From left: Francois Stols, William Murray, Mteto Nyati, Shaun Brashaw & Pierre Bruwer
Netstar Global News – Toyota South Africa Motors (TSAM), in collaboration with partners Altron (Netstar South Africa) and Vodacom Business, is pleased to announce a roll-out of telematics connectivity features in-car Wi-Fi on all new Toyota and Lexus models. Announced at a press conference hosted by TSAM on Thursday, 29 August 2019.
Bringing a new era of a collaborative partnership between telematics, automotive manufacturers and telecommunication. There is much to say about the benefits of connected vehicles. By 2021 more than 380 million connected cars will be on the road. Fundamentally changing how we all live, work and drive. But how will this improve our daily lives? Road safety improvements are one example. In Australia, 247 people have already lost their lives to fatal crashes on the road. With connected cars, driving will become much safer. As this combines with predictive analytics, enabling intelligent systems to substitute for a driver in an emergency.
Accident prevention is another example. Most automobiles have sensory technology that detects oncoming collisions and actively avoids them. Again, aiding with industries such as Australia’s Emergency Services. In Europe, European car makers are required by law to inbuilt an emergency call system within the vehicle. Aiding in locating the injured driver and a multitude of other data that help first responders.
Connected vehicles will also lead to efficiency for individuals, fleet management, and public transport. The in-built vehicle technology can alert the car and driver about oncoming traffic conditions. Congestion will be foreseeable and therefore avoidable resulting in substantial efficiency savings. Fleet managers in Transportation and Hire Car Industries will have full access to the telematics and performance of each vehicle, driver’s behaviour and maintenance schedules. Integrating GPS Tracking Data with Connected Vehicles in these industries leads to increased efficiency and cost savings. There is also the Environmental Impact of exploring Connected Vehicles and intelligent technology integrated into Taxi Companies. For example, this could lead to having fewer cars on the road with more passengers. Leading to a noticeable decrease in the overall number of vehicles on the road and bringing down the number of fuel emissions.
This technology has various benefits, and the collaboration between TSAM and Altron (Netstar South Africa) is only the beginning. TSAM’s new connectivity features and in-car Wi-Fi on all new Toyota and Lexus models sold in South Africa is an excellent example of the technology in action. With a real-world application known as Toyota Connect. The new connectivity hub will be housed within the MyToyota App, launched in 2014. The technology allows Toyota owners access various convenience, connectivity and safety benefits. While TSAM is currently the only manufacturer in South Africa to offer a mobile app that fully integrates with manufacturer and dealer systems. It has also become the first organisation – the world over – to provide the convergence of Wi-Fi and connectivity features in one package across the model range.
“As of 01 September 2019, all new Toyota and Lexus models sold in South Africa will come standard with in-car Wi-Fi. Including 15GB of free data (which you can top up) and a host of connectivity features and benefits. Courtesy of Toyota Connect, a major extension of the MyToyota App,” says President and CEO of TSAM, Andrew Kirby.
Kirby says, “As Toyota transitions from being automotive to a mobility-solutions organisation. It becomes imperative to collaborate with companies whose visions align with ours. The importance of telematics and telecommunications in tomorrow’s vehicles cannot be overstated. Hence our partnership with global technology group Altron (through Netstar) and telecoms giant Vodacom in this project. Consumers are increasingly becoming aware of how connected technologies can enhance their lives. Our task as a forward-thinking organisation is to evolve with market expectations.” For example, providing an advantage to innovative manufacturers with diagnostic data, vehicle servicing and, in some cases, roadside assistance. Resulting in a more personalised experience for consumers.
Through its subsidiary, Netstar, Altron jointly designed and developed the bespoke technology platform with Toyota. Which enables Internet of Things (IoT) aspects such as telematics and fleet management. Altron Group Chief Executive Mteto Nyati says: “This locally-developed technology enables connectivity and gives real-time data to both Toyota and its customers. It positions Altron and South Africa as relevant players in the internet of things globally. We are truly excited about this collaboration.”
“Once a customer has opted in, the data aggregated from the telematics module will provide insights to Toyota. As well as their dealer network, customers, fleet owners and third-party service providers. Such as the Automobile Association (AA), providing accident and breakdown assistance,” says Nyati.
Like smartphones, cars today need to be connected to provide a dynamic user experience. We’re witnessing increasing car buyers ranking in-car technology as important as vehicle performance. They want their cars to be safe, efficient, better equipped and fun. We can meet these growing demands by connecting people to platforms that will manage the complexity of streaming music from the cloud, real-time traffic information, and personalised roadside assistance. The gain of telecommunication is diversification, providing a managed service with versatility through connected solutions.
The benefits of Toyota Connect can be grouped into three main areas: Connectivity features, Convenience and Safety features.
- From a Connected point of view, the big news is that every new Toyota and Lexus will come standard with in-car Wi-Fi – including 15GB of free data (SA only) as a once-off upon activation. After that, customers can top up using Toyota Connect or their banking Apps.
- When it comes to Convenience, Service Booking reminds customers when their vehicles are due for servicing, factoring in all the back-end elements when you book directly on the App. The Logbook facility automatically saves a digital log of your vehicle’s mileage and service history for tax-submission purposes, including auto-allocation for work and home, as well as business and personal trips. The GPS locator gives you peace of mind, enabling you to find your vehicle quickly and get a view of your trips.
- Under Safety, there is Roadside Assistance with impact detection – meaning that customers will have real-time support with AA-access 24/7. The Battery Health Check reflects the real-time status of the customer vehicle’s battery health. Finally, the Driver Score feature encourages safer driving: customers can review their driver rating and keep track of their scores and overall driver behaviour.
It is worth mentioning that there is more to come for Toyota and Lexus customers. “This is just the start of an exciting journey. We are thrilled about the imminent addition of benefits such as licence renewal, which will allow Toyota Connect users to renew their vehicle licence disc via the technology and deliver it to their address of choice. Toyota Connect partners are also working on expanding benefits for fleet and small business owners and car rental support. We will share details about these exciting developments shortly,” concludes Kirby.
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