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ARC Europe & HERE Mobility join forces to Pilot Digital Taxi Solutions in Smart Roadside Assistance services

Anticipating future customer demand for the digitalization of mobility services, ARC Europe and HERE Mobility are partnering in order to explore the solution of offering a Taxi through a mobility marketplace in the context of roadside assistance.

Following the successful launch of the Smart Roadside Assistance (RSA) services to major OEMS in the European market, ARC Europe is taking the lead in integrating Digital Taxi solutions in its digital assistance ecosystem.

The scope of this partnership is to deliver an additional mobility solution, by offering taxi services in order to keep drivers mobile after an incident occurs.

ARC Europe group aims to integrate in its digital ecosystem a simple and seamless pan European solution, which will complement the Digital Roadside Assistance process.

Thus, following an incident, the beneficiary will be able to not only request and track the assistance patrol vehicle from any digital interface (smartphone or car dashboard), but also to request, book and track a Taxi in real time.

The HERE Mobility Marketplace is a global and open platform that aggregates all transportation options in real time, including taxis, private hires, and public transport worldwide. Through the HERE Mobility Marketplace, ARC Europe can provide smooth and reliable end-to-end transportation services to their customers, managing all customer requests via a single, streamlined dashboard.

We are proud to partner with ARC Europe to add the HERE Mobility Marketplace to their services,” said Liad Itzhak, SVP, Head of HERE Mobility. “This partnership enables us to provide ARC Europe’s customers the added value of a seamless, safe ride according to their needs.”

Stefano Sarti, Managing Director stated that: “We identified the strategic similarities we both have in our fields. Our main B2B customers are car manufacturers in Europe facing digital transformation, moving from car ownership to car usage and looking for a convenient experience also in the assistance context.

We believe that our partnership with HERE Mobility and the accessibility via the HERE Mobility Marketplace will facilitate such transformation.

About HERE Mobility

HERE Mobility is the mobility business unit of HERE Technologies, aiming to democratize the mobility ecosystem in order to achieve mobility efficiency. With its cutting-edge technology, HERE Mobility has created an open and competitive smart mobility marketplace for all transportation services, connecting mobility supply and demand in real-time to empower people and businesses worldwide.

By providing the right tools and technologies, HERE Mobility makes mobility easy to use and accessible for everyone worldwide. Since HERE Mobility’s launch in January 2018, transportation suppliers from over 500 cities in Europe, the U.S., and Latin America have joined the HERE Mobility Marketplace, with a total of more than 2 million vehicles. The HERE Mobility Marketplace is already operational in dozens of cities worldwide including LA, Amsterdam, Athens, and Barcelona and is expected to open in over 100 cities in 2019. Learn more.

About ARC Europe Group

ARC Europe Group is the largest supplier of B2B roadside assistance services in Europe with an outstanding network in more than 40 European countries. The Group shareholders are the major automobile clubs in Europe: ADAC, The AA, ANWB, ACI, OEAMTC, RACE, TCB & TCS.

The Group entered new fields of activities, with the ambition to sustain the electrical shift, delivering mobility solutions and connected services enlarging its geographical scope.

 

HERE Mobility Media Contact

Allison Grey

Headline Media

allison@headline.media

+1.323.283.8176

 

ARC Europe Group Media Contact

Diana Dumois

Head of Corporate Communication & PR

Diana.dumois@arceurope.com

https://www.arceurope.com

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Mobility Experts ARC Europe Group introduce ‘electric jerrycan’

“Think of it as an electric jerrycan”, says Stefano Sarti, patting a large square box at the back of a roadside assistance van. ARC Europe Group is installing these mobile EV chargers in its vans throughout Europe – finally answering the question: “If I get an electric car, who’ll help me when it runs out of charge?” 

Newer electric vehicles (EVs) may have greater ranges and the recharging infrastructure may be getting denser across Europe, but range anxiety is retreating only slowly. It remains the Achilles heel of the drive to electrify our mobility.

Eight charges
And yet, nobody driving a petrol or diesel car worries about running out of fuel. Why? Not just because there’s plenty of fuel stations in Europe. Drivers also know that roadside assistance vans are stocked with enough juice to get them to the nearest fuel station.

