It has been several years since Automatic first debuted its connected car service, but all good things must come to an end, apparently.
Automatic made the announcement today, and detailed how things will be winding down by the time the end of May rolls around. The reason behind the shutdown? Automatic says that the ongoing health crisis is the reason behind the company’s decision. The announcement says that with fewer people buying and leasing cars, and with fewer drivers on the road, there is no path forward for the company.
As a result, all of Automatic’s operations will shut down at 11:59 PM PT on Thursday, May 28, 2020.
Just like many other companies in the United States, the COVID-19 pandemic has adversely impacted our business. With fewer consumers purchasing and leasing vehicles and drivers on the road, we unfortunately do not see a path forward for our business. These are unprecedented times, and with so much uncertainty ahead, we have made the difficult decision to discontinue the Automatic connected car product, service and platform. We will be shutting down all operations at 11:59 pm, PT, on May 28, 2020 and, as a result, your service will end on that time.
As noted above, all services will be shut off when the aforementioned date rolls around, including crash alert, real-time location sharing, and roadside assistance. Automatic says that folks who own the adapter should discard of it following suggested recycling programs, and the adapters should not be returned to Automatic.
The Automatic adapter made it possible for iPhone (and Android) users to quickly monitor a variety of different elements, including gas used, time spent in the car, and even distance traveled.
It’s definitely unfortunate to hear that Automatic is shutting down. Did you use the service?