The connected vehicle landscape is moving far beyond basic tracking. With advancements in decentralized infrastructure and Web3 technologies, the focus is shifting toward real-time data ownership, open APIs, and meaningful engagement between drivers, developers, and their vehicles.
This is the foundation of DIMO. Headquartered in the U.S., DIMO is developing an open-source protocol for connected cars that puts data ownership directly in the hands of drivers. It’s a platform designed to bridge real vehicles with digital ecosystems, allowing developers to build on live vehicle signals and enabling users to access insights, automate interactions, and earn rewards for sharing data securely.
DIMO’s charge is simple: to connect any car – from a brand-new EV to a decade-old sedan – to the internet. Not just for diagnostics, but as part of a broader, programmable mobility infrastructure. Getting there will require more than software. It will require scalable, robust, secure telematics hardware capable of supporting a global, decentralized automotive IoT infrastructure.
DIMO has always focused on user ownership, openness, and interoperability. They began their hardware adventure with the AutoPi, a Linux-based hardware component. It was an excellent development platform but came with compromises to make – more costly, larger, and too complicated for the user.
Seeking higher modularity and control, the group developed the Macaron, the firm’s own hardware, utilizing the Helium LoRa network. It reflected DIMO’s push towards end-to-end composability and user-controlled infrastructure. Though promising as a product, even the device had not achieved stable LTE connections or supported over-the-air firmware updates. “We had to do manual updates where you had to go to the vehicle to actually perform them,” explained Joe Bender, Head of Content at DIMO.
These early efforts confirmed the promise of a connected vehicle network – but also revealed the hardware limitations standing in the way of scale:
While DIMO is compatible with both native software integrations (e.g., Tesla API) and aftermarket hardware, scaling to a global fleet with such variability required something more: a modular and secure data reader for OBD2 – and a partner with the ability to offer a custom telematics solution that addressed their needs.
Partnering with Ruptela – a shared vision and fast implementation
In early 2024, DIMO chose Ruptela as a key hardware partner. Ruptela wasn’t just a supplier – it became a trusted partner, focused on providing reliable, flexible, and secure technology. “I knew that we were going to actually partner up and utilize Ruptela’s hardware for our project,” said Hayati Ertugrul, Director of Global Expansion at DIMO. From the start, the partnership was anchored in engineering adaptability and tight integration. We worked closely with DIMO’s developers to tailor our hardware to support DIMO’s full protocol stack. This included:
The speed of collaboration was equally important. “In less than 30 days of development, we had Ruptela’s device be compatible with DIMO.” Unlike traditional vendors, Ruptela aligned with DIMO’s open, modular architecture – enabling full support for their protocol and seamless integration into Web3 apps, APIs, and connected services.
LTE R1: scalable, secure, and future-proof
The result of this collaboration is the LTE R1, DIMO’s current flagship hardware device, built on our LTE Plug5 platform. It’s a compact, plug-and-play LTE OBD device that connects to a vehicle’s OBD2 port and provides a direct data stream to the DIMO ecosystem.
It’s built for developers and drivers alike and offering a robust, scalable foundation for DIMO’s connected vehicle network. The key features of LTE R1 are:
“It fully supports the DIMO protocol and also gets a lot of data for each vehicle,” said Yevgeny Khessin, DIMO co-founder. “And we found that Ruptela is an amazing partner for us – specifically in the vehicle decoding.”
Just months after launch, over 3,000 LTE R1 devices were connected to the DIMO network. “We have officially broken 3,000 LTE R1s connected to the DIMO network,” confirmed Joe Bender, DIMO’s Head of Content. The device’s ease of use and performance created a standard that made it the most utilized hardware within the ecosystem. User feedback triggered consistent updates – like GPS accuracy and visual indicators.
Real-time diagnostics have become a core feature. “You just simply plug the device, as you’re driving along, minding your own business – if a car throws an error, then it will be captured automatically by the device and it will be pushed into our telemetry API,” said Hayati Ertugrul, Director of Global Expansion.
The LTE R1 also assists DIMO’s eco-driving capabilities with the onboard accelerometer. “We can actually report back to the driver their braking habits or acceleration or even harsh cornering.” These insights power both the mobile app and third-party integrations.
With more and more users joining each week, DIMO continually enhances the LTE R1 experience – adding new features, publishing firmware updates monthly, and increasing support for cars around the world. “This is just the beginning,” said Director of Global Expansion Hayati Ertugrul. “And as we work closely, these things are going to get even better.” The collaboration between DIMO and Ruptela highlights what’s possible when a connected car solution is built for today’s use cases and the decentralized, composable automotive future. From fleet management to individual driver ownership, this partnership is shaping a custom telematics solution built for the future of the automotive IoT platform.
Watch the video to hear how DIMO and Ruptela built the LTE R1 and what’s next for connected vehicles.
Δ