Australian mobility and traffic tech firm Intelematics is expanding into New Zealand, rolling out advanced connected vehicle services designed to help automakers boost safety standards.
The Melbourne-based company, which is owned by the Royal Automobile Club of Victoria, will offer New Zealand car manufacturers access to technologies including eCall — a crash-alert system that automatically notifies emergency services in the event of a serious collision.
Intelematics already works with leading brands such as Toyota, Lexus and Hyundai in Australia and the company says the move across the Tasman is a natural fit.
“New Zealand and Australia share similar challenges when it comes to road safety. The make up of new vehicle stock is also similar, which makes expanding our services into NZ a logical next step,” Intelematics general manager Rob Finney says.
The expansion comes as the Australasian New Car Assessment Programme (ANCAP) prepares to introduce new safety protocols that include eCall functionality as part of its scoring system.
“We believe that by improving post-crash response times using connected vehicle technologies like eCall, we can help to reduce road trauma and the number of lives lost on NZ roads each year,” Finney says.
The eCall system features Automatic Collision Notification (ACN) and SOS Emergency Call functionality. When a crash is detected — either through vehicle sensors or a manual button push — the system instantly sends real-time data such as GPS location and crash severity to a trained triage agent, who can speak with the vehicle occupant within eight seconds and alert emergency services if needed.
“With the majority of crashes in NZ taking place in rural areas and often far from hospitals, this technology is critical in helping to reduce road trauma and gives manufacturers the ability to provide their customers with additional peace of mind if they are ever in a crash,” Finney added.
The suite of services Intelematics is launching in New Zealand includes eCall, Stolen Vehicle Tracking, iCall (for general vehicle enquiries) and bCall (for roadside assistance).
Intelematics has been a player in the telematics space since 1999, with operations in Australia, North America and Europe. The company says it is committed to helping vehicle manufacturers deliver smarter, safer driving experiences as demand for connected vehicles continues to grow.
