When investigators think about digital evidence, they typically think about cell phones: call records, text messages, location data, app activity. But there's another powerful source of investigative intelligence sitting in driveways, parking lots, and crime scenes across the country, and it's largely going untapped.
Modern vehicles are no longer just mechanical machines. Many of them are computers, constantly communicating with cellular networks and manufacturer servers. In many ways, a modern vehicle is essentially a cell phone on wheels.
Like a cell phone, those communications generate data records.
For investigators, those records can become valuable digital evidence. If a vehicle is connected to your case, the vehicle has a story to tell. This includes where the vehicle was, when was it there, and may provide who may have been inside it.
What Is a Connected Vehicle?
A connected vehicle is a vehicle equipped with an embedded cellular modem that allows it to communicate with external networks. This allows vehicles to enjoy the comforts such as remote start, remote unlock/lock, location services, vehicle diagnostics, and other telematic features. 90% of new vehicles sold on car lots are connected.
These vehicles constantly register with nearby cell towers, transmitting data continuously, even when the car is parked and unattended. The owner doesn't need to be subscribed to a connected vehicle service plan for this data to be generated. The modem is always on, always communicating, and always leaving a record.
What Data Do Connected Vehicles Generate?
The scope of data generated by connected vehicles is broader than most investigators realize. Depending on the year, make, and model of the vehicle, records can include:
Call Detail Records (CDRs) generated by the vehicle's embedded modem as it registers with cell towers, similar to CDRs obtained from a carrier for a cell phone
GPS and precise location history including where the vehicle traveled, routes taken, stops made, and exact timestamps
Trip data such as speed, acceleration, braking behavior, and engine activity
Bluetooth and device pairing logs showing records of phones and devices that connected to the vehicle's infotainment system
Geofencing data capturing when the vehicle entered or exited defined geographic areas
Event Data Recorder (EDR) information capturing pre-crash data including speed, braking, and seatbelt status in the seconds before an impact
Remote access logs showing activity from manufacturer apps used to locate, unlock, or start the vehicle
This data can place a vehicle, and by extension its occupants, at a specific location at a specific time, independent of any cell phone evidence. It can corroborate or contradict witness statements, establish timelines, and identify individuals who were present in the vehicle through paired device records.
Real Investigations, Real Results
Connected car data has already played a role in high-profile criminal investigations, demonstrating its value as a legitimate and powerful evidence source.
In 2023, data from a Tesla was used in the investigation of a homicide in Georgia. Location records from the subject helped establish a timeline before and after the shooting and placed the suspect near the scene of the murder. Onboard camera footage from the rear camera showed the suspect moving the handgun from his pants to his jacket. Critical evidence that contributed to the eventual prosecution.
In missing persons and search and rescue cases, connected vehicle data has been used to identify the last known location of a vehicle, significantly narrowing search areas and accelerating response times when minutes matter.
Investigators working carjacking and robbery cases have used vehicle CDRs to track the movement of stolen vehicles across jurisdictions. In 2023, Louisiana State Police detectives were investigating 79 vehicles stolen from rail yards. Using connected vehicle data, they identified where vehicles traveled after the theft, linked the vehicles to other incidents across numerous states, and linked 18 individuals to these vehicles, resulting in numerous guilty pleas.
These aren't edge cases. They represent an emerging investigative standard that agencies across the country are beginning to adopt.
How Investigators Can Access Connected Car Data
Accessing connected vehicle data follows a legal process similar to obtaining records from a cellular carrier, but with some important distinctions.
The starting point is identifying whether the vehicle in question is a connected car. The Connected Car Lookup Tool in the LeadsOnline Toolbox is a great place to start. The tool will assist to determine if a target vehicle is connected, contains warrant templates to accelerate the legal demand process, and training and support for agencies working through it for the first time.
Once confirmed, investigators can submit a legal demand, typically a search warrant, to the vehicle manufacturer and the cellular provider of the vehicle telematics to obtain the relevant records. The process generally involves:
Identifying the vehicle as a connected car using available identifiers
Determining the correct legal demand based on the vehicle's manufacturer and connectivity type
Submitting the warrant to the appropriate manufacturer or telematics provider
Receiving and analyzing the returned records alongside other digital evidence in the case
Turnaround times and data availability vary by manufacturer, but the legal framework for obtaining this evidence is well-established and mirrors the process used for traditional cellular records.
Connected Car Data as Part of a Broader Digital Evidence Strategy
Connected vehicle records are most powerful when analyzed alongside other digital evidence sources, not in isolation.
When CDRs from a vehicle are combined with cellular records from the occupants' phones, ALPR hits, GPS data, and social media activity, investigators can build a far more complete picture of movement, behavior, and associations. Vehicle data can confirm or challenge cell phone location data. Paired Bluetooth device logs can identify who was in the car. Trip records can establish patterns of life that connect seemingly unrelated incidents.
In violent crime investigations including homicides, robberies, carjackings, and kidnappings, this layered approach to digital evidence can be the difference between a case that stalls and one that moves forward with confidence.
Missing people and search and rescue operations benefit equally. When a vehicle's last known location can be established through telematics data, search efforts can be directed more precisely and response times shortened.
The digital footprint left by connected vehicles exists whether investigators look for it or not. The question is whether it gets collected and used or left behind as untapped evidence.
Stop Overlooking the Vehicle
If a vehicle is involved in your case, it may already hold answers. Connected car data is not a future capability. It is available now, for many vehicles already on the road, and it is being used by forward-thinking agencies to solve cases that might otherwise go cold.
Any time a motor vehicle is connected to a case, whether it belongs to a suspect, a victim, or an unidentified party, it is worth asking: is this a connected car? And if so, what does it know?
The evidence may already be there. It just needs to be requested.
Access the Connected Car Lookup Tool and search warrant templates in the LeadsOnline Toolbox.
LeadsOnline helps law enforcement agencies access, analyze, and act on digital evidence, including connected vehicle data. To learn more about how to identify connected cars in your cases and build the legal demands to obtain that data, contact our team or visit LeadsOnline.com.