MapmyIndia has launched a Connected Car IoT (Internet of Things) technology dubbed as DriveMate which offers real-time monitoring of your car with built-in GPS and Internet connectivity.
DriveMate monitors, records and transmits the car’s live location along with the driver behavior such as harsh braking, acceleration, cornering. It also sends alerts and information related to vehicle theft, misuse, ignition on/off, over-speeding, idling, breach of geo-fence (leaving from or arriving at a particular location), car servicing, pollution or insurance expiry due etc. The technology offers real-time stats about the aforementioned factors to users smartphone via the companion DriveMate mobile app, which is available across Android, iOS, Windows and Web platforms.
DriveMate Max variant additionally gives the car owner in-app connectivity with their car dealer or service center that lets them simply tap for request roadside assistance in case of break down or car servicing when service is due. The DriveMate app allows users to save documents electronically in their app such as Driving License, Registration Certificate, Insurance Policy and Pollution Certificate etc. They can also see the expected time of arrival of the car at a particular destination, get turn by turn directions to their car when they are away from the car or have parked it, share the current location of the vehicle, and simultaneously monitor multiple cars location and movement on the map.
DriveMate can be plugged into the OBD-II port underneath the steering wheel, which is present in nearly all cars sold in India in the past 15 years. This removes the need for any complex wire cutting or installation and keeps the vehicle’s warranty intact. Car owners can easily move DriveMate from one car to another if they want to monitor different cars, and also monitor multiple cars or their entire fleet with the same mobile app.
Rakesh Verma, Managing Director, MapmyIndia said in a statement,
We have invested heavily in building the technology platforms that power DriveMate, to provide peace of mind to car and fleet owners and their loved ones. Our larger vision is to improve the efficiency, longevity and health of cars and fleets, and enhance safety of road travelers including drivers, passengers and pedestrians. This is in line with MapmyIndia’s overall mission, which is to make the world better through maps and location technologies. For this, we are working with our vehicle manufacturers and smart city customers and partners, as well as looking to work with many other enterprises and app developers to integrate MapmyIndia’s Maps, Telematics and LBS platforms and APIs into holistic solutions for safer and smarter citizens, cars and cities.
DriveMate is priced at Rs 9,990 and includes first year service and SIM/mobile connectivity charges. It is available online at www.mapmyindia.com/drivemate. The Max variant, which provides additional in-app one-tap connectivity between DriveMate owners and their car dealers and service centers for easy roadside assistance and car service requests, costs Rs 14,990 and is available at many car dealerships and car accessory shops across India besides online at MapmyIndia. The hardware comes with a manufacturer warranty of 12 months. 2nd year onwards, DriveMate and DriveMate Max customers need to pay Rs 2400 annually, which covers the tracking service and SIM/mobile connectivity.