We live in a very digitally connect world. We wear watches and fitness trackers for easy life management. We install Bluetooth and Wi-Fi locks, lighting, cameras, thermostats and sensors. In the vehicle we have a few options to link them to our lives. Some come with built-in Bluetooth features and head units and those that don’t can easily be adapted in some fashion. AT&T and VOXX Electronics have announced a new partnership to do just that, connect you to your car.
The service is Car Connection 2.0. It is an upgraded variant of a previous service labeled Car Connection Elite. The service lets you manage and monitor your vehicle. Car Connection 2.0 offers the same abilities, but steps up the game with Automatic Crash SOS, Emergency Services, Roadside Assistance, and Stolen Vehicle Recovery.
“Safety features are among one the most desired features for many car buyers and owners today. The addition of Car Connection 2.0 delivers many of the most sought after safety features available in the market today, plus much more thanks to the wireless coast-to-coast coverage from AT&T,†said Tom Malone, President of VOXX Electronics Corporation.
- Automatic Crash SOS will call our trained emergency response call center automatically when the vehicle detects that a severe crash has occurred
- Emergency Roadside Assistance providing users with a dedicated Emergency Call Center running 24/7 to help you if you break-down, run out of gas, or get a flat tire.
- Stolen Vehicle Assistance can allow you to share the vehicle location with the police to help recover your vehicle in the event of theft
- Convenience Services include the ability to add Security and Remote Start allowing users to control their vehicle through a smartphone or computer (requires the purchase of a VOXX Electronics Security and/or Remote Start modules)
- Emergency Response will allow you to call a 24/7 Emergency Response call center from your Smartphone when in the vehicle
- Safe Driver includes our unique Driver Distraction text blocking service app to reduce texting and driving, Safety Zones (Geo-Fencing) for automatic alerts, and Driver Scoring reports to help improve driving habits
- Insurance Discount Program provides a digital connection to 19 major Insurance companies for potential insurance discounts when users opt-in to have their driving data reviewed by a selected, participating carrier
- Vehicle Maintenance Report communicates most major vehicle issues including the check engine light to help reduce your maintenance costs
- Fuel Reports helps to understand how to reduce your fuel costs based on driving habits
The service is being offered for a low $10 a month fee. This gives you all you see above. You do need some hardware for this to play nicely together though. AT&T retail stores will be offering up the Car Connection 3G OBD II unit that is a simple plug-in-play device for most vehicles from 1996 and up. The unit will set you back $99.99, but is on special online for $89.99 and doesn’t require a contract to obtain.
