SEAT and Saba, a leading operator in the development of urban mobility solutions and specialised in parking management, have signed an agreement in the framework of Automobile Barcelona to provide new services to the vehicle mobility ecosystem currently underway by SEAT
In line with the goal of becoming a front-runner in connectivity, SEAT will add Saba to its ecosystem so that between the two they can create new services that facilitate drivers’ mobility, with new parking related functions. Among others, the partners are studying the way to offer a mobile reservation and payment system for parking spaces, which will enable Saba clients to make electronic payments for services and which will be included in the digital solutions that SEAT is currently working on.
In addition, the collaboration lays the foundation for projects like Parkfinder 2.0, which will enable both companies to offer drivers real-time information on which parking spaces are available and recommend a car park according the real needs of each client, among others. They will also explore other services associated with the time vehicles spend stationary, such as shopping delivery or refuelling. On average, it is estimated that privately owned cars spend 95% of the time parked.
SEAT President Luca de Meo emphasised “the importance of these partnerships to establish new business models in the area of mobility in order to offer drivers an easy, connected and customised experience”. Furthermore, Saba CEO Josep Martínez Vila underscored that “this collaboration promotes value-added services for clients in an urban environment where managing sustainable mobility alongside the introduction of new technologies are the main priorities”.
Moreover, SEAT and Saba also want to install recharging points in the network of car parks in Barcelona for the fleet of electric Miis that workers at the SEAT Metropolis:Lab Barcelona and Pier01 will be driving. This carsharing project will see a fleet of 10 eMiis on the streets of Barcelona that SEAT will use to test the possibilities of electric drive technology in shared vehicles.
Connected SEAT at Automobile Barcelona
Coinciding with an edition of the motorshow that for the first time features a Connected Hub space to highlight the connected car, SEAT is giving the public a close look at the developments in connected car that the company announced at the recent edition of the Mobile World Congress (MWC), giving SEAT the opportunity to take its cutting-edge technologies from a professional exhibition to the general public at a popular event such as the Barcelona motorshow.
On the main stand, the brand is presenting the Ateca FR, as well as the new Ibiza and the Leon Cupra, coupled with a spectacular simulator to live the SEAT ID experience. This is the gateway to the brand’s digital ecosystem and among the mobility services it provides are real-time traffic forecasts, route recommendations (restaurants, shops, services, etc.) and suggestions depending on modifications to the driver’s schedule. A vehicle created as a design exercise to pay tribute to the SEAT 600, a Ducati motorcycle, the King’s Cup trophy and a 4D System of augmented reality round off SEAT’s presence in this area.
In this sense, yesterday the company announced the signing of another agreement, this time with Waze, Google’s GPS navigation app, to include the new Waze app for Android Auto in the entire range equipped with Full Link. This app optimizes user experience via a navigation system that helps avoid traffic jams thanks to the real-time information provided by the user community.
In addition, SEAT presented its SEAT Drive App for Android AutoTM. With it, users of devices which operate with this system can safely access information from their mobile at the screen of their car. The app, which will soon be available in Google Play StoreTM, will synchronise with the screen in the car and is a further step taken by the company towards the connected car.
SEAT also features heavily in the motorshow’s new Connected Hub area, where the brand is displaying an eMii like the ones which will be used in the carsharing pilot project being launched by the brand for workers at Metropolis:Lab Barcelona and Pier 01. This service enables testing of SEAT’s electric technology such as Digital Access, which is aimed at collaborative environments and enables entry to the vehicle without the need for a physical key.
In addition, the company’s presence at Automobile Barcelona is complete with a Demo Day, where the participating start-ups in the SEAT Accelerator by Conector acceleration programme presented their projects to investors; and with an Ateca Smart City Car that is available for visitors to drive for first-hand insights into how to detect free parking spaces in the city and how to reserve and pay for one using Parkfinder and Travipay apps.
*Android Auto, Google Play, and Android are trademarks of Google Inc.
