Daimler highlights benefits of connectivity for fleets and safety

14 March 2018

Daimler is extending its Mercedes-Benz Connectivity Service’s ′connect business’ to take advantage of future mobility and meet the needs of fleet managers.

The manufacturer plans to include a ′driver messaging’ service. This facilitates secure and efficient communication between fleet managers and drivers. Those responsible for fleets can quickly and easily pass on information such as maintenance or wheel-change appointments to the drivers. Via the connect business portal they can send messages to individual drivers or groups. All the fleet-relevant data are pooled on the connect business platform and the fleet controlled centrally.

According to a statement, 15,000 vehicles had been connected since the start of the brand’s connect business nearly a year ago. Since the start of this year, the connectivity services have also been available in Belgium and the Netherlands.

′The market launch of ‘connect business’ was very successful. Our connectivity services help fleet and business customers in their daily work,’ explains Christoph Ludewig, head of Mercedes-Benz connectivity services. ′We want to continue growing with ‘connect business’. To this end, we are extending our portfolio to include further services and rolling out our offering in further markets.’

Meanwhile, the German carmaker has announced that it has already sold 3.5 million vehicles with e-call installed, as manufacturers prepare for the telematics system to become compulsory by the end of March.

e-Call is an automated system that automatically alerts emergency services should the vehicle be involved in an accident, without driver intervention. From 31 March, it is mandatory for all vehicles going through type approval to have the system installed. The idea behind e-Call is that it will reduce the time between an accident and the attendance of the emergency services.

The emergency call function is triggered automatically after deployment of one of the pyrotechnic belt tensioners or an airbag in the car. The vehicle then establishes a voice connection with an emergency call centre. If the centre does not receive a response, it will immediately alert the nearest rescue service.

Discussing the system, a release by the company states: ′This [installation of e-Call] has long been the situation at Mercedes-Benz: Mercedes-Benz emergency call was launched back in 2012 and has featured as standard in all model series since Mercedes me was introduced in September 2014. Mercedes-Benz emergency call is currently available in 35 countries. As a particularly useful feature in an emergency abroad, communication takes place not in the language of the country in which the vehicle is situated, but in the language which the driver has set in the infotainment system.’