LinkedCar is the provider of a digital mobility platform intended for the automotive industry. The company’s platform is based on trusted Salesforce technology; it focuses on interactivity and customer experience, enabling consumers to be closer to the auto- motive sector by uniting data from dealers, manufacturers, insurers, fleets, and even live data from connected vehicles. The idea of LinkedCar was born when Mario Schraepen, Founder of LinkedCar, wanted to make a difference in the field of digital mobility.
LinkedCar has developed a Connected Mobility Platform that can help dealers deliver more than just a car; it will help them keep a customer. The platform enables its efficiency firstly; a consolidated view of different data sources so that the dealer can react proactively and make a real difference to the customer. Real-time connected information from a car (oil level, tire pressure, driving behavior, etc.) is collected by a Blackbox device, developed by LinkedCar in collaboration with Karel De Grote Hogeschool (academic and research institution in Belgium). The device can collect and read the data of any car (manufactured after 2000) and does not distinguish between make and model. This way we can also read e-bikes with the same device. The driver then can manage the data of ALL connected vehicles (car, e-bike, etc.,) with just one application.
LinkedCar mantra is “Innovation is the key to success”. Traditional applications are paid and vehicle-focused. LinkedCar application is the gateway to and from the consumer. The driver can manage all data of up to five vehicles in one app. The app allows the driver to check and share data with just a click of a button. The data is divided into different categories such as driving behavior, location, error codes, etc. For each partner, he/she can indicate which category of data they are allowed to see. It is up to the partner to encourage the consumer to share data which will be done via discounts or gifts. In addition to the data, LinkedCar application also functions as a central means of communication. It is no longer necessary to download all apps from different insurance/lease/ dealers/etc. The LinkedCar app centralizes this communication, from unread and generic emails to personalized notifications tailored to the driver’s needs.
There are challenges in multiple aspects of the automotive industry. For the partners in the automotive ecosystem (insurance, dealers, lease, fleet, fuel card, roadside assistance, etc.) the main concern is customer loyalty. Everyone depends on loyal customers who are happy with the service and come back every time, but current models and systems are designed to focus on the vehicle, not the driver. This results in high losses for the automotive partners. For example, for car dealers, 53% of customers who purchase a vehicle from a franchise dealer do not return for service in the fourth year. For an average dealer who sells 1,200 vehicles per year, this represents a loss of more than 400,000 euros per year!
For the consumer, it is a hassle to maintain every part of a car, and every aspect of the car is also managed by different entities (dealer, maintenance, insurance, etc.), giving the driver unnecessary worry and paperwork. Moreover, in a world of data, the customer has no access to his data.
But LinkedCar noticed that if the data is given back to the consumer, new opportunities arise for new business models, financial models, and innovations. LinkedCar brings together every element of the automotive ecosystem and bundles the entire vehicle management in one easy-to-use app for the consumer and an efficient & connected platform for the other partners. LinkedCar gives the dealer, insurer, Lease Company, and every other player in the eco-system access to a wide range of data, while the driver remains in control. Built on top of the trusted Salesforce platform, LinkedCar’s Connected Mobility platform aims to assist dealers in sales and after-sales processes which make communication easier, automated, and personalized.
The vision of LinkedCar is to build a data-driven mobility ecosystem where the drivers can access and control their data.
As the organization is trying to evoke a new trend or mindset concerning vehicle data, it is important to closely monitor any new trend in-vehicle data. Driver data and most new trends are seen as threats by many traditional companies, while LinkedCar sees them as opportunities and challenges for further growth. LinkedCar is built for multi-brand dealers. Their customers in the automotive sector find it a relief that this system can connect with so many other systems so that they finally have a proactive system where the customer is central.
LinkedCar values fun, community involvement, entrepreneurship, responsibility, and openness are supported by the entire team. Attention to the individual and a passion for learning make up the story of our start-up. The organization pays a lot of attention to collaboration and giving everyone in the organization a voice. Both junior and senior members of the teamwork side by side to come up with new ideas and features for the products. Cross-division meetings allow for creative, out-of-the-box ideas and rapid problem-solving. There is a strong sense in everyone that they are building their business together.
The vision of LinkedCar is to build a data-driven mobility ecosystem where the drivers can access and control their data. The platform unites data from the dealers, manufacturers, insurers, and even live data from connected vehicles. With its driven-first mentality, LinkedCar focuses only on cars and e-bikes today but we never know what the future holds for them to innovate!
