SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Ford Motor (NYSE:F) Co said on Friday it would sell a plug-in device to enable features like remote start, security alerts, a Wifi hotspot and vehicle location assistance on 2010-2016 model year Ford and Lincoln cars.
The device would compete with similar products sold by other companies, including devices from AT&T (NYSE:T) and Verizon that add a Wifi hotspot to older model cars.
The SmartLink technology in the Ford device allows models that do not come pre-equipped with a modem to be more connected, enabling doors to be locked and unlocked remotely and supplying engine management alerts, the company said in a statement.
The after-market device, which plugs into the car's OBD II port below the steering wheel, would be sold at dealerships beginning this summer. Ford did not disclose a price.
All U.S. cars built after 1996 model year are mandated by law to have an OBD II port, which has historically been used for onboard diagnostics.
Carmakers worry third-party devices can interfere with their own embedded systems, introduce security bugs, and exploit data they say is their own, such as the car's health or miles driven.