Are EV Connected Car Apps Worth Paying For? We Asked Real Owners

Connected car apps are now standard on every new electric vehicle sold in India. They sit on your phone and give you a live window into your car — battery percentage, range, location, door lock status, tyre pressure, charging progress. Beyond monitoring, they let you act remotely. Start the AC before you reach the car, lock a door you forgot to close, check if someone has moved your vehicle.

The technology works through a SIM embedded in the car, connected to the OEM's cloud servers. Your phone talks to the cloud, the cloud talks to the car. This is why these features require a data subscription. The embedded SIM has a data plan, and that plan is what keeps the connection alive.

In India, every major EV brand provides this subscription free for the first year. It is bundled with the car. Most buyers enjoy the features during that period without thinking about what comes next.

Then the free year ends. The renewal notice appears. And the question that nobody thought about at the showroom suddenly becomes very real. Is this worth paying for?

We spoke to four owners across three brands — Mahindra, MG and Tata — to find out what they actually use, what they think is missing, and whether they renewed.

Mahindra Me4U

Mahindra's connected car app for the BE 6 and XEV 9e is called Me4U. It offers a single annual plan.

Pricing

The first year is free. From year two, renewal is ₹3,999 inclusive of all taxes as shown in the app.

If the subscription lapses, the app loses most of its functionality. Only basic safety features remain active — SOS, roadside assistance, low charge alert and external charger malfunction alert. Full remote commands stop working until renewal.

What an Owner Says

Sumit Sahoo was among the first buyers of the XEV 9e, purchasing in March 2025. After a year, his subscription expired and the app prompted renewal at ₹3,999.

He was not pleased with what he had received in that first year.

"But even after a year if features are still not available then I will only pay when they actually release what we are supposed to have."

Features promised but still missing after a full year of ownership:

• NFC key
• Secure 360 is buggy with no continuous recording
• Trips missing or not recorded properly
• Cannot set charge limit from phone
• Cannot change charge current from app
• Many owners still on old software version with no OTA update yet
• No option to manually check for OTA from phone

Despite all of this, Sumit renewed. His reason was straightforward.

"For me the main reason for buying is the remote AC start. I don't use any other features as such."

One of the earliest XEV 9e owners, a full year into ownership, renewing a ₹3,999 subscription for a single feature. That says something about both the value of remote climate control and the gap between what was promised and what has been delivered.

MG iSmart

MG's connected car app is called iSmart. Unlike the other two brands, MG offers subscription packs based on duration rather than features. All three packs offer identical functionality.

Pricing

The first year is free. Features are the same across all packs. Choosing a longer pack reduces the effective annual cost.

What Owners Say

Anmol Jain owns a MG Windsor and gave us a detailed breakdown of what iSmart actually delivers in practice. He pointed out something most buyers are not aware of at the time of purchase.

"The MG application primarily offers two critical functionalities: remote air conditioning control and vehicle immobilization. It is important to note that the remote air conditioning feature operates for a maximum of ten minutes before automatically deactivating. Furthermore, the application's performance can be hindered by data limitations, as MG provides a monthly allowance of 2 GB, which can be quickly consumed. Once this data limit is reached, the application's features become inaccessible, and the vehicle will not respond to commands. To restore functionality, users must either await the monthly data reset or purchase an additional data package."

On whether he would renew, his view was measured.

"Should a subscription be required, a five-year plan at a cost of ₹2,998 would be a consideration, though the absence of this subscription would not significantly impede operations. The current offerings do not present exceptional value commensurate with the price point."

On the most valued feature, his answer was candid.

"The remote immobilizer feature stands as the sole significant benefit, though ideally, its use would never be necessary. As an alternative, the customer care department can be contacted to immobilize the vehicle if the situation arises."

Anurag Pundir, also a MG Windsor owner, had a simpler and more positive experience.

"Yes, I find value in it. I would pay — for the premium pack for one year again. The feature I use most is turning on the HVAC for pre-cooling the cabin. Though it should have been at least 15 minutes, not 10."

Two owners, same app, same car — two different conclusions. Anmol sees limited value and would choose the longest pack at the lowest effective annual cost. Anurag is a satisfied user who would renew without hesitation.

