Fleet briefs: Latest from Geotab, National Windscreens, Epyx, Ebbon Automotive and BCA

New product launches from Geotab

Geotab has announced its next generation of fleet safety tools driven by data intelligence, predictive collision insights and artificial intelligence (AI). 

Geotab Safety Centre incorporates an AI-driven tool that provides a centre of safety excellence, available within the MyGeotab platform.

It aims to help fleets uncover and manage performance risks, focusing their time on coaching and making operational decisions based on objective data, predictive collision analytics and peer fleet benchmarking.

"With Geotab Safety Centre, we're not just providing visibility into risks, we're helping companies to predict and prevent them," said Sabina Martin, vice president for product management at Geotab.

"Our enhanced and predictive collision insights put data-driven decisions at our customers' fingertips, helping to transform the way they approach safety, and ultimately fostering safer roads for everyone."

Geotab has also unveiled its enhanced collision detection feature, as part of its 2024 safety suite of tools, and Geotab Ace, an AI co-pilot designed for fleets.

An addition to the MyGeotab platform, it aims to enhance the user experience by offering tailored insights through intuitive dialogue.

"Geotab Ace represents not just an evolution in fleet management, but the next step in harnessing the power of trusted data," said Mike Branch, VP of data and analytics at Geotab.

"By bringing the intuitive simplicity of conversational AI directly into the Geotab platform, we are transforming the way fleets interact with their data, crafting a future where insights are immediate, intelligent, and instrumental to success."

Further consolidation within National Windscreens

Cary Group, National Windscreens largest member, has finalised the purchase of J Huggins and Son, its second largest member, consolidating 95% of National Windscreens fitting and calibration centres.

Peter Watters, board member of National Windscreens and MD of Cary UK, said: “National Windscreens is a household name with a proud heritage and strong values that have been built over 40 years.

“We are extremely proud to continue the guardianship of such an important UK brand and excited by the opportunities this presents.”

He continued: “The heart of the National Windscreen brand is our highly experienced team, and they continue to make huge strides in providing new levels of smarter solutions utilising the latest technology.”

New marketing tool from Epyx helps fleets promote disposals

A new marketing tool from Epyx enables fleets to add a range of “special offers” to cars, vans and trucks being defleeted.

Called Campaign Manager, it can be used to apply a range of incentives to remarketed vehicles, such as low-interest stocking loans and free delivery.

It has been added to the company’s 1link Disposal Network platform, which has been used by fleets to sell more than 500,000 cars, vans and trucks since its launch in 2005.

Tim Meadows, chief commercial officer at Epyx, said: “Campaign Manager gives remarketing managers access to a range of special offers that are used every day in all kinds of retail avenues to help persuade people to click on the ‘buy’ button.

“We envisage it mainly being used to speed up sales. Turning assets into cash quickly is a key aspect of remarketing for fleets and the options that can be added essentially give dealers and other trade buyers one more good reason to purchase a vehicle in the moment.”

He explained that Campaign Manager could be applied to vehicles on an individual basis or rules set up that applied to all defleeting activity.

“If you have a car listed on 1link Disposal Network that hasn’t received as much interest from dealers as you’d hoped, you can add new incentives to buy specifically for that vehicle,” he said.

“However, you could also set up a rule that, for example, automatically applied free delivery to any panel van from a specific manufacturer if it hadn’t sold after 10 days.”

Epyx’s account management team are also available to offer advice about the offers that were most likely to work with which vehicles and when.

QV Systems implements Ebbon Automotive e-procurement solution

QV System has integrated Ebbon Automotive’s e-procurement platform, Leaselink, into its Accelerate SaaS platform allowing customers to process and manage all new vehicle orders electronically from quote through to delivery.

QV Systems operates primarily in the automotive and asset finance arenas and counts several well-known names in fleet, leasing and asset finance, including MotoNovo Finance and Synergy Car Leasing, among its 56-strong corporate client base.

The first client to benefit from the Leaselink integration with Accelerate is Gridserve, which is using the application to electronically source and order new electric cars on behalf of customers through its EV leasing arm.

QV Systems founder and CEO, Daniel Layne, said that integrating Leaselink with Accelerate made “sound business sense”.

“Our aim is always to remove the need for our customers to rekey information or to use multiple systems, and Leaselink meets that need,” he added.

Claire Hughes, Ebbon Automotive’s head of commercial partnerships, said: “Leaselink provides greater visibility of the dealer’s order bank and, therefore, increased awareness of where the vehicle is in the supply pipeline and when it is likely to be delivered, allowing users to provide accurate information to their end customers.”

JCB Group renews two-year exclusive remarketing deal with BCA 

JCB Group, the Kent and Sussex based multi-franchise dealer has renewed its exclusive remarketing deal with BCA for a further two years.

The remarketing partnership will see more than 2,500 vehicles sold annually at BCA with all JCB Group sales staged via BCA Online and the BCA Buyer app every Friday. 

JCB stock is based at Blackbushe and all eligible vehicles are sold with a BCA Assured report. 

JCB Group holds the franchises for Volkswagen cars and vans, Mercedes-Benz vans, Citroen, Honda, Kia, Renault, Dacia, Seat and Cupra, Skoda and SsangYong in Kent and Sussex. 

Jonathan Bischoff, managing director of the JCB Group, said: "BCA’s digital remarketing platforms deliver the best possible buying power for every JCB Group sale, supporting our used-vehicle programme and wider growth plans across the south of England."

Craig Purvey, BCA chief commercial officer, added: “We are delighted that JCB Group have renewed this remarketing agreement with BCA for a further two years, building on the highly successful partnership we have jointly developed since 2019.  

“This means our buyers will continue to enjoy exclusive access to the great choice of attractive stock from JCB Group via BCA Online and the BCA Buyer app.”