Verizon Vehicle Offers to ‘Connect’ Older Cars

Verizon Wireless will soon offer drivers with older vehicles the option to retrofit their car with modern connectivity.

The cellular giant said on Tuesday in Detroit that it will offer a new service called “Verizon Vehicle” that will be able to diagnose vehicle problems, dispatch tow trucks and connect a mechanic to the car. The service, which spent the past two years in development, costs $14.99 per month and sends subscribers a monthly vehicle health report.

Verizon Vehicle has the potential to spread many of the connected services packaged with new vehicles to the roughly 200 million older automobiles sold before Internet connections and GPS were mainstays in the market.

It is compatible with vehicles up to 19 years old and connects to the car using the OBD-II port underneath the dashboard along with a speakerphone that attaches to the sun visor.

Later Verizon may add more features including turn-by-turn directions and a concierge service similar to GM’s OnStar, but for now it will focus on enhancing safety and simplifying vehicle maintenance. Currently, Verizon provides telematics services to several automakers including Mercedes-Benz and Volkswagen.