You have too many things on your list! From this appointment to that meeting to coffee to the repair shop for the recall on that “thump, thump, thump” sound you are too busy. General Motors gets that and is trying to help take some of the tension out of your life. GM’s Marketplace app is the in-car connectivity application that can become one of your best friends. Rated the highest of all the connective tissues with the outside world, Marketplace just added to its already impressive arsenal. Now, for its next trick, it is out to ease the stress of parking in the crowded city for Cadillac owners.
Last Friday, the Cadillac division of General Motors announced that it has added ParkWhiz parking compatibility to Caddy’s infotainment system’s Marketplace. This handy new app lets Cadillac users vehicles find, book, and pay for parking hours before they arrive at the parking area itself. While, it may not work for literally every parking space in America, ParkWhiz knows thousands of parking spots, located all over the country. So far, 250 cities are part of the ParkWhiz family.
How does this work?
Using ParkWhiz’ mobile app or even the website, Cadillac owners set up an account. They will include payment information along with some basic vehicle details. These include make, model, license plate number, color, and so on. After linking the new account to their car via the in-car Marketplace app, drivers can start looking for parking.
GM’s Marketplace app will find this lot, because you’re busy.
Is this true for all Cadillacs, or just the brand new ones?
Neither, however, don’t expect it to work on your ’77 Coupe Deville De Elegance’. Cadillac’s Marketplace program is only available on vehicles from the 2017 model year and newer. It also needs an active data plan through a 4G LTE Wi-Fi hotspot. According to the company, that covers over 300,000 vehicles already.
Parking with an in-car app? What will GM do next with Marketplace?
New features are rolling out all the time. Late in June, GM added Domino’s Pizza to Marketplace, allowing Cadillac owners to order pizza through the infotainment system. Last year, the Buick division of GM rolled out Yelp integration, giving people the chance to book dining reservations in the car.
What are other car companies doing to fight back? Or are they?
Yes, soon General Motors won’t be the only domestic automaker with these capabilities. FCA (Fiat-Chrysler) has a similar functionality planned for the next generation of its Uconnect. You can be sure of a couple of things beyond that. If GM’s Marketplace app addition turns out to be a hit (and it will), other carmakers will introduce similar tech for their cars and trucks.
Gildshire applauds these announcements. With cities becoming ever more congested and arterial freeways becoming increasingly crowded, GM’s Marketplace app helps take your crowded mind off of one thing, leaving you free to concentrate on that pickup that’s encroaching on your lane. Drive carefully out there, because you are precious cargo to your friends at Gildshire Magazines.
