Verizon announced a new service that puts the wireless carrier in the connected vehicle race on Tuesday at the Detroit Auto Show .
The service, called Verizon Vehicle, will provide wireless connectivity, as well as maintenance reminders, parking tools for meter location and time and early warnings for possible mechanical issues, according to Digital Trends.
While General Motors' OnStar and other connected automobiles services only work with the latest models of their most recent vehicles, Verizon Vehicle will work with older cars from different automakers as well, more specifically, cars built after 1996.
A device that plugs into the car's OBD-II port is included in the service and uses a GPS to track the vehicle, Digital Trends reported. The device also uses Bluetooth to provide the wireless connectivity.
Verizon Vehicle comes with a visor-level speaker that can connect to Roadside Assistance and A.S.E. Certified Mechanics to automatically contact support staff and send EMS in case of an accident.
The service will work with over 9,000 vehicles and allow drivers to call, text and email in order to access information about their cars, Utah's People Post reported. The Verizon Vehicle app for iOS and Android is also available for obtaining this information.
Erik Goldman, the President of Verizon Telematics, said Verizon plans on using the new service to give people a chance to connect with each other and solve problems they wouldn't be able to fix before.
Verizon Vehicle will be available for $14.99 a month, requiring a two-year contract, starting April 10.
