Vehicle Locate allows Chevy owners to send automated text alerts to friends and family when their connected vehicle enters or leaves a designated boundary area, or arrives at or departs from an address. (Photo by Jeffrey Sauger for Chevrolet)
The myChevrolet mobile app recently received a new feature that will help ease loved ones’ worries and make the process of checking-in more convenient. The feature is called Vehicle Locate and it allows Chevy owners to send automated text alerts to friends and family when their connected vehicle enters or leaves a designated boundary area, or arrives at or departs from an address. Owners can also use the feature to pinpoint the location of their connected vehicle at any given time.
The new mobile app update replaces the Family Link service, which was solely web-based. When setting up Vehicle Locate, users can create boundary areas, as wide as a 20-mile radius or as small as a specific address. Users can then select who should receive alerts when their vehicle either enters or leaves that designated area. Up to 10 people can receive a specific boundary alert, and each party has to opt-in.
“At Chevrolet we aim to make our drivers’ lives easier through smart and purposeful technologies,” said Alejandra Gonzalez, product manager, Remote Services, Chevrolet. “Vehicle Locate provides both drivers and their loved ones with peace of mind in a variety of different drive-related scenarios.”
The functionality of the new feature goes beyond keeping families connected. Chevrolet has identified a handful of different scenarios where Vehicle Locate makes it easier to stay connected:
- The Connected Commuter – A working professional who regularly notifies family or friends once they have left work or are nearing home. Vehicle Locate eliminates the need to send a text by automatically sending out a notification.
- The Concerned Parent – When teenagers start driving, it can be a constant point of worry for any parent. To help minimize worry, parents can work with their new drivers to receive automatic alerts when the vehicle arrives at school or when it leaves a designated radius.
- The Modern Dater – Blind and online dates can be exciting, but the idea of meeting up with a stranger can also be somewhat concerning. Instead of regularly texting friends and family members updates on whereabouts, daters can have their vehicle automatically send out a text once it has left the planned restaurant or once the vehicle has arrived back at home.
- The Helpful Truck Owner – Truck owners often get requests to let friends borrow their vehicle to help move or transport large items. Vehicle Locate can help the owner keep tabs on the truck and anticipate its return.
Vehicle Locate is available to owners of eligible 2012 model year or newer Chevrolet vehicles in the U.S., Canada and Mexico. The service is part of the Remote Access Plan, which also provides mobile apps features like remote key fob services to remotely start, stop, lock and unlock properly equipped GM vehicles, and on-demand diagnostics to troubleshoot common issues.