But you can’t put electricity in a jerrycan, can you? Well, ARC Europe Group has – sort of. “Together with charging solutions specialist CLS, we’ve developed mobile charging units like this one. They hold about eight charges that can give an EV enough spark to cover a 15 to 20 km distance, so they can get home or to the nearest charging station”, says Mr Stefano Sarti (pictured), Managing Director of ARC Europe Group.

40 countries
ARC Europe Group is the largest supplier of roadside assistance services in Europe, consisting of a network of 42 partner organisations across 40 countries, covering 46 million vehicles with a fleet of 60,000 patrol vehicles and assistance vans. The mobile charging units are already available in 16 countries; the aim is to get at least one mobile charging unit installed in the fleet of each partner organisation.

Each mobile charging unit consists of three separate boxes for easy installation. Two hold eight lithium cells each, the third has the control panel. The units come provided with all the different jacks for the various charging systems currently in operation. “The recharging takes about 1 minute per km of range. So, in 20 minutes you’ll be good to go 20 km”, Mr Sarti explains.

Lighter versions
The battery pack can recharge from the service vehicle’s power as it drives between calls. Thanks to their limited weight and dimensions, the units are easy to redeploy in other service vehicles or even, if necessary, to be moved from the van to a remote location. “Each unit weighs 125 kg, but we’re working on even smaller, lighter versions,” says Mr Sarti.

As these mobile charging units become widespread, EV drivers can drive, safe in the knowledge that professional equipment (and specifically trained personnel) is out there to help them. And that will rip the heart out of what remains of range anxiety. But ARC Europe Group is already thinking one step ahead. “EV assistance is not about the battery only, but also about native connected cars. By collecting real-time data, we want to be able to prevent and predict breakdowns, and make electric driving a zero-breakdown experience”.

Positive assistance
Using connected technology, ARC Europe aims to discern patterns and algorithms that will be able to alert EV drivers when the charge is too low for the journey planned. “We call this form of preventive breakdown remediation ‘positive assistance’. It’s the first time in history this is being done”, says Mr Sarti. One example: “Range anxiety focuses on the EV’s main battery, but there is also the 12- or 24-volt starter battery, which needs to be monitored!”

ARC Europe’s ambitious and holistic EV assistance programme has caught the attention of some OEMs, with which the group is in talks for the provision of white-label EV breakdown services: “This will allow them to offer their customers a seamless brand experience”. Further on ARC’s horizon: a presence in (fixed) charging stations, and assistance for e-bikes. “We’re moving from car assistance to mobility assistance”, says Mr Sarti. “That’s the future!”

Authored by: Frank Jacobs
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ACTA innovates with their new mobile charger for Electric Vehicles

This week, ACTA have officially launched their mobile charging unit, specifically for electric vehicle. The charging unit comes as a result of the partnership between ARC Europe Group and CLS.

The trend towards E-mobility is clear, the sales of electric vehicles will continue to gain momentum and OEMs have put clean mobility high on their agenda for the years to come, leading to a transformation of the automotive industry and the future of mobility. This evolution will impact the current ecosystem and the assistance we need to provide.

In 2017, ARC Europe Group and Club Logistics Services (CLS) collaborated on a leading project to address one of the major mobility trends associated with lowering levels of pollution, C02 emissions and lowering fuel consumption. ARC Europe Group, roadside assistance leader aims to satisfy their OEM partners, bring solutions to their network of dealers and respond to end consumer clear needs and expectations. CLS offers expertise and experience in innovative charging solutions. The first achievement of this partnership is the mobile charger for EVs.

Always tasked to bring the best innovative solutions to their customers, ACTA, subsidiary of ARC Europe Group, ordered their mobile charger as soon as it was available and are pleased to introduce their first unit, which it is the first one in France. The new patrol vehicle will be operational in Paris as of November 2018.

We are proud to be the pioneers, along with ACTA and CLS in the EVs industry to keep our leadership in roadside assistance, to enable and facilitate the ultimate customer mobility and build a complete new ecosystem, where OEMs, ARC Europe Group, and EV’s infrastructure, partner up to guarantee a safe journey to future eDrivers in France and throughout Europe.” Stated: Stefano SARTI, Managing Director of ARC Europe Group.

