[Review] V-Auto by Vodafone: what it is and how it works

With V-Auto by Vodafone cars become smart. The telephone company brings its experience in the automotive sector to end customers as well.

We put it to the test during a trip from Milan to Bologna, installing it on a not exactly modern car (a 2006 Lancia Y) to understand how it is possible to make even an old car smart.

V-Auto: what it is

But let's take a step back. What is V-auto? It is a small device manufactured by Vodafone Automotive, which you just need to plug into the socket OBD of the car (almost all models produced since 2004 are compatible).

For safety, I recommend that you check whether your car is compatible with the V-auto system or not.

Finding the OBD socket will be super easy. One time downloaded the app (available for Android and iOS) just select the make and model of the car to receive information on the socket housing.

V-auto: what is it for

After configuring it via the application, the device is able to offer different types of information (which can be easily consulted through the homonymous application.

• Geographic location: the integrated GPS of V-Auto allows to detect the position of the car at any time, so that it can be retrieved at any time. This is a great way to find your car after parking it; 
• Chronology of the itineraries traveled tracked through the integrated GPS;
• SOS: by checking the car's sensors, V-Auto is able to detect when an accident occurs. Automatically, the system alerts you operations center made available by Vodafone; the latter takes care of contacting the owner of the car to verify that he is okay. In the absence of an answer to the central telephone calls, after 2 attempts, medical assistance is automatically sent to the place where the car was geolocated. A clarification: the "rescue" is not intended as a tow truck service, but of a medical nature only;
• Driving evaluation: the smart device is able to process the information obtained from the various sensors of the car, to which it combines the GPS data to establish how safe our driving is. The score is given on a scale from 1 to 100 and varies according to your driving style.

V-Auto it is powered directly from the OBD socket, but is equipped with a battery buffer that guarantees half an hour of autonomy even if it were to be detached. If the device suddenly stops sending data, the operations center detects the lack of connection and alerts the car owner in real time to verify the reasons. V-Auto therefore also works as an anti-theft, thanks to the functionality anti tampering.

V-Sim: the secret that allows V-Auto to work

V-Auto does not have any form of connectivity such as Bluetooth or Wifi. The device works with a special SIM by Vodafone: or the V-Sim. The latter is welded inside the device, it is not removable and has no expiry date.

Vodafone's special SIM has been designed to be compatible with any IoT device that needs a connection to work: from video cameras to pet trackers. The company has decided to make available to users cards that can be managed completely digitally, through the “V By Vodafone“ application. From here, users are free to renew subscriptions for their devices.

Among the strengths of V-Sim there are undoubtedly the full compatibility with all smart devices, theabsence of contractual obligations for subscriptions (which you can therefore activate only for the months in which you actually need them) and expiration. The special Vodafone SIM, in fact, does not expire and can be kept in disuse even for more than a year, without risking it being disabled. Furthermore, there are no data thresholds to respect.

The latest pro of this SIM is that it works all over Europe at no extra cost. A nice convenience if you are a great traveler.

The past and the future of V-Auto

The device launched by Vodafone has all the company's experience in the automotive sector behind it. In fact, for several years the telephone company has been offering connectivity for cars manufactured by premium companies such as Porsche e BMW, But also to insurance companies who offer particular services to their customers. V-Auto works using the same proprietary platform and operations center.

For the future, the telephone company plans to develop a series of software features to be implemented within the firmware and application. V-Auto it will therefore improve update after update.

V-auto: our test

After this long excursus on the product, let's go back to our journey. We used it - as I already told you - during a trip to Bologna. We installed it on the 2006 Lancia Y just halfway. Once the QR code placed on the device has been scanned, we waited for the configuration to complete. Here, you basically have to do is wait.

Once the configuration is complete, you can start collecting data about your car: V-auto will therefore help you to remember if you have parked the car or more simply to keep track of all the journeys made.

Kids beware: if you let your parents borrow your car (with the device installed), know that they will know where you are going. So the lies will have to be banned!

Seriously, this feature really is useful in case of theft, as you will be able to locate your car without problems, anywhere in Europe.
As regards the  driving style calculation, we did not do anything bad with a score of 76%.

Obviously we have not had the "luck" to experience the SOS service because for now we care about our skin. For now, we trust what Vodafone has declared.

In short, V-auto really represents an excellent help for all those who have a car shared with new drivers but also with elderly people. It's great because it sends the SOS automatically and it's just as great if your car is stolen.

If you are curious to know how our trip went, I recommend that you watch the review / vlog on our YouTube channel.

V-auto: how much does it cost

The IoT device is already available for sale at a price suggested price of € 79 and will have a monthly cost of 5 € con formula pay per use. This means that if for any reason you decide not to use it, you will not be obliged to pay the € 5.

And you? Have you already tried it? How did you find yourself?