HELLA and Ridecell enter into partnership

Date: Thursday 18 March 2021

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HELLA, the internationally positioned automotive supplier has entered into a partnership with US and EU-based Fleet IoT (Internet of Things) platform company Ridecell. Hella Gutmann Solutions (HGS), a wholly owned subsidiary of HELLA and a leading provider of sophisticated workshop equipment in the German-speaking region, will integrate its cloud-based vehicle diagnostics services into Ridecell’s platform. This will enable Ridecell customers to monitor the health of vehicles on its platform in real time and identify the need for maintenance or repairs early. In addition, the actionable recommendations provided by HGS will allow Ridecell to automate maintenance and repair processes for its fleet customers. This can significantly reduce downtime and repair costs.

HGS has been on the market for more than 30 years and covers around 90 percent of the European car parc.

“With our mega macs range of vehicle diagnostics tools, we provide complete fault-finding and repair solutions for more than 40,000 individual vehicle models and counting,” said Rolf Kunold, Managing Director at HGS. “Based on this expertise, we have developed the cloud-based macs Data Service that can digitally and remotely diagnose certain malfunctions while a vehicle is still on the road. By now integrating this service into Ridecell’s Fleet IoT platform, we can enable Ridecell to optimise fleet operations for its customers further.”

Founded in Silicon Valley, Ridecell helps its customers to automate and digitise their large commercial leasing, rental and logistics fleets, as well as shared vehicle services.

“The leading fleets in the world were already working on digital transformation,” said Aarjav Trivedi, CEO at Ridecell. “The Covid-19 pandemic has further increased the urgent need for them to accelerate digital access to their fleets, enable self-service business models and reduce costs through automation. By partnering with HGS, we will be able to reduce repair and maintenance related downtime and ultimately increase fleet utilisation for our customers. At the same time, our mutual customers will be able to leverage complementary solutions from Ridecell’s telematics partners.”

HGS and Ridecell are currently working on the technical integration; the first joint projects are to begin in the coming months. The partnership is also accompanied by a strategic minority investment in Ridecell through its Silicon Valley-based venture capital arm HELLA Ventures. Both companies have agreed not to disclose the amount of the investment.

“Ridecell has already built a comprehensive partner ecosystem across the entire value chain in fleet operations,” added Marco Marinucci, Head of HELLA Ventures. “We are excited to position ourselves as a strong partner and enable Ridecell to automate fleet operations with intelligent solutions. With our participation in Ridecell’s Series C, we join Ridecell in its mission to optimise the fleets of today and tomorrow with intelligent solutions.”

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