// THE VERGE — INTELLIGENZA ARTIFICIALE
I tried a $99 plug that promises to track your car and send help when needed — without selling your data
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The Miles Plug adds crash detection, roadside help, location tracking, and a warning-light decoder to your car for as low as $11 a month.
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My 15-year-old daughter just got her learner’s permit, so when I was pitched a new gadget tailored to teen drivers, I was intrigued. The Miles Plug is a small device that plugs into your car’s OBD-II port and monitors location, driving habits, and vehicle health, along with emergency accident response and roadside assistance.
The idea is that knowing all these things should help me feel more comfortable when my daughter starts driving alone. I tested the (now discontinued) Ring Car Cam when my son was learning to drive, but he hated it and refused to turn it on; I wondered if the Miles could provide the same peace of mind without feeling as intrusive.
Billed as “a wearable for your car,” Miles is a tiny cellular and GPS-enabled device that connects to an app to deliver real-time location, alerts, and driving insights (speeding, hard braking, trip recaps). The app also features an AI chatbot called the Miles Mechanic that decodes warning lights, tells you how urgent a fix is, and estimates repair costs.
Miles was developed by cofounders Matt McGovren and Kit Klein, who have a solid smart home pedigree. They worked at Wink in the early days and bring combined experience from Amazon (Ring and Blink), Ubiquiti’s smart home line, and other companies. “We built Miles to support teens and parents together, and keep them on the same team,” said McGovren in a press release. “Parents and teens see the same trips and the same alerts with nothing hidden, building trust instead of suspicion.”