Vehicle system including remote start data bus command sending based upon a short-range link and related methods

A vehicle system for a vehicle comprising first and second data communications busses, the vehicle system comprising:

• a vehicle tracking unit comprising
• a first bus interface to be coupled to the first data communications bus,
• a vehicle position determining device,
• a long-range tracker wireless device,
• a short-range tracker wireless device having a shorter operating range than said long-range tracker wireless device, and
• a tracker controller coupled to said first bus interface, said vehicle position determining device, said long-range tracker wireless device, and said short-range tracker wireless device, said tracker controller configured to send vehicle position information via said long-range tracker wireless device based upon said vehicle positioning determining device;
• and
• a remote start unit comprising
• a second bus interface to be coupled to the second data communications bus,
• a short-range remote start wireless device configured to establish a short-range wireless link with said short-range tracker wireless device, and
• a remote start controller coupled to the second bus interface and the short-range remote start wireless device and configured to
• receive a remote start command from the long-range tracker wireless device via the short-range wireless link, and
• send at least one remote start data bus command onto the second data communications bus via the second bus interface based upon the remote start command.