Japan's Toyota Motor Corp. said Tuesday it has launched its first-generation connected cars.
According to Toyota, its new Corolla hatchback and Crown sedan equipped with internet access can connect with drivers' cellphones and databases of transportation facilities etc. to help the driver get real-time vehicle data and other information that they may want.
For example, when a driver has trouble with the car, a Toyota dealer can help with the problem remotely by getting real-time information about the car and give advice to the driver.
Drivers can also use their smartphones to control the door and the lights of their connected car and check fuel situation remotely. In case of an accident or a sudden illness of the driver, the car can also send emergency message and the car's location to a data center.
Toyota President Akio Toyoda said that Toyota is serious about spreading connected cars, and customers' views collected through connected cars will contribute to developing new technologies such as autonomous driving.
Toyota said it aims to equip all its passenger vehicles to be sold in Japan and the United States with the device for internet access by 2020.
