In this edition of automobile technology, we have gathered a list of some of the most important features of various cars that come with Connected Car Tech. Almost all thee modern carmakers have invested heavily in developing their own operating systems and apps which they have offered in almost all their products. Also, when we consider the younger generation, they are always fascinated by this tech because they are used to having the convenience of the internet in every sphere of life. There is no reason to think that it is not possible inside their cars as well. It has become a part of every car these days to come with the convenience of connected car tech features even if the car is an entry-level hatchback. So, let us take a look at how we reached this point and what are the most popular connected car tech features.
Connected Car Tech
MG Hector was, in a way, the first vehicle in India to be called a complete Internet-connected car. By that, we mean that it has an embedded internet enable SIM through which various features of the car were operated. One can claim that the general applications of various carmakers were present in the market at the time but it was made extremely popular by Hector. What that did was to ensure that the vehicle independently had the access to the internet and as a result of that, there were a plethora of features that could be operated remotely or connected to your smartphone via an app. Today, almost all modern cars have some sort of connected car tech with varying degrees of sophistication depending upon which segment the vehicle belongs. While a lot of these features can be termed superfluous, there are plenty of features that actually enhance the accessibility and convenience quotient of the cars. We shall take a look at all these features today.
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The technology behind this is not too difficult to understand. While modern cars their individual, internet-enabled SIMs, they can be easily accessed and operated through the apps. Now the apps of every carmaker are designed keeping in mind the features that they want to offer to the customers. When everything is connected to the internet, the commands that you give through your smartphone can easily be followed by the electronics of the car. The combination of internet connectivity and vehicle electronics work together to automate various actions in a vehicle. Some terrific examples of this technology include the following.
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1. Remote Engine Start
Let us consider one scenario which might be a daily reality for a lot of car owners. If you have, for some reason, parked your car in the sun for some time and went off to work which took you more time than you had expected. When you return, the car will be extremely hot for you to sit and drive for quite some time. And to wait with the windows open can take a long time. Here, a Connected Car Tech-equipped car will allow you to remotely start the engine and turn on the Air Condition even from a distance. This means that by the time you actually reach your car, the car will be perfectly cooled according to the pre-set temperature and you can drive off easily without any worry.
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2. Geo-Fencing
An extremely useful feature is the Geo-fencing function. This lets the owner set a pre-defined parameter of, let’s say, 100 kms. For this radius, he/she can define the maximum speed that the car will go. If the driver violates these rules the owner will get notified immediately. This is a good example of when someone borrows the car from you or you have sent the driver for some work, you can keep complete track of where your vehicle is travelling and at what speed.
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3. Find My Car
A very common problem when you park your car in a big parking lot is to remember the exact location of your car’s parking position. This can be challenging at times because you might just forget it while you get busy with other things. People have to waste a lot of their time finding their cars at times. Recognizing this, the connected cars come with the feature known as the Find My Car feature. With the help of the app of your smartphone, the location of your parked car can be determined. Additionally, the app will also provide you with walking directions to your car. Alternatively, you can also enable flashing and honking of the car to find it.
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4. Voice Recognition
Nowadays, cars can actually talk to you, to some extent. They recognize your language and what you want the car to do and perform many tasks for you. This is an especially useful function while driving. For instance, if you want to alter the temperature of your car’s AC, you don’t need to take your eyes off the road to find the buttons to do it. Instead, you can simply say the command out loud and the car will oblige. The same goes for other features like opening/closing the sunroof, changing the songs and volume, asking for directions and much more.
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5. Navigation
Although the Navigation feature has been around in cars for a long time, the modern spin to it is more than necessary. First of all, you can plan your entire trip the day before on maps and sends these Navigation routes directly to your car. By the time you get to your car, your route has been uploaded and you can drive off directly. Secondly, if you remember something on the road, you can simply ask the car to navigate a new route to a new place by speaking. This is an added convenience and also enhances the safety of the car and passengers.
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6. Over-the-Air Updates
With softwares come regular updates. We are all aware of the bug fixing software updates which are necessary for every sphere of the internet. Like all the other operating systems, the car’s software also needs regular updates. Obviously, you can’t travel to the service station every month just to get a simple update done. Thanks to the internet connectivity of your car, you can receive the update over the air and move on with life.
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We think that these are some of the most relevant features of the Connected Car Tech applications that almost all the new cars above a certain segment come equipped with. These features are extremely convenient and necessary for the younger generations who always want to be connected to the internet for almost all the services. If you like such content, make sure to head to Car Blog India and also check out the Automobile Technology Section.
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