At CES, General Motors Becomes First Automaker to Livestream on Facebook

If there's one "it" topic at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas this week, it's connected cars. And one of the country's biggest and oldest automakers—General Motors—is going all in.

During a quick keynote today, Mary Barra, chairman and CEO of GM outlined a few of the company's biggest digital investments, which include a potentially game-changing partnership with ride-sharing app Lyft, a deal with autonomous mapping company Mobileye and the launch of a new electric car called the Chevy Bolt EV.

As part of the launch, GM livestreamed Barra's keynote to Facebook today, claiming to be the first automaker to use the social network's recently launched Facebook Live feature.

"Embracing new technology and societal needs is the core of the Chevrolet brand—you saw that on Monday when we announced a strategic alliance with Lyft to create a network of on-demand autonomous vehicles," Barra said. "It's also why we meet frequently with the senior leaders at Facebook and why we are so excited to be the first automaker to use Facebook Live."

Chevy's 25-minute clip racked up about 24,500 views, and a second video gave fans a 360-degree look inside the car.

According to Barra, the social push is all part of General Motors' goal to have 12 million connected vehicles on the road this year.

"I have no doubt that the auto industry will change more in the next five to 10 years than it has in the past 50," said Barra. "The convergence of connectivity, vehicle electrification and evolving customer needs demand new solutions."