Moreover, Raphaël GUIGNIER, Managing Director of ACTA said that “ACTA keeps on innovating and commits to E-mobility. We already offer to our client a wide range of specific services for electric vehicles, such as: breakdown repairs and towing with a specific process and by skilled staff, customer service for car sharing, hotline for charging stations”.

The mobile charger is a modular system made up of three separate packs boxes for easy installation and flexibility. Two of the cassettes house eight of the Lithium cells in each, one additional cassette has the control systems. They are modular, easy to move and can easily be put in other locations or other service vehicle. The weight and dimension of each unit is adapted for ease of carrying, meaning that they can be used in a non-accessible place for a vehicle, for example like a basement. The on-board charging system has been developed within the patrol vehicle that delivers battery power to Electric Vehicles. The battery pack can recharge using the vehicles power while driving in between road service calls and is compatible with a wide range of vehicles.

This solution will comfort end consumer fears, and it is a B2B solution for an OEM and a long-term leasing company, helping avoid towing charges and helps to build a unique and rewarding service.

This new offer extends the current E-mobility services offered by ACTA (breakdown repairs and towing of EVs by skilled staff, customer service for car sharing, hotline for charging stations, …). In addition, ACTA will not stop there, the aim is to have more mobile chargers and propose alternative solutions to the E-mobility assistance.

Stuart DAVIES, CEO CLS said “CLS is proud to partner with ARC Europe Group and ACTA in supporting France’s adoption of Electric Vehicles. Like when motor vehicles first hit the roads over some 100 years ago and founding automobile clubs started carrying fuel cans for stranded motorist. ACTA’s road service vehicles have had to adapted to the change in technology and service demands.

About ACTA
ACTA is a group subsidiary of ARC Europe founded in 1992 by the main European automobiles clubs and is the leader of the roadside assistance in France with clients such as OEMs, rental car companies, dealers, car sharing companies and car fleet. ACTA realised in 2017 a turnover of €69 Million, an increase of 5% since 2016. Every year, ACTA handle with more than 375 000 assistance packages with 500 collaborators (700 during summer period) and deal with almost 2,5 Million of on the multichannel platform.

About ARC Europe Group
ARC Europe Group is the holding company of ACTA and it the largest supplier of B2B roadside assistance services in Europe with an outstanding network in more than 40 European countries. The Group shareholders are ADAC, AA, ANWB, ACI, ÖAMTC, RACE, TCB & TCS. The Network gathers 42 partners, cover 46 Million of vehicles and have a fleet of 60 000 patrolmen and towing trucks.

About CLS
Club Logistics Services (CLS) is an Australian owned company based in Europe in The Netherlands. Currently their primary business is aiding Motoring Clubs in Europe build their Mobile Battery Programs, with discussions and projects currently underway to extend their service offering.

Press Contact
Diane Dumois
Head of Corporate Communication & PR
diana.dumois@arceurope.com

 

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ARC Europe Group and Club Logistics Services Extended Partnership

EN/FR – Press Release

ARC Europe Group and Club Logistics Services Extended Partnership
Streamlining environmental benefits, as governments need support to reduce CO2 emissions globally

Vehicle manufacturers started seeing themselves as mobility service providers a while ago.  Together with their suppliers, they invest heavily in digitization and electric mobility in a quest towards diminishing the ecological footprint of transportation ecosystems.

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#ARCLAB Experience

The first “#ARCLAB Experience” took place on June 29-30 in Berlin Germany, focused on strategic development lines. We gathered field experts of our extensive network, including the participation from our Global partners in Canada, United Stated and Australia, to follow new trends and business models such as start-ups to foster innovation spirit to lead our transformation in our new ecosystems.

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ARC EUROPE GROUP NEW CORPORATE WEBSITE – WE ARE LIVE!!!

ARC Europe Group launched its new corporate website https://www.arceurope.com. The refreshed site includes changes to navigation, with dropdown menus for both mobile and desktop versions, being a fully responsive and mobile first site.

In addition, ARC Europe Group site improved the structure of the content and there are impactful changes to enhance the navigation experience and reinforce our digital visibility.

We strive to reinforce our presence in mobility and connected services, as well as enlarge our geographical scope from serving Pan-European contracts to Global coverage.

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