As carsharing becomes ever more pivotal in the shared mobility market today, it is essential to choose the right technology provider. In order to make the correct choice, it is important to decide on a vendor that meets the needs of your organization, but also stay up-to-date with the latest market trends and advancements in technology.

Selecting A Carshare Technology Vendor

To stay current and ensure movmi is providing clients with sound recommendations, we conducted in-depth interviews with top carsharing technology vendors for carshare operators. Our latest whitepaper, examines how 6 of the top technology carsharing software vendors support their customers. Included in the report are Ecomobix, GoTo, Invers, Omoove, Ridecell, and Vulog. In our last edition, each company completed an extensive questionnaire that covered topics such as pricing, fleet management, trip management, member management and billing.

carshare technology vendor: COMPARISON CRITERIA

In order to evaluate the tech vendors capabilities, we used a 3-point scale across 5 key criteria. Each criteria was also weighted in terms of value.

1. PRICING, PROMOTIONS, & DISCOUNTS (15%)
2. MEMBER MANAGEMENT (15%)
3. FLEET MANAGEMENT (30%)
4. TRIP MANAGEMENT (30%)
5. BILLING & INVOICING (10%)

THE RESULTS

PRICING, PROMOTIONS, & DISCOUNTS

The two standard pricing schemes for carshare operators are station-based pricing, which works for hours and day trips, and free-floating pricing which is based on a per-minute rate. However, as the market grows, corporate memberships are becoming increasingly popular, as are subscription packages with more complex promotions and discounts.

Each of the selected tech vendors offers their own solution for these pricing options. The overall front runner in this category is Omoove, with Ridecell and Vulog close behind. Omoove offers dynamic pricing to their clients – although not a standard feature, it allows for tailored algorithms that take into into account factors such as the vehicle model, time of the day, and rental duration.

FLEET MANAGEMENT

Ecomobix is the frontrunner in the fleet management category. Their carsharing operating system is an outgrowth of their well-established, in-field mobility vendor Ecoservice. Ecomobix uses a unique algorithm that enhances relocation efforts, using a cost/benefit analysis. Ecomobix, Vulog and Invers all offer task prioritization. However, with task distribution, Ecomobix cuts out the need for a middle man; for example, if a car needs to be serviced the ticket moves directly from member services to fleet technician.

TRIP MANAGEMENT

Every vendor allows users to register via an app on their mobile phone. The ability to book recurring reservations is a valuable benefit for highly active users who use carshare. Only Invers offers the ability to book recurring trips, which is highly valuable for active users. This is because Invers specializes in a station-based model, whereas Vulog, Ridecell, Omoove, and Ecomobix primarily focus on serving members that use the free-floating model. Most vendor’s platforms integrate with OEM embedded systems, which allows members to use the vendor’s mobile app along with the car’s dashboard display to navigate their route.

MEMBER MANAGEMENT

Each of the tech vendors we surveyed have excellent member management capabilities. Each tech vendor on our list allows members to update their credit card, driver’s license, and password through the mobile app, which many other vendors don’t. When making a reservation with GoTo, the member will see a pop-up asking them which account they would like to pay with.

BILLING & INVOICING

In this category, all the surveyed tech vendors have equal capabilities. They can all calculate applicable tax rates, send invoices automatically, and integrate with third-party payment gateways such as Stripe or Gestpay.

Tomorrow’s Trends

In the whitepaper, particular attention is given to the trends that will affect the development of platforms in the not-so-distant future such as:

• CHATBOTS: Carshare vendors are looking for creative ways to join their services with the virtual assistants people already use every day, like making reservations using voice recognition technology.
• LEVERAGING TELEMATICS: Vendors are beginning to use in-car telematics that monitor driver behavior in more sophisticated ways and using to negotiate lower premiums.
• INTEGRATED NAVIGATION: Instead of developing navigation technology, carshare technology vendors are seeking to integrate their platforms with already tried and tested leaders in the navigation space.
• LICENSED AFTERMARKET PROVIDERS: For example, Bosch is one company working toward creating a “truly integrated driving experience” by using intelligent telematics, big data, and connected services. They currently have a fleet solution that collects and reports data about the vehicle’s condition, the location of the vehicle, driver behavior, and accidents.
• END OF TRIP PARKING ASSISTANCE: Tech vendors are integrating better parking alerts for the operators. This not only helps members conveniently park in designated spaces it also allows the operator to manage the fleet effectively.
• FOCUS ON REBALANCING: Technology vendors will increase their focus on fleet rebalancing efforts and allowing for dynamic pricing will be one solution. We discuss the issues surrounding rebalancing in our “4 Concepts to Help Solve the Relocation Problem” report.

Want a full copy of the carshare technology vendor whitepaper report? Contact Us here to get your hands on it today.