The logic of “1 car = 1 user” seems to be less and less accepted by fleet managers. For both economic and ecological reasons, new practices are emerging. Though not very widespread a few years ago, car sharing is now a booming phenomenon. This practice of fleet sharing can rely on new technologies to develop. Amongst others, telematic boxes are a key tool to facilitate access to this service.
And like any new tool, many questions may arise. “What is a car-sharing box? How does it work? What is the interest for a fleet manager?” In this article, glide.io gives you an overview of the subject.
Car sharing: what is it?
Electric scooters, electric bicycles, pedibuses, carpooling, car sharing, etc. The new mobility solutions seem endless. And for good reason, they might be a solution for one of the biggest problems in our society today, whether for individuals or companies.
As far as the concept of car sharing is concerned, it refers to the pooling of a fleet of cars so individuals and professionals alike can have a vehicle at their disposal when they need it. But how exactly does it work? Car sharing has relied heavily on new technologies to make it more practical and flexible. Today, innovation and automation make it easier to book and access cars. Let’s see what role car sharing boxes play in the world of shared mobility.
Car sharing boxes: what are they?
In concrete terms, car sharing boxes are small electronic and connected devices that are placed in the vehicle. This type of intelligent equipment allows the car to be opened and closed on a self-service basis, without human intervention or handing over the keys. This provides users with total flexibility in terms of time and access to vehicles in complete autonomy, for use 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. But that’s not all.
Connected to a car sharing software, the boxes can allow many actions and the reading of several data:
- Identification of authorised users and their associated rights;
- Opening and closing of doors to control access to the vehicle;
- Automatic immobilisation to prevent vehicle theft;
- Monitoring of mileage and fuel level at the beginning and end of the vehicle rental to facilitate billing;
- Tracking the vehicle’s position in real time using a dedicated GPS function (mainly used to ensure the correct return of the vehicle at the end of the journeys).
The boxes thus combine a safety and comfort function, simplifying the daily life of car sharing operators. More and more car sharing operators are choosing car sharing boxes for their flexibility and reliability. Very practical, car sharing boxes facilitate the feedback of information from fleets in order to optimise vehicle management, and can also be described as a telematics tool. A real asset for better data reading, they also save time by automating the departure and return of the car, regardless of the fleet manager’s availability. Whether it is a question of organising the departure and return of a car sharing station, the latter no longer has to be present and can thus monitor the numerous reservations remotely.
To be truly effective, car sharing devices must offer a technology that is compatible with all vehicles, regardless of type, model and make. This is precisely one of the value propositions of glide.io. Beware! Car sharing boxes do not dispense with a proper inventory of damages. As a precaution, always remember to make a complete inventory with photos (an option provided by the glide.io application).
Car sharing boxes: technology for mobility
At glide.io, we want to implement “the most reliable solution for car sharing”. And to stay on top of the latest technological innovations, we work with trusted partners who are experts in the field of car sharing boxes. These boxes are linked to our car sharing solution to initiate commands via a wired connection or via the central data system CAN (Controller Area Network). And it is this technology that collects the data from the vehicles, which is then accessible on our 100% digital platform.
In order to offer an even more optimal solution, the installation of the boxes can easily be organised on the company’s premises (2 hours per vehicle) or if the company decides to equip itself with a new fleet in order to launch car sharing, it is also possible to ask for the boxes to be installed directly at the dealership.
Car sharing boxes for all needs!
In conclusion, the car sharing box is one of the many partners in the world of new mobility. But like many of them, it’s its compatibility with other mobility players, such as our car sharing platform, that makes it a complete solution for fleet managers. An ideal option for the many players looking for new, flexible and multimodal mobility solutions.
ToAs a growing practice, carsharing is set to become increasingly profitable for these players as technological innovations continue.
As part of this solution, car sharing boxes are multiplying everywhere.
At glide.io, our mission is clear. To continue to imagine and shape the shared mobility of tomorrow to enable optimised management of vehicle fleets. We are already accompanying the mobility revolution!
Today, our technology equips more than 6,000 vehicles with 200,000 users and more than 150 projects being deployed around the world. After seven years of experience and experimentation in shared mobility, we continue to innovate to offer ever more reliable solutions.
If you are interested in car sharing do not hesitate to visit our solutions page or you can reach out to one of our mobility experts.
Good road with glide.io !
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