GM's OnStar may offer free services to rival Ford

General Motors Co.’s OnStar in-car communications unit may offer some free services next year to rival Ford Motor Co.’s Sync music and information system, two people familiar with the plans said.

OnStar, a subscription service that provides accident alerts, directions and vehicle diagnostics, is scheduled to introduce an upgraded system this month that translates voice messages to text, said the people, who asked not to be identified because the details aren’t public. Subscribers may be able to use voice commands to update the social media site Facebook, OnStar said today in an e-mail.

In-car technology features attract tech-savvy consumers and allow carmakers to charge more for smaller, cheaper models, said Brandy Schaffels, an analyst at TrueCar.com. GM, the largest U.S. automaker, is adding features to keep pace with systems including Ford’s Sync.

“When Ford came out with Sync, they met OnStar’s services and upped the ante,” Schaffels, content manager at the Santa Monica, California-based researcher, said in an interview. “Technological features are where GM and Ford are going to found their reputation with the next generation.”

OnStar may begin offering entertainment and information services that link to a user’s smartphone without a subscription or fee, said one of the people. OnStar is now offered free in many models for the first year and then for $199 to $299 a year, depending on the features.

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