At Smartcar, we’re always working to make vehicle connectivity more seamless, more standardized, and more transparent. And today, we’re excited to preview the latest integration experience for Volkswagen vehicle owners.
What’s new?
The VW Car-Net experience now supports the Smartcar consent flow, giving vehicle owners with active VW Car-Net subscriptions the option to manage how third-party services, like the ones our developers build, connect to their vehicles. As vehicle owners move through the Smartcar journey, the Smartcar API helps present detailed information about the specific types of data your app may request.
Here’s what that means in practice
A guided consent experience. The journey starts in your app, just like always. When a user selects to connect their Volkswagen vehicle with an active VW Car-Net subscription, they may:
- Select their brand from the Smartcar vehicle list.
- Log in with their VW Car-Net credentials.
- Choose their vehicle(s) to authorize.
- Review and accept the data access request, through both the VW Car-Net and Smartcar interfaces.
- For first time connections, owners will also be required to confirm their PIN.
VW Car-Net now explains your app’s access
The VW Car-Net platform plays an important role in helping vehicle owners make informed decisions. Here’s an example of the kind of consent screen a driver will see during the flow:
This experience highlights:
- The available data types (e.g. EV battery levels, odometer, vehicle location)
- The importance of privacy and consent
- The ability for users to revoke access via their VW Car-Net account
What developers need to know
- Users authenticate using their VW Car-Net login, similar to how they would for other OEMs on our platform.
- You’ll still need to explicitly declare which data points or vehicle actions your app requires. Drivers must consent before access is granted.
Ready to build?
If you’re already building with Smartcar, this integration is available through the same APIs and SDKs you know. No need to manage separate logic for Volkswagen vehicles; our platform handles the complexity for you.
Want to see it in action or start testing? Get in touch, or head to your Smartcar dashboard to try it live.
