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A new service promises the ability for car owners to track their young drivers through a smart phone, receive an alert if preset geographic boundaries are exceeded, conduct maintenance checks, and access an array of convenience features using an Android or Apple device. But, the cool functions come at a price.
Vehicle Diagnostics by Delphi is the product of a partnership between automotive supplier Delphi and Verizon Wireless. It consists of a downloadable app and an easy-to-install module that plugs into the vehicle's OBD II port. Standard on all passenger vehicles built since 1996, the OBD II port provides electronic access to a variety of systems in the car. It is used by mechanics to diagnose a variety of maintenance and repair issues. (Read our 10 tips for teens and parents.)
Visit our guide to distracted driving and teen safety.
Bluetooth technology enables two-way communication between the port and the user's phone, and the system can also provide vehicle health reports; detailed trip logs with date, time, distance, and locations visited; and the ability for the phone to double as a key fob to lock and unlock the vehicle, open the trunk, start the engine, or even locate it in a parking lot. Data is encrypted and travels over the Verizon Wireless network. (See our cell-phone carrier Ratings.)
Available now through Verizon, cost for Vehicle Diagnostics by Delphi follows a time-honored tradition of cellular providers, making charges far more difficult to decipher than really seems necessary.
The OBD ll module costs $250, whether you're a Verizon customer or not. It includes a two years of access to data from your car's data port provided by Delphi. A $35 activation charge is also required, but Verizon says that is being waived for now. But wait, there's more.
A data plan with Verizon is also required to transmit the information. Current Verizon Wireless customers can add the service to their existing plan for $5 per month, or $35 a month for customers using other carriers.
After the initial two years are up, data plan charges remain the same, but a separate $5 a month charge will be required to continue service with Delphi. (Shoppers note: The Terms of Service on the Delphi website does not specify the charges.) A Verizon representative told us the Delphi charges would be billed separately from Verizon fees, meaning that customers will have two bills to pay for the service every month once the initial two years are over.
The functionality sounds very appealing for parents looking to monitor their teen's driving, but subscription fatigue might be a barrier to market acceptance. The only thing worse than yet another data subscription is two. The cost for the first two years is at least $360, with each subsequent year costing $120.
Got all that? If Vehicle Diagnostics by Delphi still sounds appealing, more information and a list of compatible devices is available from Delphi.
See our picks of the best new cars and best used cars for teens.
