Automatic Link Review

Automatic Link​

Right Lane Reviews​

Tony Schaefer​

According to the Automatic website, the Link will help you drive smarter and save fuel. By monitoring your hard braking, hard acceleration, and speeding, the Link calculates an overall score from zero to one hundred. Does it meet these expectations? Does it really make you a better driver and save you gas money? I plugged one into my Toyota Prius in hopes of finding.

Opening and installing
The Automatic Link device itself is pretty small. The packaging is attractive and brightly colored; clearly designed to hang on a store’s J-hook. The cover art is a study in minimalism and curiosity. That is to say, whereas most products try to explain what they do right on the cover or show exactly how to use the product, the Link’s cover art simply shows a phone app and a Mini Cooper. There are “wireless communication” lines indicating that the two are communicating somehow. It makes me think that the intent was two-fold: either you know what the Automatic Link is and don’t need the explanation or you have no clue what it is but now you’re interested.

In the event that it’s the latter, you merely need to open the front flap. Not only can you see the Link through a clear window, you get an explanation. First you see, “The Link plugs into the car’s standard OBD-II data port.” Then you learn that “It connects your iPhone and car wirelessly whenever you drive using Bluetooth 4.0.” As though that’s not enough to convince you, there’s also, “Works in every car since 1996.”

Call me pragmatic, but so far, there hasn’t been any solid indication of what the Link actually does. I know that it will plug into the OBD-II port of any car build since 1996 and will communicate via Bluetooth with my iPhone whenever I’m driving. For a clearer understanding, you have to read the back. The Link:

• Plays subtle audio cues to help you make small changes that have a big impact on fuel efficiency.

Additionally, you can:

• Clear that little ‘check engine’ light
• Automatically call for help in a crash
• Track your trips and driving score
• Always remember where you parked

Now we’re getting somewhere. My goal over the next week was to test the Link and see if these things hold true. Hopefully, though, I won’t test the ‘call for help in a crash’ part.

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Opening the box, the Link is held in place by a plastic case. Under the Link is the cutest little owner’s manual I’ve ever seen. Additional, as a pleasant surprise, there’s an Automatic sticker. I’m sure there are not as many Automatic stickers on cars as there are Apple stickers but I’m impressed that they include the sticker as though taunting you to badge your vehicle. I’m still considering it.​

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The owner’s manual is small because it’s simple. In fact, the whole installation and getting started process is brain-dead simple. There are essentially two steps:​

1. Download the phone app​

2. Follow the onscreen instructions​

Seriously, even I can do that.​

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Literally two minutes later, the phone app was installed and I was anxious to get started. But first, I had to enter the super-secret identification number of my Link to connect it to my phone and then locate my OBD-II port. I was impressed with the thoroughness and thoughtfulness that clearly went into the setup of the phone app. First of all, it’s dark under the dash, so there’s a button to turn on the camera’s flash as a flashlight. Also, in case you’re not sure where to look, here is a map showing the most common locations of OBD-II ports in modern cars; check the blue ones first. And one last thing: if you’re still having problems, there’s a button marked “contact us” so they can help you out. When the Link is seated into the OBD-II port, it beeps to let you know that it’s connected.​

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Let me diverge a little here. It is worth noting that some vehicles have OBD-II ports in unfortunate locations. While most are tucked away under the dash in the foot well, some are inside the dashboard and others are in the glove box. There are a few vehicles with latched covers over the OBD-II port. This means that to install the Link, you must open the cover and let it hang there. For the most part, you won’t notice it but it just might not be your cup of tea.​

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To show how simple the rest of the process is, I’m going to include all the screen shots I captured. You will see for yourself that the phone app literally steps you through the entire process.​

(Keep in mind that I grabbed these captures in October of 2013. Pictures might change as different versions are released.)​

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Once the Link establishes a connection with your car, it will begin detecting the vehicle capabilities. I’m not exactly sure what this entails but I’m going to assume that not all cars relay the same information. With this complete, you proceed to register your vehicle, associating it to the Link. Because humans have a tendency to fat-finger long, seemingly random combinations of numbers and letters, the phone app actually allows you to scan the VIN code. Where is a scannable bar code of your car’s VIN? It says right on the phone to “Look for it on the inside of the driver’s door frame.” It couldn’t get easier. Just like that, I was done.​

