Honda Announces HondaLink Service For 2013 Accord

Keeping up with America's need to be constantly connected, Honda has unveiled its new HondaLink service, which will be featured in the new Accord (along with future Honda models). The service is the result of a partnership between Honda and Aha and allows drivers to listen to a selection of Internet-based stations, such as Facebook, Twitter, and Yelp restaurant listings. In order to use HondaLink, consumers will need to download the HondaLink app for either iOS or Android and then link their phone to their car via Bluetooth. Since the service is completely controlled through this smartphone app, HondaLink won't need its own data plan to function.

While it may sound like having access to Facebook and Twitter in your car would cause some potentially costly distractions, the goal of HondaLink is actually to make accessing these sites and stations while driving safer than it would be by using your smartphone. For example, HondaLink converts your Facebook news feed to an audio stream, and doesn't allow users to post a status. The content you listen to in your car is selected in the smartphone app ahead of time, allowing for a personalized lineup of content that "enable customers to put away their phone and still stay connected to the people, music and media they love."

HondaLink will be making its debut in the 2013 Accord, but it will also be included in future Honda cars. Honda has also announced plans for a version of HondaLink made specifically for electric vehicles. HondaLink EV will allow consumers to remotely view their car's charge and even initiate charging, along with granting the ability to start up the air conditioning or heating while the car is connected to a power source. That way, you can have your car toasty warm or frigidly cold the second you get in it without sacrificing any battery life.

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