Dive Brief:

• The Cox Automotive Mobility Group announced the creation of Pivet, a network of providers to serve end-to-end needs for a wide range of fleet operators. The new brand is targeting fleets ranging from Uber and Lyft to commercial limousines to future autonomous vehicle (AV) networks, and offering services from cleaning to logistical management.
• Pivet opened its first physical location in metro Atlanta, where it will offer vehicle maintenance and repair, cleaning and a “consumer mobility lounge” for Uber and Lyft drivers. The hub will also launch innovation labs later this year to help explore the development of sensors for AVs and electric vehicles (EVs).
• In October, Cox Automotive acquired mobile care care company RideKleen, which uses a steam-based method to clean vehicles.

Dive Insight:

The launch of Pivet comes as automakers and consumers are increasingly looking past individual vehicle ownership and towards a future where mobility is run on fleets. Companies are especially looking at the possibility of networks of AVs as an alternative to personal vehicles. Autonomous shuttle networks have launched in cities around the country (and operator Local Motors has recently expanded its challenge seeking new fleet applications), and Waymo recently debuted its autonomous taxi service in Arizona as a precursor to a larger AV fleet network.  

Fleet companies, from taxis to rental car agencies, have faced rapid evolutions thanks to the new availability of data analytics and the need to optimize for different customers. The rise of EVs and AVs throws even more variables in the mix, with new opportunities and potential challenges.

In an interview with Forbes, Cox Automotive president Joe George said Pivet was looking at all the new technology available and wants to have locations in various cities. The national scope and wide market for Pivet, he added, meant that the company could explore implications for the industry, like how climate impacts battery use and how autonomous sensors worked on different types of roads.

“We want to offer the ability to recalibrate to ensure safety for these vehicles,” George said.