(Updated on 05/27/2020) Automatic Labs is shutting down. All their services such as vehicle tracking, crash alert, etc will be discontinued on May 28th, 2020. All information including shutdown, data export, the rebate can be found in the customer FAQ page of their website.
New OBD adapter has been released from Automatic. Unlike Automatic Pro, which uses the 3G network, the new adapter uses the LTE network. The 3G network will be sunset in the next couple of years. When that happens, the Pro will no longer work unless you always have a smartphone connected to the Pro and the company continues to support the Automatic app. (An email from Automatic says, “due to the expense of maintaining apps on legacy technology, the adapter powering your current Automatic service will no longer be supported after August 31, 2019”) Just like the Pro, Lite, and previous versions of Automatic adapters, the new adapter (AUT-450C, aka Automatic CCA or Automatic LTE) also focuses on vehicle trackings rather than diagnostics.
Premium Subscription – First 6 months free, then $5 per month after
- Crash Alert
- Real-time Location
- Roadside Assistance
- Service Alerts
- Vehicle Diagnostics
- App Integrations
- Driver Dashboard
- Business Expensing
- Cashless Toll Processing
Select Service – free for 3 years
- Crash Alert
- Vehicle Diagnostics
- Driver Dashboard
- Cashless Toll Processing
What’s different from Automatic Pro?
Automatic Pro is compatible with the diagnostic app called OBD Fusion. The app features Live Data, clearing and reading trouble codes, freeze frame data, creating a secondary dashboard, etc. The new adapter is not compatible with the app. It’s a big drawback. The new adapter has some minor features that are not practical. The new adapter is less versatile than the Pro. Instead, the price is cheaper. The Pro costs $149.99, and the new one costs $99.99.
The Automatic CCA mobile app
The new adapter works with the new app called Automatic CCA. The free app is available to download at Google Play Store and Apple App Store.
About the Amazon listing of Automatic CCA (LTE)
Automatic Pro was discontinued and removed from the Amazon listing. Before the release of the new adapter, the listing has been for the Pro only for a few years. Then, the new adapter showed up on the same listing as a different variation. For a short while, the listing had two color variations. One was “Gold” indicating the Pro, and the other was “Blue” indicating the new one. Soon after that, the Gold (=Pro) was removed from the listing. So, the new adapter has taken over the listing that was once for the Pro, as well as reviews and rankings.
I can’t tell the exact timeline of a series of revisions on the listing. But, the listing with two color variations existed for a very short time. It’s not a good practice as a seller(s). It’s confusing for customers. Currently, there are several hundred reviews on the listing, but most of them describe the Pro, which no longer exists in the listing. Although those two adapters have almost the same features, the sellers should have created a new listing for the new adapter from scratch.
You can distinguish the reviews by color. Each review show which color of adapter he or she bought. If you want to read reviews for the new adapter, just read “Blue” ones. You can also filter by “Show only reviews for Color: Blue” to show reviews for the new adapter only. Unfortunately, it seems the new adapter is not reliable.
My experience with Automatic LTE so far
I bought the new adapter and plugged it into my car. It took about a week to track and record the first trip. I drive an average of two hours a day. According to the app, it may take up to 24 hours to connect. So, one week was an acceptable amount of time. However, the adapter never tracks new trips after finishing the first trip. I ask for support through the Automatic website. I only got an automated reply, but haven’t received the answer yet. (as of 8/24/2019)
Updated on 08/26/2019 – I got the response from Automatic. It basically says, Leave the adapter plugged, and I will take 24 hours to establish the connection. So, I decided to wait and see for another 24 hours.
Updated on 09/01/2019 – I have driven for about 14 hours since 08/26/2019. I open and check the app every day, and today, I noticed that the adapter was erased from the app. I was able to see the ID number of the adapter in the app last week, but it’s gone. Instead, I see “No Compatible adapters” as if I didn’t do anything with the app. I tried to add the adapter to the app but never succeeded. I sent an email to the customer support again.
Updated on 09/02/2019 – I received the response from Automatic quickly. It shows a step-by-step guide for installation, which is the same as I did many times except for “15 minutes for the adapter to update and be ready to send and receive information. No need to do anything now and be sure to NOT start or drive your vehicle.” However, the current problem is not a connection to the LTE network, but I can’t even add the adapter to the app. It’s probably defective. So, I returned it and asked for a replacement.
Updated on 09/12/2019 – While I was waiting for the replacement, I connected back Automatic Pro adapter. I don’t know why, but the adapter was removed from the app. So, I reinstalled and started working right away. The Pro adapter is very reliable.
Then I received the replacement and tried to add the new adapter to the CCA app. Strangely, the app showed the adapter, which I returned because I was never able to add to the app. I don’t know how to remove the adapter from the app, but I added the new adapter to the app, anyway. It was successful, but a few weeks past, it hasn’t connected to the LTE network.
For removing the adapter from the app, contact the customer support, and they will do it remotely. The new adapter never works, but I will keep it for reviewing purpose. Customer support responds quickly all the time. At least, that’s a good thing.
Conclusion
The new Automatic adapter uses the LTE network. Just like the Pro, you don’t need to have a smartphone all the time to track and record your trips. The new adapter uses the new mobile app called Automatic CCA. The new adapter lacks compatibility with the OBD Fusion app, which is a useful mobile app for diagnostics, live data, creating a secondary dashboard, etc. Instead, the price of the new adapter is $99.99, less expensive than the Pro ($149.99). You will see many positive reviews on the Amazon listing, but most of them are mentioning the Pro adapter. There are many negative reviews for the new adapter. It seems that many customers experience a network-connecting issue with it, and so do I.