Pioneer’s new rDrive does a whole lot for being such a small device. The entire thing fits in the palm of your hand, and easily installs into the OBD (on-board diagnostic) port of your vehicle. Just plug it in, connect to your smartphone, and be blown away by all of the capabilities you’ve just unlocked.

What’s Going on Under the Hood?

If you’re like me, you probably don’t think too much about your car’s inner workings unless something is wrong, or you get a little light reminding you it’s time for maintenance. (And if you’re not like me, and you are constantly wondering how your car is performing, this is even more awesome!)

What I need is something that can tell me exactly what that little engine icon on my dashboard means. That’s where the rDrive comes in handy. With the rDrive connected to your vehicle’s diagnostic port, you’ll get an alert sent to your connected device, indicating which system being affected and the severity of the problem. That might take some of the “fun” out of the “How bad is it?” game, but trust me, it’s way more fun than finding out the hard way, i.e. when your battery dies unexpectedly.

Worst-Case Scenario Ready.

Helping keep up with basic maintenance and staying ahead of costly repairs is great, but what about those situations that no amount of planning or maintenance could prevent? I’m talking, of course, about accidents.

The rDrive comes equipped with Crashboxx crash detection software, which uses a combination of data points to detect if a crash has occurred, and how severe the crash was. The severity ratings range from very light to very heavy. This data is captured and sent to the connected device as well as to first responders.

In a worst-case scenario, in which you have been involved in a crash and are unable to call for help, rDrive will detect the crash, call emergency services, tell them where you are, and notify them that you have been involved in an accident.

LoJack Gets Your Car Back.

No one ever wants to think about their car being stolen; that surreal moment when you aren’t sure if you forgot where you parked, and then that hot panic that floods your body when you realize you are standing where you left your car, but it’s not there.

Enter the rDrive, powered by LoJack. Basically, it works like this. You discover your vehicle has been stolen, either by a Tripwire notification which you can set up for specific locations like your home or work, or by physically going to where you left the vehicle and finding that it is not there. Next, you report the vehicle as stolen to the local authorities and get a case number. Then, you simply need to contact the LoJack Command Center, available 24 hours a day - 7 days a week, provide them with the case number, and they will work with police to locate and recover your vehicle using nearly real-time GPS location data.

An Extra Set of Eyes.

Peace of mind is not a luxury parents of teen drivers, (or children of senior drivers in some cases) are often able to enjoy. Between the temptation to speed or drive recklessly to the desire to explore their newly found freedom, teenagers are faced with a lot of difficult choices when they are behind the wheel. That’s why rDrive added some handy little features that parents and caretakers are going to LOVE.

One of the coolest features is the Driver Score Card, which tracks things like acceleration, hard breaking, excessive speeding, and violent turns. The device tracks all of this data every time the vehicle is driven and uses the information to create a driver scorecard. Parents can use this information to help coach safer driving habits.

Another feature that parents are likely to find useful are the configurable alerts that can be setup based on location, speed, or time:

Is Suzy due home from school by 3, but you don’t get home from work until 5:30? No problem, just setup a boundary alert for your home with a time parameter of 3pm. If that car isn’t within the physical boundary you created by the time you set, you will get a notification, complete with the current location of the vehicle.

Does Joey have a lead foot? Are you constantly reminding him to slow down and follow the speed limit? Setup a speed alert, and anytime the vehicle’s speed exceeds the set limit, you’ll get a notification.

The potential use cases are endless, but the point is the same; keep an eye on them, even when they are out of sight.

And More

Pioneer has big plans for this little guy, and we’re excited about all of the features it already boasts, and can’t wait to see what is rolling out next!