OnStar is Expensive and Invasive. We Replaced It With OVMS In Our Bolt EV

OnStar is one of the oldest telematics systems still in use today. It allows owners of GM-brand vehicles — including Chevrolet, Cadillac, GMC and Buick — the ability to remotely monitor important information about their car. It allows them to activate built-in navigation, activate subscription add-ons, keep track of their vehicle's location in real time, and in the world of EVs, start and stop charging and activate cabin pre-conditioning. But for owners of older GM-brand vehicles — like early Chevrolet Bolt EVs and Chevrolet Volts — the OnStar systems that came from the factory are showing their age. Their connectivity is becoming spotty and unreliable, and many customers simply give up and cancel their subscription. Yet thanks to the wonderful community of tinkerers, programmers, and hardware experts working together on the Open Vehicle Monitoring System, you can now add those features back to your Bolt EV without paying a massive monthly fee. GM no longer sees your data — and you regain your own data sovereignty. Today, Nikki — who used to rely on OVMS V2 hardware in some of her EVs more than a decade ago — gets up to date with OVMS V3 and gives her Bolt EV the features she no longer wants to rely on GM to provide. ⏱️ Chapters: 00:00 - Introduction and Opening Skit 02:01 - History Lesson 04:28 - Why We Had OnStar 06:29 - Side Tracked: Nikki's Home-Made Vise Plate 07:49 - What is OVMS? 09:35 - V2 vs V3 Hardware 12:54 - The Challenges of GM's SWCAN Protocol 19:42 - Provisioning 20:19 - Installing it in the Bolt 21:00 - Routing and Hiding the Hardware 22:06 - MQTT and EMQX 24:41 - Cancelling OnStar 26:11 - Giveaway — #Queenie 27:33 - Thanks and Goodbye! ⚠️ Disclaimer: OVMS is an open-source hobbyist project with no warranty or official support. Installation requires technical confidence — you'll need to read docs, troubleshoot your own setup, and engage with the community. 🎵 Music "What Floor?" (Slowed & Reverb) by idokay - Licensed via Artlist YouTube:    • What Floor? (Slowed & Reverb)   Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/track/1CFuZL... 🛒 Buy OVMS Europe — Open Energy Monitor: https://shop.openenergymonitor.com North America — Medlock & Sons: https://www.medlockandsons.com/produc... 🔧 OVMS — Hardware & Software Main repo: https://github.com/openvehicles/Open-... ⚠️ OVMS Dexters-Web build for SWCAN as default: https://ovms.dexters-web.de/firmware/ota https://github.com/aminorjourney/Open... 📱 OVMS Apps Official (iOS): https://apps.apple.com/us/app/open-ve... Official (Android): https://play.google.com/store/apps/de... OVMS Connect (iOS): https://apps.apple.com/us/app/ovms-co... OVMS Connect (Android): https://play.google.com/store/apps/de... Home Assistant: https://github.com/enoch85/ovms-home-... 🔌 SWCAN Board (Bolt/Volt owners — you need this!) Win one in our giveaway below! ⚠️ 2017–2019 Bolt EV: connect via OBD2. Later models need direct SWCAN tap — see: https://github.com/openvehicles/Open-... Board design (Marko Juhanne): https://github.com/kssmll/ovms-swcan-... Pre-assembled (eBay): https://www.ebay.ca/itm/365182274464 Bare boards (PCBWay): https://www.pcbway.com/project/sharep... 🔩 Vise plate design files: https://forgejo.insearchofportlandia.... 📡 Self-Hosted MQTT EMQX: https://www.emqx.io 🏆 Giveaway!!! We're giving away one fully assembled SWCAN board — built by Nikki herself — to one lucky Chevrolet Bolt EV, Opel Ampera-e or Chevrolet Volt / Opel Ampera owner. To enter: comment below with #Queenie and tell us what you're most looking forward to about ditching OnStar. ⚠️ Please note: this is the SWCAN board only — it does NOT include an OVMS V3 module. You will need to purchase one separately (~$325) — see Buy OVMS links above. One winner chosen at random on August 14, 2026. 👥 Today's Sponsors 🌱 Electric Vehicle Association - https://www.myeva.org ⚡ EnergySage - https://www.kqzyfj.com/click-10129094... ✊ Get Involved 🗳️ https://indivisible.org/town-hall-res... ❤️ Support the Show 📰 https://www.transportevolved.com 🔥   / transportevolved   ☕ https://ko-fi.com/transportevolved 📺    / transportevolved   👕 https://www.redbubble.com/people/Tran... 🛍️ https://amzn.to/40xOyjm ₿ 1QRZRGCCXUKPDZ2DZ9KX9JYJXMZDYHYGFZ0MN4WH 💬 Join the Conversation 🐘 https://mastodon.transportevolved.com... 💬   / discord   💬 https://fluxer.gg/mcj8aehg 🌀 https://bsky.app/profile/transportevo... 🔁 2nd channel:    / transportevolvedtake2   🎙️ Credits Host, Script, Editor: Nikki Gordon-Bloomfield Color: Vi Horton Art & Animation: Erin Carlie Producer: Nikki Gordon-Bloomfield Music: via Artlist.io