Spireon announced new Mobility as a Service (MaaS) capabilities with its Kahu solution at the International
Consumer Electronics Show (CES). The company is demonstrating features an innovative car-sharing service, which Spireon calls Drive On Demand that would allow dealers to offer customers an affordable and secure alternative to
purchasing or leasing vehicles.
Drive On Demand is built using Kahu, the industry’s first connected car solution specifically designed for dealers, and SmartDeviceLink an open source platform for car connectivity.By extending Kahu with the vehicle data exposed by SDL, will show a unique MaaS capability that leverages in-vehicle telematics to create a convenient and secure vehicle subscription service for consumers.
“Dealerships are facing pressure from shrinking margins, difficulty differentiating themselves from competitors and the increasing popularity of rideshare services,” said Jason Penkethman, chief product officer at Spireon. “The Drive On Demand concept introduces a compelling new consumer experience that can create new revenue streams for dealers and allow them to attract a wider customer base, which is critically important as consumer expectations and preferences evolve.”
With Drive On Demand, new car dealerships could leverage their vehicle assets to offer a monthly subscription that allows consumers to drive any car made available to them from a dealership’s inventory. Additionally, the service would allow consumers who may be considering a vehicle purchase to drive the vehicle for much longer than a typical test drive, and experience different models and trim levels before committing. At CES, Spireon is demonstrating how consumers could use Drive On Demand to search, reserve and locate dealer rental vehicles, and even unlock the
doors to access the vehicle, all through the Kahu mobile app.