In February, a Volkswagen Atlas was stolen with a two-year-old child still inside, and the police requested that the company locate the vehicle, but a Volkswagen employee denied the request. Volkswagen has now launched Car-Net emergency services for free, in response to the incident.
Modern vehicles are equipped with connected technology that can offer precise location data in cases of theft or crashes. However, owners usually have to pay for a subscription once the free-trial period expires. Many people don't feel that the subscription is necessary, but it can be crucial in life-threatening situations. The Volkswagen Atlas theft highlighted this issue when a company representative informed police that the car's courtesy trial period had ended, and the owner needed to pay $150 before they could locate the stolen vehicle.
Volkswagen has since acknowledged the "serious breach of the process" and apologized for the incident. The company has now launched a new offer that makes the Car-Net emergency services free for five years for 2020-2023 model-year vehicles equipped with Car-Net, Volkswagen's connected vehicle system. Car-Net offers three plans: Safe & Secure, Remote Access, and Wi-Fi Hotspot, but only the Safe & Secure plan is part of the offer. Car-Net Safe & Secure enables owners to access Emergency Assistance through the SOS button in the vehicle, Automatic Crash Notification, Stolen Vehicle Locator, and Anti-Theft Alerts.
Gas-powered vehicle owners will receive all of the Car-Net Safe & Secure features for free, while ID.4 EV models will only include Automatic Crash Notifications and Emergency Assistance. It is unclear whether Volkswagen EVs lack the hardware to support location services, or there is another reason for this limitation.
Rachael Zaluzec, SVP, Customer Experience & Brand Marketing for Volkswagen of America, expressed regret about the February incident and said, "Today, we are setting a new standard for customer peace of mind." Volkswagen's offer is intended to ensure that owners have access to critical emergency services in case of theft or accidents. It's a positive step towards keeping customers safe and improving customer service.
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