Tesla is first car compatible with Amazon's Ring Car Connect
Tesla owners already have Sentry Mode for car security. But for extra protection, they can buy a $200 device from Amazon's Ring.
Announced Thursday at an online Amazon event, Ring Car Connect sends car owners alerts about activity near their vehicle. It can also share footage from outside the vehicle, and let car owners know if their doors are locked.
Ring Car Connect ($199) works with the Tesla Model 3, X, S, and Y, and requires plugging a small device into the car. Other car makers can add Ring Car Connect compatibility in the future.
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Tesla's Sentry Mode already comes in every Tesla vehicle for no additional cost. It can record footage of what's happening outside of the vehicle when it's parked. Sentry Mode also sets off an alarm if someone gets a little too close to the car while it's locked.
Normally, Tesla owners can only see footage from their car's eight cameras on the dashboard touchscreen. With Ring Car Connect, they'll be able to see it in the Ring app. Some Tesla owners store Sentry Mode videos on a device plugged into their car so they can view it later on a computer. The Ring integration would let drivers skip that step.
Amazon also unveiled the Ring Car Alarm ($59.99), which plugs into an OBD port (usually located near the driver's seat) and sends a text alert if your car starts moving, is hit, or someone breaks in. It works in almost all modern cars.
The Ring Car Cam ($199.99) is a security camera connected to your car, with many features similar to those in the Owl Cam dashcam. It works like Car Alarm but also uses HD cameras to share a live view from inside your car if its sensors detect something. Using the Ring Car Cam doesn't require a monthly subscription.
The device also features Emergency Crash Assist, which automatically calls first responders if it detects a major crash. If you're pulled over you can say, "Alexa, I'm being pulled over" and the Car Cam will start recording the interaction. You can set up the device beforehand to automatically notify someone that you've been pulled over.
The new Ring car devices will be available starting in 2021.
Sasha is a news writer at Mashable's San Francisco office. She's an SF native who went to UC Davis and later received her master's from the UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism. She's been reporting out of her hometown over the years at Bay City News (news wire), SFGate (the San Francisco Chronicle website), and even made it out of California to write for the Chicago Tribune. She's been described as a bookworm and a gym rat.
