GM retail vehicles in the United States and Canada. OnStar provides services to nearly 6 million subscribers in the U.S. and Canada. More information about OnStar can be found at http://www.onstar.com/.

About Shanghai OnStar Telematics Service Co., Ltd.

Shanghai OnStar Telematics Service Co., Ltd. is a joint venture officially established by General Motors, SAIC Group and SGM in 2009. OnStar is the leading provider of in-vehicle safety, security and communication services for the main SGM models manufactured and sold in China.