Bosch And SOCAR Team Up To Improve Mobility Experience

Bosch and SOCAR have teamed up to provide an improved one-of-a-kind mobility experience for Malaysians. Bosch has committed to a mission for stress-free mobility, where people and goods can move about freely, and cities are able to provide the highest quality of life possible. And as such, entered into a collaboration with SOCAR, a car-sharing company committed to green and accessible mobility.

According to the Road Transport Department (RTD / JPJ), there are a total of 33.3 million motor vehicles registered in Malaysia as of December 2021. Of these, 11.37 million passenger cars are inactive and remain stationary for over 20 hours a day. Consequently, this makes car-sharing a viable business opportunity for owners of vehicles, and an attractive option for users looking to drive but not to own a vehicle.

While car sharing offers value for owners and users, it also has its own set of challenges, such as higher incidences of interior and exterior damage, as well as high operating costs if these incidences are not addressed.

Anchored on Bosch’s 3S IoT approach (sensors, software, and services), this pilot brings attention to the Bosch’s in-vehicle sensing (IVS) solution for safer rides in shared vehicles. The smoke and damage detection system monitors the vehicle’s interior state and allows vehicle owners to create a welcoming experience by keeping the interior smoke-free. The solution also senses unusual damage to the vehicle, which can be quickly matched to the specific rental period, enabling vehicle owners to take appropriate action.

The use of artificial intelligence also opens up new opportunities to improve mobility services. For example, user experience and operational efficiency of a fleet can be enhanced and optimised with AI. By connecting the systems and services both inside and outside, vehicles become intelligent mobility solutions.

For mobility providers like SOCAR, innovations that help reduce downtime in the fleet (caused by damage to vehicles during use, or having to send the car for cleaning) means more cars are available to meet the mobility needs of customers. In the longer term, these innovations help elevate the viability of car sharing, for a more sustainable mobility ecosystem.

“Mobility today is more than just transporting goods and people; it is an experience. By collaborating to meet the demands of Malaysia’s mobility users, Bosch and SOCAR are driven to innovate on technologies and services that work together to make stress-free mobility a reality,” commented Klaus Landhaeusser, Managing Director, Bosch Malaysia.

“As a technology-empowered company focused on optimising innovation to expand our mobility offerings, we are always on the lookout for like-minded businesses with the right technology to advance the future of flexible mobility. This pilot with Bosch not only enables us to improve operational times for our fleet, but also opens new avenues for elevating the car ownership experience,” added Shylendra Nathan, CEO of SOCAR Mobility Malaysia.

Meanwhile, Bosch is expanding this collaboration to the aftermarket workshops with TREVO, a people-to-people car sharing platform and SOCAR subsidiary. With nearly 5,000 aftermarket workshops across Malaysia, Bosch is promoting TREVO via the eXtra loyalty programme for workshop owners to be among the hosts in TREVO’s P2P car sharing marketplace. Additionally, participating workshops will receive benefits when their customers sign up as new TREVO users.