(Image Credit: iStockPhoto/Stefan Weichelt)

Mojio and its closest rival, Automatic, saw the gap in the market for transforming drivers' current vehicles into connected cars and stepped-in to offer their own adapters in the $100 - $149 region which feeds data from the OBD port available in most cars since 1996. 

Of course ecosystems only thrive with a healthy selection of applications; which is where most competitors to Android and iOS' flourishing stores fail. Back in May, we reported Automatic got the jump on Mojio with the launch of an app store which launched with 20 high-profile applications from the likes of IFTTT, Expensify, Jawbone, and Nest. 

Mojio launched its own store this week called 'Mojio Drive' with more than 20 innovative car applications including; 

• Gauge – Works like a personal mechanic for diagnosing car trouble and providing Uber-like visibility on available and nearby tow truck services via integration with Urgent.ly's On-Demand Roadside Assistance. 
• Cloak - Theft tracker which monitors a vehicle's location and - if a car is being stolen or its ignition is unexpectedly turned on - the app will alert the driver with text or audio notification. 
• RepairLync – Serves as a digital interface between drivers and repair shops to interpret diagnostic trouble codes (DTCs) and send to the nearest automotive repair for an independent evaluation and price quote. 
• Onsurance - Offers cheaper insurance through allowing insurers to access a driver's record from the previous 30 days. 
• Dooing - Fleet management app which helps dispatch, locate drivers, send jobs, and track performance with detailed analytics. 

“We know that drivers want their cars to be more like their smartphones. There are at least as many connected car use cases as there are app developers, and so an open platform for building apps is essential to giving people what they want,” said Jay Giraud, CEO, Mojio. 

He continues: “With more than 800 developers using Mojio’s open platform creating apps and services that span the entire automotive market – from vehicle maintenance apps to data-driven auto insurance services – Mojio is at the forefront of the connected car economy enabling drivers to save hundreds of dollars per year.” 

You can grab a Mojio 3G + GPS device for $149 which includes the first year of premium cellular service from AT&T in the US. Subscriptions after the first year are $4.99 USD per month, with no contract required. 

For more information on Mojio, visit their website here. 

Do you think Mojio will be able to compete against other players? Let us know in the comments.