Data Items

Using telematics devices, cars can distribute data for many purposes for an end-user. Car data is created by electrical sensors linked to the ECU or Electronic Control Unit. An ECU is linked to an onboard telematics device which transmits live data. A user in a central location receives this data over the air, with an end interface that can be configured in a way that works for their business.Many attributes of a car can be transmitted live or at set intervals using GPS and mobile data networks.

Using car data, fleet management companies analyse their vehicles to help reduce costs, prevent maintenance issues and schedule service appointments in advance. Governments and councils can use car technical data to better manage traffic. Insurance companies can have real-world use cases for their customers and the introduction of smart cities with connected cars results in more efficient infrastructure. Most importantly, emergency services receive live vehicle data to accurately locate an accident, with automatic triggers to call ambulances if the vehicle senses it is in a severe accident.

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Our connected car data catalogue grows with every new manufacturer. Explore the variety of data items available via our Auto API.

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Our data catalog on Airtable contains technical information specific to each data category, including its properties and their production availability.

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What is Altitude Data?

Vehicles are designed to operate up to a certain altitude. Vehicle altitude data is used to prevent any damage, locate vehicles and ensure the safety of occupants in an incident.

Typically, altitude data is calculated using pressure. The air pressure reduces by around 1 millibar during 10-meter increases in height. Pressure sensors in vehicles can accurately determine the altitude measured against sea level for a vehicle.

Other ways of measuring altitude data are by overlaying contours onto maps and combining this with accurate GPS coordinates from the vehicle's GPS device. Altitude data is typically measured in meters or feet.

Use Cases

Knowing the altitude of a vehicle can assist emergency services during breakdowns. If a vehicle is high up a mountain and not working, it may be due to the low air pressure and not enough oxygen being fed into the engine to produce a spark.

Altitudes can be dangerous for humans, with alerts being sent to fleet management operators showing that a driver is about to enter a high altitude area, and warning of any issues that may occur as a result.

Altitude data can be used when testing vehicles. As electrical components are designed to adhere to standards that simulate high altitudes. Going over this may void the warranty and identifies the root cause of vehicle breakdowns.