US auto giant General Motors (GM) is to launch a new car that will combine Google’s Android smartphone platform with its own on-board information and navigation service, OnStar. The Wall Street Journal reports today that GM’s soon-to-launch Chevrolet Volt, featuring Android and OnStar, will allow users to track the location of their vehicle using an Android phone. It also allows owners to use voice recognition software to ask for Google map directions to be sent to the vehicle and delivered by OnStar’s navigation system, which gives turn-by-turn routes to drivers. Features in the pipeline include the ability to charge the vehicle remotely and monitor battery power from a mobile device. The move is the latest indication of how wirelessly-enabled in-car information systems are becoming a key battleground for car makers. “There can be a technological tour de force beyond just vehicle applications,” said OnStar President Chris Preuss.

The report notes that the combination of Android and OnStar is set to become a competitor to ‘Sync,’ a service offered by GM rival Ford. Based on technology developed by Microsoft, Sync allows drivers to control a car’s entertainment system with voice command and can link to smartphones and music players such as Apple’s iPod. However, while Sync is primarily positioned as an entertainment system, OnStar is marketed as an in-car information system that offers safety and navigation assistance and can relay calls for emergency help, diagnose mechanical problems and track down stolen vehicles. According to GM, OnStar has around 5.5 million users.