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But there’s more. Remember that the Link advertises the ability to “automatically call for help in a crash.” In my opinion, as much as all the other promises about tracking mileage and making you a better driver, this one feature is really nice to have. So let’s go through the process of setting up “Crash Alert.” Honestly, there’s nothing to set up for the basic crash alert functionality. That part is automatic and may I mention there’s no service fee; it’s part of owning and using the Link.​

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The only thing I need to do at this point is identify which of my contacts I want notified in the event of an accident. I don’t show my contacts’ information but even that was a piece of cake.​

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OK. So it might seem like that was a lengthy process, but in reality, the whole thing was less than ten minutes. It might have taken you longer to read the process than it took me to complete the process. When all was said and done, Link knew exactly what kind of car I had and was just as ready to get started as I was.​

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Note: Link displays exact location of the vehicle using GPS. I’ve modified the images to display Cupertino, CA, and Boulder, CO. These locations are neither where I work nor where I live.​

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Driving and Using​

In order for the Link to communicate with your phone, the Automatic app must be running. It can be running on the screen or in the background. That doesn’t matter. What’s important is that it’s running. This can be a bit problematic if you do not check the app from time to time. If you don’t pay attention, there’s a chance your phone will dump the background process to claim memory for another app. I wish there were a way to flag certain apps to always run in the background but that’s a whole different write-up. Until that time, you just have to launch the app from time to time so it’s always there.​

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Personally, I started using the Link from a skewed perspective. My Prius gives me instantaneous MPG readings as well as long-term MPG averages. So this part was not new to me. However, I stand firm in the belief that if people actually saw their real-world MPG they would modify their driving habits. So I honestly think this is going to be a big deal to a lot of people to actually have this information at their fingertips.​

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The only real-time feedback you get from the Link is in the form of chirps indicating hard accelerations, hard braking, and speeding above 70 mph. If you open the app while driving, all you see is a spinning circle and an indication that you are driving. My daily commute never gets to 70 mph so I don’t have to worry about speeding. You have the option to turn off the audio feedback but in my opinion, the best way to make a change is to provide instantaneous feedback. It’s much more immediate than simply looking at the end result.​

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I literally found myself arguing with the Link when it flagged some of my ‘hard’ braking and accelerating. Ok, I admit, a few of them I deserved. A few others were caused by traffic conditions. But I sometimes got the feeling that the sensitivity was a tad bit too touchy. Once flagged, you can’t take it back. All the same, the end result was exactly what the Link wanted: I started driving more consciously with slower braking and easier starts. Where I could, I would coast much more towards a stopping or slowing situation. When possible, I would “drive as though there’s an egg under the pedal.”​

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NOTE: always make sure to obey posted traffic laws and please do not become a hindrance to the flow of traffic.​

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The end result was predictable. My overall mpg average went up while I was using the Link. The first morning I used it, the Link flagged 7 hard stops and 3 hard accelerations. There was definitely room for improvement. At the end of the week, over the exact same route, I was responsible for 1 hard brake and 2 hard accelerations. For me, the acceleration is actually the hardest because when the light turns green, I know there are cars behind me who really couldn’t care less that I’m trying to keep a little white thing from chirping at me.​

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Each trip is processed when you are finished driving. All the heavy data crunching is done on your phone. This is strategic since phones have more than enough processing power to achieve the task. Making the Link device more intelligent would, undoubtedly, increase the price. You are presented with a break-down of the miles driven, the time spent, how much the trip cost you in real gas prices, and your MPG.​

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Additionally, you receive a “score”. This score ranges from 0 to 100 and is somehow based on a mysterious algorithm. My only guess is that it considers your driving ‘errors’ along with mpg. I’ve always tried to explain to my wife that I'm a really good driver. Now I have proof. ​

