Order your coffee and pay, with a tap on the dash

The car of the future will have powerful communication technology on board.

As self-driving cars pull onto the nation’s roads, these advanced abilities will help manage the traffic mix of tomorrow, but they may also change the way we communicate while on the go. Automakers are betting that if our cars have the technological muscle to keep us connected, we will park our phones when we get in and communicate from the dashboard.

A side benefit of all this technology is that it will also usher in a range of conveniences. These may include offering drivers options for fuel, food and lodging, perhaps with a bit of a hard sell thrown in. For owners of some General Motors vehicles, a taste of this future is already here.

Since December, GM has equipped about 3 million cars with an in-dash system it calls Marketplace. The free-to-use system communicates directly with merchants, enabling a driver or passengers to order and pay for a variety of products and services without a cellphone.

Vendors include Mcdonald’s, Shell, Exxon Mobil, Dunkin’ Donuts, Applebee’s, Delivery.com, IHOP, Parkopedia, Priceline, Wingstop, TGI Fridays, Office Depot and Yelp (for restaurant reservations).

Many owners of cars equipped with Marketplace probably don’t even know it’s available. Only about 75,000 people have