New in-vehicle driver and management aid to hit Australian and New Zealand fleets shortly
New Zealand technology company Eroad has launched its new Ehubo2 in-vehicle device and will unveil the device’s first application, Drive Buddy, this week.
The second-generation hardware records, stores and transfers vehicle and driver behaviour data to a web-based portal in real-time, accessible for drivers and office staff.
The Ehubo2’s Drive Buddy application aims to inform drivers of their behaviour while on the road, offering visual feedback to their current speed and alerts concerning harsh braking, sharp cornering and unnecessary idling.
“In-vehicle technology has a crucial role to play in making vehicles safer workplaces,” Eroad CEO Steven Newman says.
“We’re confident that Ehubo2 will make compliance with health and safety regulations significantly easier for the transport sector.”
Awaiting approval by the New Zealand Transport Agency as an electronic distance recorder, expected by the end of the year, the Ehubo2 device can also support Eroad’s messaging service, EZmessage, and its driver assignment solution, Driver ID.
Field testing the new products in 70 trucks, Mt Maunganui logistics company NZL Group’s senior projects manager Lajanne Smith says the company wanted to see if the Ehubo2 and Drive Buddy could reduce its driver’s speed and better inform them to their behaviour.
“We knew we needed to be more proactive around better driver behaviour and not just rely on GPS units,” Smith says.
“Drive Buddy acts as a guide to the driver. We’ve noticed a huge decrease in vehicle speeding since we installed it.”
Eroad will launch both the Ehubo2 and Drive Buddy in Australia and New Zealand this week.