Chevrolet owners used more than 4.2 million gigabytes (4.2 petabytes) of data in 2016, a 200% increase that highlights the ever-growing availability of wireless Internet connectivity and the demand for streaming music, video, and other data in vehicles.
It’s a wonky, yet important data point that shows how the GM brand is using special features and technology—like OnStar 4G LTE—to grow retail sales. These new technologies not only attract new buyers, they help these consumers become repeat customers as features like wireless Internet become “an integral part of their day-to-day lives,” said Alan Batey, president of GM North America and global head of Chevrolet.
The automaker introduced OnStar 4G LTE connectivity to 2015 model-year Chevrolet cars and trucks. The 4G LTE connection comes standard on all new Chevrolet retail models. Customers have to pay for a data subscription. A monthly data plan subscription ranges from $10 for 1GB to $40 for 10GB, according to GM’s website.
The biggest increase in data use among Chevrolet customers were Tahoe and Suburban owners, who used three and a half times more data than a year ago.
Tahoe and Suburban owners used 713,669 gigabytes of data in 2016, a 260% increase over the year before, according to GM.
That’s not surprising, considering these vehicles can hold more people, including kids, who can use the data connection to play games or stream video. GM says 713,669 gigabytes of data is equivalent to 3 million hours of streaming standard video, GM says.