ADA in Echoes: "40 vehicles recovered each year thanks to CarLocate"

In the short-term rental sector, the need to secure the fleet has become increasingly critical. This is also the case at ADA. The company chose to partner with Echoes to improve vehicle tracking. Stéphane Lugon, ADA’s safety manager, shares his experiences and future plans. 

Could you tell us about ADA and its activities? 

ADA is a company specializing in local car rentals. Unlike the major rental companies found at airports and train stations, ADA focuses on local agencies, with more than 500 locations throughout France. The fleet consists of approximately 1,800 to 2,000 vehicles, distributed across company-owned locations, franchise locations, and partner rental locations. 

What challenges did you face before implementing Echoes? 

Every year, we face numerous attempts at theft or embezzlement. That’s why having a way to track down vehicles is extremely important to us. We needed an effective solution to secure our vehicles and respond quickly in the event of theft or embezzlement. 

Why did you choose Echoes to secure your fleet? 

CarLocate by Echoes has won us over with its ease of use and efficiency. The solution offers real-time tracking, with alerts if a vehicle leaves a predefined zone or exhibits suspicious behavior. Furthermore, Echoes directly utilizes data from connected vehicles, which significantly simplifies implementation. This is in contrast to traditional systems that require the installation of GPS units. 

Thanks to Echoes, we have been able to significantly improve our recovery rate. In 2023, we dealt with approximately 100 stolen or embezzled vehicles. Thanks to precise and responsive follow-up and the mobilization of our local networks, we were able to recover about 50% of them. 

Once we started using Echoes, the recovery rate rose to 90%. In a year like 2023, this would have meant that we could have “saved” about 40 additional vehicles from theft or hijacking. 

How do you use Echoes on a daily basis? 

We monitor CarLocate alerts on a daily basis, primarily to track vehicles crossing the French border or exhibiting unusual behavior. When a franchisee reports a vehicle that has not been returned, we use the tool to locate it and coordinate its recovery.  

The biggest advantage of Echoes is its intuitive interface: with just a few clicks, we can locate a vehicle and take the necessary action. This user-friendliness is essential, especially for a small security team like ours. 

Are there any other recurring issues within your fleet? 

In addition to theft issues, our franchisees are increasingly complaining about tenants’ negligence. This is especially true when mechanical warning lights appear on the dashboard: low tire pressure, low engine oil level, low AdBlue level, and so on. This sometimes leads to significant mechanical damage and complex disputes, with renters getting stranded with their vehicle and claiming they did not see the warnings. 

How can Echoes help you further develop your fleet management? 

We are exploring various solutions to optimize the management and supervision of our fleet in collaboration with Echoes. The goal is to respond more quickly to critical situations and improve operational oversight. Advanced monitoring and alerting features can help partners anticipate certain situations and take swift action, thereby ensuring service continuity.