Devices
Telematics
Plug-in devices, connected car feeds, and phone-only programs.
Telematics simply means driving data collected by hardware or software and sent somewhere else. Most usage-based driving programs use one of three formats.
A plug-in device reads the vehicle's own diagnostic port. A connected car feed comes from equipment the manufacturer already installed. A phone-only program relies on the sensors in your handset.
The format decides what can be measured at all, which is why two programs can describe the same trip differently.
Terms
- OBD-II
- The standard diagnostic port most vehicles built after 1996 carry.
- Connected feed
- Driving data delivered by the vehicle manufacturer rather than a device you install.
- Phone-only
- A program that measures trips using handset location and motion sensors.
