Telematics Maker Targets Car-Sharing Companies With Immobilization Tech
An Israeli telematics maker is targeting car-sharing companies with tech it claims enables them to “control and immobilize” vehicles, preventing “unauthorized driver[s]” from entering them.
ERM Advanced Telematics is aiming its StarLink products at such companies, saying they will enable them “to identify subscribers and permit them to drive a car at a given time”. It claims the tech also allows them to lock anyone not identified as a subscriber out of the car altogether.
ERM says StarLink combines sensors with the CAN bus protocol to allow car-sharing companies to monitor driver behavior and status. It claims the tech provides drivers with “audio and visual alerts to educate” them about good and bad habits while they are driving.
It says its tech includes emergency buttons that can be retro-fitted onto a vehicle’s dashboard, enabling drivers “to identify accidents when they happen” and “receive emergency assistance … in extreme scenarios”. It also purportedly offers a black box that records accident data and uploads it to the car-sharing company’s servers.
ERM also claims its tech can detect a vehicle’s fuel levels and notify drivers of the need to refuel, while alerting fleet managers to any instances of fuel theft. Chief marketing officer Eitan Kirshenboim says the tech gives “personal feedback to each driver and grading … for future risk management”.
