VIDEO INTERVIEW: Stephen Girsky, GM vice chairman, interim president of GM Europe and chairman of the Opel Supervisory Board, is on a mission to preach the benefits of embedded mobile technology in vehicles rather than relying solely on smartphones for in-car connectivity.

In an interview with Mobile World Live, Girsky said integrating smartphones into cars is “relatively easy” but that embedded technology can bring a number of advantages.

“For example the antenna on top of your car is a lot bigger than on your smartphone. You’ll have more power so the signal will be better and the service will be a lot better in the embedded system,” he said.

Embedded technology can also be of benefit to automotive companies due to the data that it can pull from cars which can predict component issues, inform owners when their car needs to be serviced, and remotely lock vehicles.

However, Girsky acknowledged the integration of smartphones and the use of tethering are needed to drive vehicle connectivity forwards.

GM announced in February at Mobile World Congress that it will embed LTE connectivity into its vehicles from late 2014, via a partnership with US operator AT&T. “It’s basically putting your car as just another device on your network,” Girsky said.

He added that GM’s strategy allows for the slower upgrade of cars compared to mobile devices: “The goal is, because we’ll be connected and because the connection will always be on, you’ll be able to upgrade your software and download new apps throughout your ownership experience.”

GM’s business model for in-car connectivity is in contrast to rival Ford, which is opposed to embedded wireless modems in its cars. Ford instead believes users should connect their cars to the network through their existing smartphone.

View the full interview with GM’s Girsky here.