MobiCar BT Provides Solace to Car Owners

An Iranian startup has developed a gadget and app that captures a car’s live data, which for the first time, provides owners full information on their vehicles.

The product is called “MobiCar BT” a dongle which can track many processes in different parts of the car and display them through a smartphone application, local blog ICTStartups.ir reported this week.

The device, which is plugged into the on-board diagnostics port (OBD II) – available on cars built from 1996 on – pairs with smartphones via Bluetooth to display all the information tracked by the device.

It will essentially turn an existing “dumb” car into a “smart car” giving the owner a complete sense of how his vehicle is operating and whether he should take it to the mechanic before something major happens.

MobiCar BT gives drivers a wider range of services including, “mobiCar Tracker”, “mobiCar Tracker+” and mobiCar Tune”, each of which give another level of services to car owners, Sayena Ghofrani, the public relations manager of the company, told Financial Tribune.

Features like full-engine monitoring, fuel consumption, error alerts in airbags and brakes are also reported by the app and device.

“The device also offers GPS-based services like finding the nearest gas station and garage.”

She said the tracker dongle helps users locate the car from a third-party website. “For example parents from the comfort of their own home can monitor their children driving.”

Parents and company owners can also create an alert that will sound if a car goes beyond a designated area (the alarm will not shock the driver).

 Tech Localization

This is the first tracker product locally developed in Iran. Other companies had previously imported foreign brands but prices were too high for normal market appeal.

Ghofrani added that the device is completely localized as the company is offering devices compatible with domestic cars’ platforms at cheaper prices.

Interestingly, the application and plug-in device is developed to function specifically with local car designs. Moreover, foreign auto companies will also be supported, according to the developer.  

“SAIPA’S Pride, Tiba, Saina, and Iran Khodro’s Peugeot 206, 207, 405, Runna and Samand are among the cars MobiCar dongles will help insure,” Ghofrani said.

The initial price of the devices ranges from 1.5-2.5 million rials ($40 to $67) while foreign models of the product with similar services come at around $90.

Prior to the development of MobiCar BT device, only a mechanic could tell if a car had a fault, which they would charge the car owner to see. Now it seems the days when mechanic was king are coming to an end.