Webinar: Reducing Risk and Increasing Growth through Technology

Webinar: Reducing Risk and Increasing Growth through Technology

Carsharing is one of the fastest-growing mobility segments, with strong expansion projected over the next five years. That growth brings familiar operational headaches: keeping vehicles clean and healthy, detecting and assigning accountability for misuse or damage, optimizing distribution and charging, and maintaining reliability even in tough environments (think underground garages or areas with spotty cellular coverage). The common thread across all presenters: use real-time data to trigger timely, concrete action.

In this CSA marketplace webinar, four member companies —Bosch & Zubie, carvaloo, Necture, and INVERS —showcased practical, data-driven tools that keep fleets cleaner, safer, more available, and more profitable.

Below is a recap of the key ideas and takeaways.

Bosch + Zubie: Real-time smoking/vaping detection and operational proof

Presenters: Mark Novak (Zubie), Mariana Eichel (Bosch)

Bosch and Zubie demonstrated an in-vehicle, camera-free device that detects smoking and vaping in real time by analysing particle size, density, and emission patterns—with strong safeguards to avoid false positives (e.g., deodorant, steam, dust). Installed in ~15 minutes and powered-only, it also flags harsh driving and potential damage events.

Zubie ingests the device’s signals into an operator-friendly dashboard and open API, surfacing event time, duration, background air quality, GPS, speed, and downloadable incident reports. Operators can automate notifications, push mobile alerts, and filter a fleet-wide activity feed. Critically, the data gives operators defensible evidence to enforce policies, recover cleaning costs, and protect in-vehicle air quality—raising consistency for both members and staff.

Why it’s a game-changer

  • Moves operators beyond the subjective “sniff test” to objective, timestamped evidence.
  • Early adopters report much higher collection rates on smoking/vaping claims because decisions are backed by sensor data.
  • The same hardware can provide trip tracking (primary or backup), and Zubie can also pull select vehicle data via OBD-hidden installs or direct OEM feeds.

Resources:

Carvaloo: AI damage detection that automates the claims journey

Presenter: Jakob Otting

Unreported damage is a persistent profit leak—often >10% of annual revenue in carsharing. Carvaloo addresses this with two AI building blocks:

  1. Motion AI: Trained on years of real-world fleet data to spot the distinct motion signatures of true damage events (vs. door slams, potholes, or trunk closures).

  2. Image AI: Prompts the current or next driver (in-app) to capture photos, then verifies that the damage is new by comparing with the last baseline set.

If both AIs agree, Carvaloo auto-generates a damage report and triggers the claims flow—no technician rush or manual photo-comparison grind required. The result is a scalable, location-agnostic process that works whether you run dozens or tens of thousands of vehicles.

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Necture: From data to rebalancing and predictive charging—plus people power

Presenter: Karim Hammami

Necture helps operators hit three universal goals—scalability, profitability, and ESG impact—by converting raw data into real-world action across three services:

  • Automated Rebalancing: Matches supply to predicted demand, cutting idle time and typically adding 2–4 more trips/vehicle with 20–50% revenue increases.
  • Predictive Charging: Schedules EV charging during low-demand windows and coordinates timely unplugging to avoid charging-spot fines and keep vehicles in circulation.
  • Airport Services: Smart scheduling and priority charging maintain availability during seasonal peaks while limiting expensive airport parking penalties.

What sets Necture apart is a 24/7 StreetCrowd of >25,000 trained gig workers across 15+ cities to execute on-the-ground tasks at scale—guided by AI models and ops managers.

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INVERS: Reliability, security, and future-proofing across varied use cases

Presenters: Scott Spence & Julius Walczynski

INVERS anchored its session with customer stories showing how robust telematics and connectivity drive both risk reduction and growth:

  • Wift (Chile): With keyless access and immobilisation built into the app, Wift achieved a 95% stolen-vehicle recovery rate (vs. ~35% national average), then used location data to build local partner promotions and prep for usage-based insurance.

  • Quantum Mobility (Texas): Provides shared vehicles as a building amenity. Bluetooth access keeps cars unlockable even without cell signal (e.g., basement garages). Real-time data also resolves toll disputes and prevents booking conflicts before they happen.

  • Flexicar (Australia): Migrated from legacy systems to INVERS CloudBox, cutting battery-drain issues (from 5–6 dead batteries after weekends to ~1–2/week across ~500 cars) and broadening model support (incl. Polestar 2). INVERS provided hands-on training and on-site support to de-risk the transition and “future-proof” operations.

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The Carsharing Association unites carshare operators, mobility partners, cities, micromobility providers, and public authorities to grow the ecosystem together. If you’re not yet a member, explore the operator, mobility partner, and city/public authority membership options.

If you’re planning ahead, pencil in our in-person gathering next fall in Vancouver—and keep an eye out for upcoming webinars you can share with your teams and networks.

Get Involved
Want to contribute your ideas, stories, or case studies? The Carsharing Association is planning follow-up initiatives and welcomes collaboration. Reach out to Pam Cooley or visit www.carsharing.org to learn more.