UK-based connected car services provider Parkopedia has won awards in four categories namely Innovation, Business Expansion, Product Launches, and Research and Development (R&D), in the 2024 Just Auto Excellence Awards.
The Just Auto Excellence Awards celebrate the greatest achievements and innovations in the industry. Powered by the business intelligence of GlobalData, the programme provides a platform to recognise the people and companies that are driving change in the industry.
Go deeper with GlobalData
While the Innovation award recognises Parkopedia’s strategic approach to enhancing EV charging infrastructure through key partnerships, the Business Expansion award recognises the company’s growth initiatives in North America and the UK. The Product Launches award has been earned for the introduction of an innovative digital in-car payment platform and booking product. The R&D award was bestowed for Parkopedia’s efforts in refining software to improve data accuracy and the user experience for drivers.
Innovative approach to EV Charging
The Innovation award recognises Parkopedia’s inventive methods to enable drivers to maximise available charging infrastructure through key partnerships with companies such as GO TO-U, Plugsurfing, and ChargeHub.
The GO TO-U partnership utilises a SaaS operating system that enhances the management of EV charging infrastructure, enabling real-time data exchange for improved station usability and predictive availability, thus reducing wait times for EV drivers.
Parkopedia’s collaboration with Plugsurfing in Europe provides drivers with access to an expansive network of over 500,000 charge points. This integration allows for a simplified in-car payment process, directly from the vehicle’s infotainment system, offering an end-to-end service that addresses the main concerns of EV drivers.
In North America, the partnership with ChargeHub is crucial in providing comprehensive data and transaction capabilities for over 80,000 chargers, tackling the fragmented charging network and reducing the anxiety of EV drivers, as highlighted by Parkopedia’s 2023 Global Driver Survey.
Strategic business expansion
The Business Expansion award recognises Parkopedia’s strategic growth initiatives that have enhanced its service offerings in North America and the UK.
In North America, the collaboration with Blink Charging has integrated approximately 12,000 Blink public chargers into Parkopedia’s in-car EV service, addressing the accessibility and visibility of charging stations. This partnership not only expands Parkopedia’s charger network but also delivers real-time data on charger availability to drivers, aligning with the concerns highlighted in the 2023 Global Driver Survey.
In the UK, the partnership with JustPark has made more than 100,000 JustPark spaces bookable through Parkopedia’s platform, enriching the parking experience for UK motorists and increasing visibility and revenue potential for JustPark’s inventory partners. These strategic moves have expanded Parkopedia’s service portfolio, emphasising convenience and real-time information.
Innovative digital product launches
The Product Launches award acknowledges Parkopedia’s innovative digital in-car payment platform and booking product that simplifies parking, charging and payment processes.
The collaboration with Valtech Mobility, a joint venture between the Volkswagen group and digital agency Valtech, has been pivotal in enabling automakers to offer a seamless in-car commerce experience. The integration allows drivers to find and pay for parking, charging, fuelling, and road tolls directly from their vehicle’s infotainment system with an optimised user experience for in-car use cases.
The standardisation of Parkopedia and Valtech services within Google Automotive Services (GAS) ensures compatibility across the industry and ease of use through voice commands, which was successfully showcased with live demos at CES 2024. Additionally, Parkopedia’s collaboration with Simplenight has broadened its service offerings, with plans to include EV charging services in future updates, enhancing the comprehensive parking data and reservation capabilities already provided.
R&D advancements through partnership with &Charge
The Research & Development award honours Parkopedia’s innovative efforts in enhancing software for better data accuracy and user experience.
The company has partnered with &Charge in response to a critical pain point in the EV market: the anxiety associated with locating reliable public charging stations. The integration of &Charge’s extensive database, which encompasses crowd-sourced information from over 88,000 locations, with Parkopedia’s precise location and availability data, has created a robust solution that enhances the probability of successful charging experiences for drivers. Parkopedia’s platform now offers an enriched in-car experience, displaying linked charging location data, verified user photos, and ratings through in-car media systems.
The enhancement is a strategic move to address the concerns highlighted in the 2023 Parkopedia Global Driver Survey, which revealed that over 90% of EV drivers experience anxiety over charging, with a significant number facing difficulties in locating public chargers. Furthermore, 80% of European drivers are hesitant to consider an EV for their next vehicle purchase due to apprehensions about the adequacy of public charging facilities.
The R&D award recognises Parkopedia’s commitment to mitigating these concerns by providing a comprehensive overview of charger reliability and location suitability. The service’s moderated and verified user data and insights adhere to auto-grade quality standards, which are essential for original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and instil confidence in the end-users. Moreover, the user-centric approach adopted by Parkopedia and &Charge, which encourages drivers to share their charging experiences via the &Charge app, not only fosters community engagement but also incentivises users with tangible benefits such as free kilometres and access to lower charging rates. This crowdsourcing element is pivotal in continuously refining the database, ensuring that the information remains current and relevant.
“Through strategic partnerships and relentless innovation, Parkopedia has addressed critical pain points for drivers and fleet operators alike. Parkopedia’s achievements in enhancing EV charging for drivers, expanding its business reach, launching user-centric products, and pioneering research and development initiatives have set a new benchmark for automotive services.”
Tina Ross, Awards Manager, Just Auto Excellence Awards
“We are honoured to be recognised in four categories at the esteemed Just Auto Excellence Awards 2024. These accolades, spanning innovation, research and development, business expansion and new product launches, underscore our internal dedication to excellence and innovation within our industries. As the EV industry rapidly evolves, our collaborations with key partners are also instrumental in driving the shift to electric vehicles. Through these partnerships, we’ve pioneered cutting-edge technologies, seamless payment solutions and enriched the charging experience with innovative data and transaction services to assist drivers.”
Parkopedia Founder and CEO, Eugene Tsyrklevich
“Finally, our market expansion efforts have significantly grown our network this year, enabling more drivers to access our convenient services, while our partnerships with companies such as Valtech Mobility have showcased new seamless integrations within vehicles and enriched the digital customer experiences. We are proud to be active contributors to the dynamic automotive landscape and remain committed to delivering solutions that enhance the lives of drivers that utilise our services.”
Company Profile
Parkopedia is the world’s leading connected car service provider, enabling global automakers to deliver smart, frictionless in-car solutions. Parkopedia’s vision is to improve the world by delivering innovative in-car services, helping millions of drivers to eliminate the hassle of finding and paying for parking, EV charging, fuel and tolls.
Parkopedia uses innovative data collection technology including proprietary software, computer vision and AI, and the company works alongside selected expert partners around the world to maximise data coverage and maintain the best possible levels of accuracy and freshness. The company is committed to making journeys easier for drivers worldwide and has an extensive understanding of in-vehicle payments, enabling them to deliver connected car solutions that respond to driver needs, adding convenience and peace of mind to their journeys.
Parkopedia works with global automakers and leading mapping-technology providers, to help millions of drivers find, reserve and pay for vehicle-centric services in 20,000 cities across 90 countries.
Contact Details
Adam Calland
Marketing Director
+447838219129
Email: adam.calland@parkopedia.com
Links
Website: https://business.parkopedia.com/
