I think that Google will get into the car business the way they got into the phone business: license a spec, partner with manufacturers and reap the benefits of being the consumer-facing side of things. If that's the case, GM is at a distinct disadvantage in that they're the only company with anything like OnStar. It's going to be that much harder for them to make room on the dashboard for another piece of middleware.
Very true. OnStar was forward thinking in the 90s, but it's obsolete and obtrusive now. The fact that it's a brand is the only thing that keeps it alive. Maybe if they don't brand Super Cruise or its successive generations in the same way they'll stay more adaptable. Edit: My point isn't that a brand can't be stripped from consumers; it's that it can't be stripped internally. Once you have a brand, you have a brand manager, a budget, employees, a VP, etc. Each of these things becomes a lobbying firm within the finance department.