Connected Car Startups That Are Worth Your Time
In the last couple of years, we were able to witness an increase in the number of connected car startups being launched. Lately, there has been a lot of interest lately related to connected vehicles technology and other applications that will ultimately allow cars to become smarter than ever before.
An Industry That Will Keep Growing and Growing
SNS Research says that in the next 5 years, we will definitely see an increase in revenue for the connected car industry, an increase that could hit 5%.
Many drivers who are passionate about technology don’t have the money to buy a new car just because it’s “connected”. What they need is a cheaper version!
If you remember, I’ve talked about how drivers are afraid of their connected cars getting hacked in a previous article, and about how that’s a serious issue. So until someone comes up with a real solution to that problem, I think it’s much safer to just buy a device that will turn your car into a connected one.
Let’s take a look at some connected vehicle startups that are worth your time.
1. Zubie
I’ve already wrote an article about Zubie back in September. To sum it up, Zubie is a company that has built a device you can plug into your car’s dashboard and then, just like magic, you can connect your car to your smartphone.
You will have access to all sorts of information about your car. In addition, you will receive notifications in advance, so that you’ll know when it’s time to have repairs performed on your car. If you want to find out more about Zubie, then go ahead and read this article.
2. Vinli
Guess what? It looks like I’ve been a good sport and talked about Vinli as well. You can read the article here. The company advertises itself as a company that sells a device that is able to transform your car into a connected vehicle for just $99!
What’s cool about this device is that it’s your own personal hotspot and that it uses a 4G LTE subscription to connect to your car. Also, after you connect the device to your car, you can download apps from the app store to customize the features you want on your car.
The device is connected to the Internet which means you’ll l have road assistance at all times. If you think you don’t need it, you can always just stick to receiving notifications about your car’s maintenance.
3. Dash
Dash is a connected vehicle platform whose main objective is to make driving smarter using real-time diagnostics and data, and greener by improving your car’s fuel efficiency. It also aims to help drivers save money on gas and maintenance, as well as making driving fun by offering certain rewards.
If you are interested in such a device, you can get it for as little as $10. Or you can get a more expensive version that could set you back $159.
It works on most cars released after 1996.
4. Navdy
Navdy’s tag line is this: “feels like driving in the future”. Navdy is a portable device that has a transparent head-up display. You can place it right above the steering wheel, so that you won’t have to take your eyes off the road whenever you’re driving and someone calls you or you receive a text.
If you want to answer the phone, you don’t even have to touch the device. It’s enough to do a swipe gesture with your hand. If you want to answer a text, just use your voice.The great part is that the navigation feature will not disappear when you have an incoming call.
5. Automatic
Automatic is pretty similar to Vinli. The company managed to raise $32 million in funding, which gives it a great advantage over other connected vehicle startups.
Automatic also developed a device that you plug into you car’s dashboard. The next step is to download the app. You can then receive information about your car through a Bluetooth connection.
You will receive diagnosis notifications and tips that will help you improve your driving. Also, you will be able to find the exact location of where you parked your car. And if you ever get involved in an accident, the app will notify the emergency services for you.
Connected Car Startups Are Stepping up the Game
It seems like more and more startups want to take over the connected industry by developing smart devices that are not only easy to use but also much cheaper than an actual connected car.
Would you turn your car into a connected vehicle using a device like this?