Powering it is. 
Developing the code is the more difficult aspect of all this.
Perfect case for MQTT.
I struggle with wrapping my head around MQTT. I understand how awesome it is but have no idea how to even put my toe into that water.
I like the idea but I'm not sure how well an esp8266 would hold up in the Florida heat.
Then again, my current solution is doing really well so far. It's uses the SmartThings arrival sensor and AA batteries. Works really well for me. As soon as I pull into my driveway it registers. Another donation from our friend @Cobra
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Were you thinking of running an app on your phone continuously to listen for the Hub's requests? Or were you thinking the hub could simply PING your phone's WiFi TCP/IP address? As far as I know, a simple ping capability is not currently exposed via the Hubitat API (I could definitely be wrong, though!)
Some folks use their router to send a message to the Hubitat Hub whenever a certain MAC address connects via WiFi.
See the following thread... The new Hubitat Maker API would greatly simplify this integration.
That's the Ticket!
@chuck.schwer is there any support in the Hubitat API to expose a ping type of command? Something to know whether of not a device is on the LAN, without having to run a http server on the network device?
I managed to get my Moto into devices, and Hubitat does try to 'talk' to it whenever I refresh the device. I just added it as a Hubduino Parent Ethernet. When it's connected to my WiFi...it refuses the connection request from Hubitat. But...when I take the Moto off WiFi, Hubitat gets the 'Host Unreachable' message. Take a look below. Could be a step in the right direction? By the way...TGIF!
No, we do not have any support for ICMP packets.
Thanks Chuck.
Couldn't you telnet to a raspberry pi and perform the ping command from there?
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I think the goal is to not need an extra system. That is why I recommend the WiFi router solution, since we all need a router anyway.
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Or how about Host-Pinger? I used this for a while but got something easier for arrival home (HomeLink button + RF Receiver + Contact sensor) which is more reliable. But if you're dead set on presence, it might be something you want to try out.
Since it runs on a RPi or Windows machine it should be fairly easy to port to HE.
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I just spun up a version of this on an ESP8266 using the MakerAPI tied to a VIrtual Presence Sensor. Works like a charm!!
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I have a couple old ESP01's...I was thinking of giving it a try sometime here soon.
I'm curious...what's your config? Esp8266 in the car. Hub polls esp (using host pinger) and set virtual sensor based on the response?
The ESP is polling my phone and it is sending the MakerAPI HTTP to the Hub based on ping reply or not.
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Ahhh...nice...no resources from the phone needed. Just wifi on. Me likey.
Would be interested in info on this. do you have any Documentation
