Rubbing shoulders with an army of artificially intelligent robots, Ridecell was one of the 9,000 startups, investors and world leaders that gathered in Paris last week to share ideas on the future of technology during Viva Technology, one of the largest trade tech-conferences in Europe.
Invited by Valeo an automotive suppliers focused on mobile technologies of the future, Ridecell participated in the Automotive Tech Lab, where 30 start-ups responded to three mobility revolution challenges: “Offering new mobility solutions”, “Revolutionizing the user experience” and “Developing new fleet management solutions”.
The startups’ projects were evaluated by a panel of Valeo experts and venture capital fund representatives, based on their relevance, their ability to meet needs, their innovative nature and their market potential. Ridecell, competing in a pool of nine participants, won the “Offering new mobility solutions” Challenge.
Another highlight for Ridecell was at the Groupe Renault booth. Renault was also among the companies presenting their latest new mobility breakthroughs at Viva Tech this year. Groupe Renault stood out with three concept-cars, among which ZOE Cab, a self-driving, all-electric and autonomous, on-demand service currently undergoing testing on the Paris-Saclay urban campus.
While there is much debate on the timing of autonomous fleets, Renault Group used the opportunity at Viva Tech to underscore the progress they are making currently with sustainable shared mobility programs. Sophie Ponsaille, the director Directeur des Nouvelles Mobilités à la Direction, referenced Zity carsharing service in Madrid, where the French automaker joined forces with Ferrovial Servicio, a Spanish infrastructure operator. The on-demand car service powered by Ridecell, grabbed a quarter of the market within the first year. The ultra-flexible Zity fleet made up of 650 Zoe Renault electric cars can be used to travel anywhere, park free of charge and keep the vehicle during a stop (appointment, errand or movie).
Part of the fleet’s success is attributed to the ability to intelligently rebalance the fleet to active zones where cars are needed. Ridecell’s toolkit of software and services allows new mobility operators to launch and scale their on-demand shared mobility services while maximizing profit.
European technology vendors from the large automotive OEMs and Tier 1 players through to the smallest and newest start ups are leading the way addressing the economic, social and environmental forces driving change in this space. It was great to be considered amongst them, as innovative leader this week in Paris.
Author: Fran Thorpe, Director of Product Marketing, Ridecell