Volvero has won the RAPTOR challenge funded by EIT Urban Mobility, an initiative of the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT), a body of the European Union.
The challenge had an aim to find a mobility solution for the Tour&Taxis mixed real estate development close to Brussels North train station. Tour & Taxis, developed by Nextensa, a leading Belgian Real Estate investor and developer, is an attractive and inclusive multipurpose futuristic environment in the heart of Brussels; one that offers diverse accommodation, next-generation workspaces, and state-of-the-art venues for conferences, seminars and events. It is complemented by leisure facilities, as well as publicly accessible open and green spaces.
Tour&Taxis was aiming to enhance the mobility options for the site users, promote vehicle sharing among them, and optimize the usage of the owned private vehicles that are parked and not being used. Since Volvero is solving the latter problems and offers incentives for sharing private vehicles, it was a perfect solution for the needs of the area.
Indeed, Tour&Taxis, like any other urban area in the world, is looking to improve mobility options for its residents while pursuing an urban redevelopment agenda. There are existing mobility choices (shuttles) servicing the community, but at the same time, the space is occupied by private vehicles belonging to residents spending 90% of their time idly parked. With an increased number of residents expected in the coming months, there will be a need for parking spaces and the ensuing traffic congestion.
The problem can be solved by promoting vehicle sharing. Volvero, via its platform and business model, will specifically address the following issues identified, providing an alternative choice of mobility for residents, reducing congestion as sharing eliminates the need to acquire a private vehicle, and providing an incentive for sharing private vehicles. All through a user-friendly app with no hardware solution required.
But how exactly it is done?
The owner of the vehicle signs up to Volvero, lists the vehicle, its availability, and a price.
The driver signs up, uploads the required documentation and details, chooses the perfect vehicle for the trip and books the preferred period of use.
Once the owner confirms the reservation, the two parties meet, and the transaction is completed. During the trip, in case of emergency, the users can find support directly on the app, while in the case of an incident, telematics data are collected from the Driver’s mobile device or device installed on the vehicle for investigation and out-of-pocket payments.
At the end of the sharing period, the driver returns the vehicle to the agreed location and completes the checkout procedure on the app.
Volvero allows several kinds of different vehicles to be shared or rented: cars, motorcycles, and recreational vehicles. On top of that Volvero comes with a patented AI telematics solution that based on the mobile phones’ sensors of the users, collects and analyses driving data to improve their driving habits and reward the best and most cautious drivers. The app relies on a perfect mix of advanced technology like blockchain and its applications to implement smart contracts, an innovative type of contracts that self execute themselves when certain parameters are met, for tailored insurance policies and automated payments.
Following the victory of the challenge, Volvero is coming to Tour&Taxes from 05.05.22 to 15.05.22 to launch an MVP on-site and expand to Brussels in the future. The programme includes monthly check-ins with the EIT Urban Mobility RAPTOR Team, mentoring by CISCO, the technical partner, and other parties participating in the project, following, of course, the live testing of MVP in the area.
Nextensa’s ultimate goal for the area is to “create a place where everyone can feel at home”, and Volvero believes it will play a great role in achieving this goal by creating a community feeling among the residents and visitors of the area by connecting vehicle owners and drivers and providing the most modern and efficient mobility solution. In the long run, Volvero will entail a reduction in pollution, traffic, and the need for urban spaces for parking, thus leaving more space for other facilities of Tour&Taxis, helping it become an inclusive environment focusing on the well-being of its residents and visitors.
We hope to raise awareness of a better allocation of privately owned vehicles which is not only less expensive but also more efficient for the users and the community. This will hopefully lead to the reduction of vehicles in the area, improved social inclusion and gender equality due to more balanced access to vehicles, as well as better driving behaviour as drivers’ habits are monitored by our telematics solution that incentivizes safe driving habits via in-credit rewards.
