Verizon Now Lets You Transform Your Car Into A Smart Car – Even If It’s Really Old

What did we do in the days before OnStar, touchscreens, and automatic alerts in our vehicles? Drivers with older model cars haven’t been privy to the technology that newer vehicles possess such as navigation, alerts, and roadside assistance — until Verizon stepped in and made it possible for almost any vehicle to become a “smart” car.

Verizon has recently commercialized its hum technology that can be installed into a vehicle’s Onboard Diagnostic (OBD-II) port, usually located near the steering wheel, to provide numerous connected capabilities. Hum comes with a Bluetooth-compatible speaker that clicks directly onto the visor, providing older vehicles with the same hands-free and emergency calling capabilities that newer cars have.

The hum technology system works with an accompanying smartphone app so users can monitor a vehicle’s health directly from their phones and receive text or e-mail reminders when it’s time for maintenance.

Specific features include roadside and incident assistance, diagnostics, a mechanic hotline, parking and meter tools (for those who tend to misplace their cars), and stolen-vehicle location assistance.

Hum technology comes with a  two year subscription plan that starts at $14.99 per month plus taxes, fees and equipment for the first vehicle (including the hardware, valued at $120) with the option to add other vehicles for less.

“This service equips drivers on the road today with the same level of information about their vehicles that fitness wearables deliver about our health. Simply put, hum democratizes the safety and convenience of vehicle connectivity,” said said Andrés Irlando, CEO at Verizon Telematics, in a news release.

For more information visit hum.