At the very least, it wouldn't be too much of a stretch to suggest that you could get advertising from places zapped to your dashboard as you drive by them, as a type of electronic billboard. You can't blame Detroit for trying. It's hard to raise prices in a competitive market. Telematics can offer an edge. Besides, safety is a big selling point with consumers, so products like OnStar can be attractive.
Auto makers insist they'll respect the privacy of their customers.
But there's nobody making sure they'll keep those promises. Besides, the whole point of e-commerce and the Net is getting up close and very personal with consumers. The information-gathering possibilities are huge. We may soon find out. A woman who drives to work each day and goes to the grocery store once a week has a different profile from a woman who drives to the country club each day for lunch.