MapmyIndia DriveMate is a neat connected car solution with real-time monitoring

By Abhishek Baxi While driverless cars may be the next big frontier, there’s some interesting innovation happening in the ‘connected car’ space. With internet connectivity integrated with on-board signals, these cars offer useful location services and information that aid the driving experience or offer concierge and smart assistant features. Of course, these are limited to the premium car segment, some of which never make it to India. And therefore, MapmyIndia, the leading location and navigation services provider in India, has introduced an innovative plug-and-play device that allows you to be connected to your car always, and works with almost any car – from economy hatchbacks to luxury sedans and SUVs.    All you need to do is plug the device – almost the size of a small box of cigarettes – into your car’s OBD (on-board diagnostics) port for real-time monitoring of the car. The OBD port, available in nearly all cars sold in India in the past 15 years, is usually present underneath the steering wheel. Essentially, the plug-and-play device does not need any complex wiring or installation which is great since I never recommend tampering with car’s wiring or electronics, and of course, it keeps the vehicle’s warranty intact. Also, the design aids portability allowing you to easily move DriveMate from one car to another to monitor different cars. With built-in GPS and Internet connectivity (via a regular mobile SIM), DriveMate monitors, records, and transmits the car’s real-time location along with the driver behavior such as harsh braking, acceleration, cornering, et al. It also sends alerts and information related to vehicle theft, misuse, ignition on/off, over-speeding, and idling. The DriveMate offers all the information and alerts via the companion app available for Android, iOS, and Windows, as well as a Web dashboard that will be available shortly. With proper information fed in, the app also works as a document wallet for storing driver’s license, insurance, registration, PUC and service documents and alerts you about car servicing or insurance renewal dates et al.  DriveMate offers information on vehicle parameters like speed, RPM, and battery voltage along with diagnostic parameters like status of engine light, engine coolant temperature, and description of fault codes generated. You can also get a summary of your drives on a day including information like traveled distance, time duration, and total idle time. With the built-in location features, you can instantly share your car’s location with your family and friends. The live location of your vehicle is shown on highly detailed maps with house numbers using real-time tracking technology. One of the interesting use-cases of the device is finding your car in a parking. DriveMate allows you to track your car using the app and offers directions to it from anywhere. Also, you can set it to not breach a geo-fence so that you can be alerted of the car leaving from or arriving at a particular location.  Yet, it’s not a perfect product. It’s made of rugged plastic and doesn’t attempt to be a visual delight, but the cheap plastic is a turn-off. Also, there are no app notifications when your car’s ignition is turned on or off, or when the device is unplugged. Yes, there’s an email alert (or SMS alerts for which one needs to buy an additional SMS plan), but one doesn’t always keep a tab on incoming emails, yet if I have this product, I’ll keep an eye for any notification that comes through. When I contacted MapmyIndia with this concern, I was told that in-app notifications will be introduced in the next app update.  At Rs 9,990, DriveMate is a tad expensive add-on for most people, although it does include the service and mobile connectivity charges for the first year (Rs 2,400 annually from second year onwards). However, it is a well-rounded package with a host of features that would fit many user scenarios making it a pretty good buy for the niche audience. You can use it to monitor your vehicle performance, track your driver’s vehicle usage, or stalk your family member. There’s a premium DriveMate Max variant as well which gives the car owner in-app connectivity with their car dealer or service center. This enables requesting roadside assistance in case of a breakdown or booking a car service when it is due. At Rs 14,990, I’d only recommend it if it works with your car dealership/workshop in your city. With DriveMate, MapmyIndia aims to improve the efficiency, longevity, and health of cars and fleets, and enhance safety of road travelers. It’s a solid product and packs in a lot of features, and I’d hope that future app updates will continue to improve the experience. One would wish for more integrations with service providers so that it serves as a platform for a true connected and smarter car experience.