Tata iRA

Tata's connected car app for its EV lineup is called iRA. It offers three tiers, each adding features on top of the previous one.

Pricing

The first year is free. The price jump between tiers is significant. Whether the incremental features justify the additional cost is a question our owner addressed directly.

What an Owner Says

Pranav Jindal owns a Tata Curvv and purchased the base pack at ₹1,999.

On whether connected car apps add value, he acknowledged the potential while being direct about execution.

"Yes, these apps can add a lot of value, if done right. The potential is huge because OEMs already have access to deep vehicle telemetry. If they use it well, the app can genuinely enhance ownership. The problem is that Tata Motors is not taking this seriously. Their app is a very basic, buggy layer on top of the car rather than a thoughtfully designed ecosystem."

On why he chose the base pack.

"In Tata's ecosystem, the price jump between tiers is quite significant, but the incremental value is very low. The base pack already covers everything essential — remote commands, charging status, driving data and telemetry. I don't see any real need for Alexa integration or in-car apps. I'd rather just use my phone for those use cases."

On what he values most and where the app falls short.

"The most valuable features are remote commands — especially remote AC — and charging status visibility. Being able to pre-cool the car and check charge status remotely is exactly what an EV app should excel at. However, you cannot turn on the AC while the car is charging. A very common real-world scenario: you plug in at a DC fast charger, go for lunch, and expect the car to be charged and cooled when you return. But because of this restriction, the whole experience breaks."

Additional gaps Pranav flagged — none of which are available on iRA today:

• No sentry or camera mode
• Cannot pre-heat the car
• Cannot precondition the battery
• Remote commands are often unreliable
• Driving stats are inaccurate

Features he would like to see: temperature-adjustable AC for set durations, window and sunroof control, powered boot control, 360 camera remote access, tyre pressure in PSI, cabin and outside temperature display, digital key, charging speed control and valet mode.

The Warranty Condition

What sets Tata iRA apart from every other connected car app in this comparison is something most buyers find out only after purchasing. Tata has tied the lifetime battery warranty to maintaining an active iRA subscription. If the subscription lapses at any point, Tata can deny warranty coverage. There is also only a 48-hour renewal window before expiry. Missing that window puts warranty continuity at risk.

No other brand in this comparison has a similar condition. Mahindra and MG both offer warranties that are entirely independent of their app subscriptions.

Pranav's view on this was measured but clear.

"I don't think this is justified. Warranty should not depend on maintaining a software subscription, especially when the app experience itself is inconsistent. In my specific case, I'm somewhat okay with it because Tata extended my battery warranty from 8 years to lifetime, and the ₹2,000/year cost is acceptable for that benefit. But for a new buyer, this condition doesn't make sense."

What This Tells Us

Across four owners and three brands, one pattern is consistent. Remote climate control — the ability to pre-cool the car before you get in — is the feature that justifies the subscription for every owner we spoke to. Everything else is either secondary or simply not working yet.

On pricing, MG offers the most accessible entry point at ₹1,178 a year inclusive of GST. Tata sits in the middle at ₹2,359 for the base pack. Mahindra is the most expensive at ₹3,999 inclusive.

On execution, all three apps have meaningful gaps. Mahindra has the most ambitious feature set on paper but is behind on delivery after a full year. Tata has fundamental restrictions that break common real-world scenarios. MG works within its limits but the 2 GB monthly data cap and 10-minute AC limit are constraints that matter in daily use.

The Tata warranty condition stands apart. Tying battery warranty continuity to an annual software subscription with a narrow renewal window is a policy that new buyers should be aware of before signing the dotted line.

Is it worth paying for? If remote climate control matters to you, the base plan on each platform is probably worth the cost. If you are expecting a comprehensive connected ownership experience, all three apps still have significant ground to cover.

All pricing verified with owners at time of writing. Tata iRA pricing is exclusive of 18% GST. MG iSmart pricing is exclusive of 18% GST. Mahindra Me4U pricing of ₹3,999 is inclusive of all taxes as displayed in the app, with ex-GST calculated at ₹3,389.