The quick comparison
| Hardwired | Plug-in OBD | Battery | |
|---|---|---|---|
| How it's fitted | Wired to vehicle power, hidden | Plugs into the OBD port | Screwed or bolted on, no wiring |
| Location updates | Live while moving | Live while moving | Every few minutes to once a day |
| Easy for a thief to remove? | No, it's hidden | Yes, it's in a known spot | Depends where it's fitted |
| Remote immobiliser | Yes, with an output | No | No |
| Meets Turo's A$75k rule | Yes | No | Not designed for it |
| Best for | Cars, motorbikes, utes, trucks | Light fleets, logbooks | Containers, generators, trailers |
| Example | Teltonika FMC920, FMC230 | Teltonika FMC003 | Digital Matter Barra Fusion |
Hardwired trackers
A hardwired tracker is wired into the vehicle's power and tucked behind the dash or trim. Because it's always powered, it can report its location continuously while the vehicle moves, so you see where it is now, not where it was ten minutes ago.
Most also have inputs and outputs. An output can drive a relay that stops the engine restarting (a remote immobiliser), and inputs can report things like a door opening or an alarm button. A small backup battery keeps it reporting if the power is cut, and sends you an alert.
Choose hardwired for: theft protection on cars and motorbikes, Turo and rental cars, and fleets where you need live tracking.
Plug-in OBD trackers
An OBD tracker plugs into the diagnostic port that every modern car has under the dashboard. There's no wiring, so it takes seconds to fit and move between vehicles. Some, like the Teltonika FMC003, can read the vehicle's real odometer and fuel level on supported models.
The catch is security. The OBD port is in a known spot, so anyone can find the tracker and unplug it. That's why Turo doesn't accept them for higher-value cars in Australia.
Choose OBD for: light commercial fleets, pool cars and logbooks, where convenience matters more than theft protection.
Battery trackers
A battery tracker runs on its own batteries and needs no wiring at all. To make the batteries last for years, it sleeps most of the time and only reports every few minutes, hours or once a day. The Digital Matter Barra Fusion can last up to 10 years on daily updates.
That makes battery trackers perfect for things that don't move much or have no power, like shipping containers, generators, trailers and hire equipment. It also makes them a poor choice for chasing a stolen car, because the location can be minutes or hours old. They're called asset trackers for a reason.
Choose battery for: containers, generators and hire equipment.
Our recommendation
- Your own car or motorbike: hardwired.
- A Turo car worth A$75,000+: hardwired. It's required.
- A fleet of utes: hardwired for security, or OBD if you mainly need logbooks.
- Generators, containers, trailers: battery.
Not sure? Tell us what you're tracking and we'll recommend the right device.
