GPS tracking solution provider IMETRIK recently released its newest offering — 3.5G COLLECT — a GPS device the company indicated is designed specifically to track vehicles when the unit loses power.

The company explained that one of the key features of 3.5G COLLECT’s design is an “industrial grade” internal backup battery, a non-lithium three-cell supercapacitor that is geared so the device can pinpoint the vehicle’s location even when the car’s battery fails.

When the output from the vehicle battery falls below a specific threshold or when the power is cut, IMETRIK explained the built-in GPS backup battery is supposed to kick in automatically. The company noted the design can allow the 3.5G COLLECT to continue to operate for another three to six hours, giving the buy-here, pay-here dealer or subprime auto finance company ample time to take appropriate action.

“We think our premium 3.5G COLLECT as the ultimate peace of mind GPS model for used-car dealers who sell to subprime customers because the dealer can find the vehicle even if the car battery dies or if the customer tampers with the device, disconnecting it from the car’s power supply, for example,” said Chris Desnoyers, who is IMETRIK’s product leader for auto finance.

Desnoyers also mentioned the backup battery has an operating temperature range from minus-4 degrees to 185 degrees, enabling the GPS to transmit positions even when the vehicle is parked or driven in extremely hot or cold weather in an effort to give the dealer and finance company more peace of mind.

IMETRIK pointed out that additional features with its 3.5G COLLECT GPS include power low, power lost and power disconnect alerts.

The power low alert can notify dealers and finance companies when the vehicle’s battery is almost drained but can still power the GPS device, however the unit is in jeopardy of not being able to start. The company noted this alert is particularly useful in helping dealers manage their inventory.

The power lost alert can notify dealers and finance companies when the vehicle battery can no longer power the GPS device for whatever reason and the device is running on internal backup power.

The power disconnect alert can tell dealers and finance companies that the device has been unplugged from the vehicle’s power supply or if the device has been removed altogether.

IMETRIK went on to mention another important feature of 3.5G COLLECT GPS is its secure disable functionality, which can allow dealers and finance companies to remotely disable a vehicle without putting their customers at risk. To ensure driver safety, the secure disable feature only takes effect when the vehicle has been stationary for at least five minutes and is in an area with good wireless network coverage. IMETRIK insisted this virtually eliminates any risk of dealers and finance companies getting their customers stranded by ensuring they will be able to reactivate the vehicle’s starter without difficulty.

Furthermore, the company highlighted 3.5G COLLECT GPS can provide 13 hour daily locate functionality. Instead of locating the vehicle at the same time of day, every day, the device can automatically locate the vehicle every 13 hours.

Desnoyers explained why that timeframe is so important.

“By knowing your asset’s position at a different time every day, you get a more accurate picture of your customer’s driving behavior,” Desnoyers said. “So you get to know all the locations where your repo man is likely to find the car should you ever have to recover the vehicle.”

IMETRIK’s 3.5G COLLECT device is compact, about the size of a business card. The company insisted it’s easy to install so it can be kept out of sight.

For more information and a free demonstration, call IMETRIK at (866) 276-5382.