SHARE NOW expands vehicle offering with CloudBoxx from INVERS

Telematics infrastructure for new vehicle model in the SHARE NOW fleet

• Telematics infrastructure from INVERS helps SHARE NOW expand its existing fleet portfolio to include the Fiat 500
• Easy integration of new telematics into existing SHARE NOW system
• Non-invasive installation optimises the value retention of the vehicles

Siegen, Germany, 20.10.2020 – SHARE NOW customers in Germany now have another option to choose from: the car sharing provider has added the Fiat 500 to its fleet, joining existing models from BMW, Mercedes-Benz, MINI, and smart in its portfolio. SHARE NOW has been introducing the stylish four-seater since October 8th and will continue to introduce vehicles from the Italian manufacturer month-by-month in Berlin, Cologne, Dusseldorf, Frankfurt, and Munich. By the end of the year, Europe’s market leader in free-floating car sharing will infleet 650 of the Fiat vehicles, bringing a total of 22 different vehicle models to their fleet. For the technical integration of the new vehicles into SHARE NOW’s existing IT infrastructure, SHARE NOW’s technical decision makers are relying on CloudBoxx, the market leading telematics infrastructure from INVERS.

Being able to adapt and scale the range of vehicles is critical to succeed in the highly competitive market for sharing services. “We are constantly working to improve our offer and further develop our product portfolio. With the Fiat 500, we are making our vehicle fleet even more attractive for our customers,” says Slavko Bevanda, CTO/CPO at SHARE NOW. “In order to be as flexible as possible in our choice of vehicles and to be able to offer our customers the best possible service, we rely on INVERS’ CloudBoxx, which we can quickly and non-invasively install in new vehicle models and easily integrate into our software landscape.”

The CloudBoxx is a piece of telematics infrastructure that connects shared mobility vehicles with the operator’s IT architecture. It consists of a telematics unit that is installed in the vehicle, connectivity functions, a developer-friendly and well-documented programming interface (RESTful API), and the fleet operation software FleetControl, which manages technical fleet processes. Sharing applications, such as car sharing, can be connected to this infrastructure. Operators can use cellular connectivity or Bluetooth to call up vehicle data such as fuel level, kilometres driven, or vehicle position; control door locking or the immobiliser; and provide users with the corresponding functions via a smartphone app. In addition, CloudBoxx can collect further data from the vehicle’s own sensors or from any additionally installed sensors and make it available via the programming interface. CloudBoxx offers comprehensive connectivity, selecting the best connection at any time and ensuring the greatest possible reliability, regardless of the network operator. Further tools such as the set-up and test app also simplify the infleeting process for operators. “With over 25 years of experience of working with operators, we know how important it is not only to have compatible, reliable telematics hardware, but also a developer-friendly API that allows operators to integrate vehicles into their IT systems conveniently and flexibly,” says Alexander Kirn, CEO of INVERS. “In principle, our technology can be installed in any vehicle and is already being used in more than 600 different models, with a total of over 120,000 shared vehicles in operation.”

An additional benefit of CloudBoxx is the easy integration into the existing software backend using the development kit. The CloudBoxx Development Kit simulates an actual vehicle in the software developer or tester’s device. Controls and indicators display status information and allow the tester to change the vehicle status or to trigger reactions for specific use cases. In this way, applications can be easily and reliably tested through the simulation.

For SHARE NOW, it is important to carry out as few structural changes to the vehicles as possible. This is associated with lower costs as well as a higher value retention. INVERS supplies the CloudBoxx with a vehicle-specific installation kit to enable non-invasive installation into fleets.

The two partners have also benefitted from a successful cooperation before: car2go, which became SHARE NOW after the joint venture with DriveNow, already used telematics solutions from INVERS for the integration of smart models in 2008, for example.

About INVERS

INVERS, inventor of automated vehicle sharing, enables mobility service providers to launch, operate and scale their offerings with the first and market-leading shared mobility operating system. As the world’s first shared mobility technology company, INVERS has the longest experience in the market and acts as an independent and reliable partner for operators of shared mobility solutions such as car sharing, scooter sharing, ride pooling and car rental. INVERS continuously researches innovative technologies in order to further shape the future of mobility. With its Shared Mobility OS, INVERS offers a modular full-stack solution with which mobility providers around the world can make their services quickly, reliably and scalably operational.

Well-known brands that implement their services with INVERS technology include Clevershuttle, Miles, Getaround or Flinkster and, since 2015, companies from the micro-mobility sector, such as the scooter-sharing company Emmy. The company was founded in 1997 and has locations in Siegen, Cologne and Vancouver. The technological development takes place entirely in Germany. www.invers.com