General Motors has one of the broadest electric-vehicle lineups in the United States, spanning everything from compact crossovers to full-size trucks. But the manufacturer is already preparing the next stage of its EV evolution, and some changes will even appear on the 2028 Cadillac Escalade IQ. GM plans to roll out next-generation software with that model, which is also expected to be the first to feature lidar for more advanced autonomous driving capabilities and conversational AI.
Ahead of its fourth-quarter and 2025 annual earnings call today, GM announced that its software and subscription business is quickly gaining steam. The automaker said that last year, it recorded $5.4 billion in deferred revenue (meaning unearned revenue over time, through a recurring service) from its various OnStar-related connected services. These include various safety systems, in-car WiFi, access to audio streaming apps and more. GM is projecting deferred revenue from software to rise to $7.5 billion in 2026.
The software team at General Motors has now lost three top executives in the past month as the automaker - with its new chief product officer at the helm - combines its disparate technology businesses into one organization. Baris Cetinok, senior vice president of software and services product management, is leaving the company effective Dec. 12, the company confirmed to TechCrunch.
If your car supports Apple CarPlay or Android Auto, that will continue. Both will remain available in all GM gas-powered vehicles for the foreseeable future. As we advance toward our centralized computing platform, we'll gradually move to a better, more deeply integrated experience - a direction the broader industry is taking as vehicles become more software-defined. This will happen over time, not overnight. We value our collaboration with Apple and Google and remain focused on delivering experiences customers love.
