Record cold drives spike in Chevy Cruze remote starts and vehicle data reports

DETROIT--Feb. 14, 2014: The Polar Vortex over most of eastern North America sent outdoor and coolant temperatures plummeting during most of January. Chevrolet Cruze owners with OnStar’s RemoteLink Mobile application avoided some of the chill because they could check their car’s status and warm the interior from any distance.

RemoteLink set single-day and single-hour request records last month. January 7 saw upwards of 200,000 requests sent through the mobile application across all General Motors’ brands, setting the one-day record. Later in the month, when the frigid air returned, the single-hour record was set on January 28 with more than 20,000 requests. Chevrolet Cruze owners used the app more than any owners of any other GM vehicle did.

For all of January, Chevrolet owners made 2,909,674 requests through the app. Of that total traffic, 1,603,107, or about 55 percent, of requests were for remote start. The vehicle stays locked after a remote start, so it is secure, even when in a public space. An key in the ignition turn is required for the vehicle to move.

More than 15 percent of RemoteLink requests were to check the car’s vehicle data, such as tire pressure or oil life. Owners of Volt extended-range electric vehicles queried how the frigid temperatures affected charging levels.

Existing RemoteLink users were just part of the record month. Historically, most customers download the RemoteLink app to their smartphones in January. This January saw more downloads than any previous January on record.

“Chevrolet, paired with the RemoteLink app available through OnStar, offers one of the most winter-weather ready lineups of any manufacturer,” said Philip M. Abram, GM chief infotainment officer.

Remote start is available on most Chevrolets with automatic transmissions and is a part of the free RemoteLink Key Fob service for 2014 and newer model year vehicles. On-demand vehicle diagnostic information and the ability to send directions from your phone to your vehicle requires an active OnStar subscription. To find out if your phone is compatible with the RemoteLink app, go to Remotelink.