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To calculate the gas price, the Link automatically uses the price of gas at the station where you refueled. Let me repeat that: it automatically knows what you paid for gas. In the same way that you can look up gas prices on the web, the Automatic phone app knows your GPS location. When your car records that the gas tank when from emptier to fuller, the phone app checks gas prices in your immediate location. Seriously. In the event that it can’t grab the real-time gas price, it will use the closest station to the start of your trip.​

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Showing a driver the cost per trip and overall fuel expenditure seems to me like a great way to get people thinking about how much they spend on gasoline. For example, I spend roughly $1.30 for the pleasure of driving to work and another $1.30 to get home. ​

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You can review each trip via a map with the route highlighted. Each hard brake is denoted with a violet dot and each hard acceleration is a yellow dot. Unfortunately, the map is 1 ½ inches wide and 1 inch tall. There is no zoom and tapping it doesn’t open into another page. The dots are easy enough to remind me where I heard the chirping, but if I had the audio turned off, I might not be able to tell which stop got flagged. It would be nice if it were possible to expand the map and truly review the route.​

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The trip reviews introduce a bar showing an MPG on the left and EPA on the right. What I found interesting is that though my Prius has an EPA rating of 50 MPG, that figure was never displayed. Instead, various numbers, usually in the 55 – 60 range are on the right. The left number was usually pretty close to the MPG reported by my car. I just don’t know what the EPA number is supposed to represent.​

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Each week, you are working to get the highest score you can. As you can see in the images, my first week ended with a score of 92 out of 100. I’m going to assume that the number of hard stops and hard accelerations calculates the score but I’m not completely sure because it’s not clearly explained anywhere. I know that I want it to get higher as the week goes on and perhaps that’s enough.​

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So it’s easy to say that the Link trains you to drive well in terms of fewer hard stops and fewer hard take-offs. But I’m using the word “train” in the same sense that you can train a dog to perform a trick. The Link doesn’t provide information as to why hard brakes are detrimental or just how much jackrabbit starts cost in terms of mpg and money. It simply beeps when you do something ‘wrong’ in hopes that you will do it less in the future. I truly wish there were more information either in the phone app or on the website truly educating drivers to the whys and hows of more efficient driving. The point should be to use the feedback to train you but also educate the driver. This way, even when the Link isn’t there they will still want to drive efficiently and know how.​

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There are two functions of the Automatic Link I did not get the chance to test. First, when your car ‘throws and error code’ indicating there is something wrong, the Link device will send it to the phone app. From there, you can research the code and look for nearby mechanics by accessing Yelp from the app. You know that dummy light: Check Engine? What does that mean? Why is it on? Does it mean you are low on oil or does it mean something even more detrimental? With the Automatic phone app, you can find out and get it taken care of. The Link will not turn you into a certified mechanic nor should you attempt a repair that’s over your head. With the Link, though, you will have an idea what’s going on when you take your car to the mechanic.​

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The other feature I – fortunately – did not try out is the Emergency Contact system. I have to take Automatic’s word that this feature works. When I set up my contacts, Automatic sent them a series of text messages notifying them of my decision. This is a good idea because you certainly don’t want one of your contacts receiving a message out of the blue and thinking it’s a hoax.​

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I’ve offered some suggestions and posed some questions. Trust me, I have more but I’m not going to throw them all in here. Instead, I’m taking my ideas online. Automatic has an online users’ forum where users post questions and suggestions. Actual Automatic employees read the forums and respond. Sometimes, conversations carry on with users piggy-backing on someone’s idea and the Automatic employee acknowledges that it’s a good idea and they will see if it’s possible to implement it. This is my kind of online help. When evaluating software packages, I have made purchasing decisions based on whether or not there’s an online forum. So while there are things I don’t yet understand, I’m not concerned because I’ll just look it up in the forum. If I can’t find it, I’ll ask and someone will explain it to me. Eventually, it just might make it into the phone app for the next person.​

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It’s worth taking the time to lurk the forums. There are some really good ideas and you can get hints as to what might be coming in future revisions. If you own a Link, register and suggest some of your own ideas.​

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One More Thing​

Personally, I didn’t really think twice about this, but when I mentioned the Link to some coworkers and showed them the phone app, one of them started going off about “Big Brother” tracking my routes, knowing where I am at all times, and even selling my driving habits to insurance companies. Wow.​

