“Echoes: A Pragmatic Approach Focused on Customer Needs” 3 Questions for Thomas Mercier, VP of Sales & Business Development at Echoes.

On Tuesday , June 11 , 2024 , an event organized by the Mobility Club by Via ID – Mobivia was held in Paris , during which several key players in the vehicle data sector shared their vision for the future of the industry. Among them was Thomas Mercier, VP of Sales & Business Development at Echoes, who discussed value creation through data and his company’s approach in this area. Here’s a look back at these topics through three questions posed to Thomas Mercier.

According to KPMG estimates, the global automotive data market is worth 85 billion euros. It is growing at an extremely rapid pace, a trend that is expected to accelerate, particularly driven by the electric vehicle market. How does Echoes stand out in this highly competitive market?

Thomas Mercier: Unlike most players in the market, our technical model is based on data transmitted in real time directly from vehicles to the manufacturer, collected and standardized by Echoes before being displayed in the CarFleet or CarLocate interface. No more devices to install, uninstall, and maintain; goodbye to vehicle downtime; and no more risk of losing the manufacturer’s warranty!

Nevertheless, what sets Echoes apart is also reflected in our pragmatic approach, which rejects the idea of developing products before trying to force them onto the market. Our approach consists of listening to customers and prospects, understanding their needs and use cases, and responding to them as effectively as possible by collecting the necessary data. This is the advantage of our “zero-device” philosophy: rather than making heavy investments in the design and manufacturing of connected devices, we prioritize research and development focused on the intelligent use of OEM data, with a focus on agility and short turnaround times. This approach has enabled us to become a recognized leader and a long-term partner to major players in the rental industry (LCD and LLD).

How can vehicle-generated data help automotive industry players create value?

Thomas Mercier: At this stage, market needs are less about creating value and more about addressing pain points: reducing operating costs, mitigating risks, and preventing losses. To that end, Echoes offers a comprehensive solution to combat theft and misappropriation, with a commitment to securing and recovering vehicles within 48 hours. This offering is increasingly popular among rental companies, which often have little or no coverage against fraud.

Similarly, Echoes’ CarFleet tool makes it much easier for fleet managers or CFOs to comply with certain CSRD requirements, particularly CO2 emissions reporting: with just one click, they can access the actual fuel consumption and emissions data for the entire vehicle fleet. This saves teams both time and money. Better yet, information related to maintenance and mechanical breakdowns allows teams to take immediate action when an anomaly is detected—preventing the breakdown from worsening—as well as to verify that maintenance schedules are being followed. No more missed maintenance appointments or the risk of losing the manufacturer’s warranty.

 So, beyond the need for cost savings and risk management, are there opportunities to create value within the automotive industry through the use of data?

Thomas Mercier: Yes, but that will come later. New services and products aimed at individual and business customers will emerge, based on the analysis of vehicle data. In this regard, Echoes is already a pioneer with CarFid: this is a service designed for players in the automotive distribution sector. By leveraging data—and with customer consent—it allows operators to contact customers whenever a vehicle-related event occurs: reaching a mileage milestone, a maintenance alert, an accident, etc. These events are detected by the vehicle’s sensors and transmitted in real time to Echoes, which displays them in CarFid. Each of these events represents an opportunity to engage with the customer and offer them a personalized appointment at the dealership for maintenance, repairs, a new vehicle offer, etc.

As the vehicle fleet becomes increasingly electrified, the depth of data collected is set to increase, as are the new requirements associated with electric propulsion and its constraints. Consequently, the range of new services offered by Echoes is set to expand, generating ever-greater value for professionals. And this will be achieved without any downtime or need to replace hardware for the vehicle fleet: all future improvements will be delivered via updates to the Echoes platform.