T3 India – April 2019

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WWW.T3INDIA.COM APRIL 2019 T3 Tomorrow’s Technology Today 27

While this solution is good for Volkswagen Connect Edition
car owners, one thing to keep in mind is the OBD’s reliance on
Bluetooth. The data plug in the car can only communicate
with the app when the car is on. Also, the trip data needs to be
synced before turning off the ignition.
On the other end of the spectrum is Letstrack that offers
third-party solutions for not only cars but also bikes. Letstrack
Premium (pictured) is also an OBD device that communicates
with the corresponding mobile app but unlike VW Connect,
Letstrack Premium lets you check the location of the vehicle
anytime, anywhere. This is because the Letstrack device
comes with an activated SIM service and built-in GPS.
The device allows the car owner to track their device in
real-time even when the ignition is off and can be geo-fenced
so if the car moves outside the geo-fenced area; you get an
app notification regarding the same.
However, the area where Letstrack shines is its AC on/off
tracking and engine cut off. The app not only notifies the user
about when the engine and air-conditioning are turned on or
off but with a single tap on the app, the owner can even
remotely cut the ignition. This is beside the tow alert that
sends out a notification if the car is moving even when the
engine is turned off.
Other nifty features Letstrack Premium offers are speed
alerts, driver behaviour, SOS and even Police alert that notifies

the nearest police station.

Now in our use, many of these features worked fairly well

but you may face issues of no or delayed response if cellular

coverage in the area is weak as it relies on a network

connection to relay the data. It’s an issue that Letstrack can do

little about but it hinders the overall user experience.

All said and done, these two solutions show what our cars

are capable of and as cars and its related technologies get

smarter, we’ll see many more intelligent solutions that will

allow us to understand our driving habit and its impact on the

vehicles we drive every day.