Connected car services have been growing steadily, expanding to smartphone ecosystems that integrate most of the popularly used applications along with vehicle assistance. Drivemode has been one of the more popular smartphone app ecosystems that bring connected car services to any vehicle without any hardware prerequisite. Now, it has partnered with Urgent.ly to also bring roadside assistance services within the app.
The Drivemode smartphone app presently a large interface that is aimed to make usage easier and safer while driving. Along with the large buttons, it scrolls most of the popular applications from your smartphone and presents them in a large, clean and safe user interface to use while driving. Drivemode presents most of the infotainment services that a modern in-car infotainment unit would possess, making it particularly useful for older cars. Navigation can be powered via Google Maps or Here Maps, and music streaming can work via Spotify or Apple Music, depending on what you use on your phone. It also synchronises contacts, and all of these are presented to the driver via a voice interface.
Now, with Urgent.ly, Drivemode will also provide roadside assistance services, amplifying its connected car services. These will allow you to share vehicle location and consult services any assistance that you would need. Instead of in-car telematics, this service will use your phone as the hardware and connectivity platform, making it a simple and effective in-car technology upgrade. The new services include insurance, mapping and parking brands for catering to needs.
The smartphone-based connected car technology provider was recently given $6.5 million series A funding by Panasonic, and with the latest partnership, will hope to build further till connected car platforms become a norm in cars in the coming years.