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To be fair, there has been at least one case of a GPS manufacturer selling information to law enforcement agencies that used the data to set up speed traps and write more tickets. If you are concerned about that happening to you, then don’t buy the Link. Also, turn off location services on your smart phone, never use navigation, and tighten the chin-strap on your tin foil hat. The Link knows where you are. That’s part of how it works. You should know that going into ownership. ​

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Since I’m not overly paranoid, there’s not much more I can say on that topic.​

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Wrapping it all Up​

The Link unit itself isn’t much to write home about. It plugs into your car’s OBD-II port and is easily forgotten. Until, that is, it chirps at you for breaking some efficient-driving ‘rules’: hard brakes, hard accelerations, and driving faster than 70 mph.​

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The brains of the operation are in the phone app. This is where all the information is crunched and displayed for all previous trips. You are presented with your driving time, mpg, cost, and distance. Using all this information and an algorithm, you are presented with a driving score from 0 – 100. Additionally, you are provided an overview of the trip marked with those spots where the Link chirped at you. All this information is grouped by week so you can compare all your trips individually or compare week-to-week.​

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If your car’s check engine light comes on, Automatic’s phone app will help you decipher its meaning. If you’re ever in an emergency situation, the phone app will send a text message to your contacts.​

I’ve told you everything I know about the Automatic Link. To be honest, there’s not much and it’s dead easy to use. To be optimistic, there is overwhelming potential to be so much more. What I see in the Link is a first step towards a vehicle feedback system to rival, or surpass, what is available on your dashboard. If Link decides to move in that direction, they will need to proceed cautiously. The information needs to be hidden unless desired so as to not overwhelm the casual user. Should they choose to provide that information, though, I know a population of hypermilers who would love the Link.​

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The Link currently retails for $99.95 USD.​

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To learn more about the Automatic Link, head over to thier website:​

Automatic - Your Smart Driving Assistant​

 

Thanks, guys.
I honestly enjoyed using the Link though as I said in the review, the amount of information is not too much better than what I get in the Prius.

Bob: I suspected there was an accelerometer in there measuring starts and stop. I was actually hoping it was more along the lines of reading pedal pressure for each and reporting when a certain threshold was breached. As for the high-resolution data, I see pros and cons with that.
Pro: If you're in an accident, you can present a series of data points as your defense.
Con: If you're stopped for speeding, would the court accept the Link's data as proof? Or could the police subpena the data to prove that you were?

Trollbait: you're exactly right, of course. It's long been established that one of the hypermiling techniques is to briskly get up to speed. Unfortunately, some of my brisk acceleration was flagged. The Link and I were at ends as to which acceleration technique was best for me and my car.

-1-: Give it time. If you're anything like me, you will quickly get accustomed to the amount of information available to you, know exactly which data is important at specific times, and then start realizing there's more data that could be useful. It's the Prius curse of escalating information desire.

Fotomoto: I fell in love with the Fusion Hybrid dashboard and the amount of customizable information you can get. I was really hoping the 2010 Prius would attempt to approach that level and was disappointed when it didn't even come close.

I've been thinking about how Automatic could work their business model and improve their product. One idea that came to me was in-app purchases. Let's say you get the Link and it's great for your conventional vehicle. You're done. But what if you have a hybrid and more information is available to you? Rather than building hybrid screens directly into the base app, sell them for a couple bucks. I'd pay a couple dollars for a screen that provides engine temp, ICE temp, instantaneous MPG, exact SOC, Ampere into and out of the battery, and exact ICE power. Throw in a light to indicate when Stealth is available (and why it's not) and I'd consider three dollars. Heck, I would love to see the previous trip's map in a zoomable format overlayed with instantaneous MPG.

I haven't yet registered at the Automatic forums but I plan to. In my regular job, I provide ideas to Marketing and Engineering about product enhancement. This is nothing new to me. I hope the people at Automatic are ready for my input because if the Link device is feeding the data to the phone, I think they could turn it into a really kick-nice person driving assistant.