Your GM Will Warn You Before It Breaks Down

During their keynote at CES (the Consumer Electronics Show), General Motors made some important announcements: not only have they shown us the all-new 2016 Volt (though without giving us any information about it), they also presented a technology that will enable their vehicles to inform owners when a breakdown is about to occur.

Today, most of a car's components are monitored by an array of sensors and computers. As soon as something breaks, a signal is sent to the central computer, and a warning light pops up on the dashboard (the infamous Check Engine Light). GM wants to push this one step further: Using advanced sensors, the computer will check the state of the starter, fuel pump and battery. Their performance will be monitored, and if they lose too much of their efficiency, an alert is sent not only to the car’s computer, but also to the owner via a text message or an e-mail using the car’s 4G LTE network connexion.

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This option will initially be available on a few models, like the Equinox, the Tahoe, the Suburban, the Corvette and both the HD and regular Silverado. Over time, additional models will be added and more parts will be monitored.