Chicago, IL, USA, Nov. 08, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- HAAS Alert, a Chicago-based automotive technology developer, announced the formal launch of its Safety Cloud® platform in Europe today. Safety Cloud, which is the largest commercially deployed digital alerting and connected vehicle service in North America, is expanding to Europe with a regionally customized service that transforms how vehicles and roadway infrastructure digitally communicate with each other. By enabling all vehicle types, such as emergency vehicles, road maintenance, towing, school buses, and more, to send and receive safety messages using their existing onboard connectivity, Safety Cloud enables automakers to deploy solutions to make the vision of a more connected and safer transportation network a reality.
Safety Cloud was first launched in North America in 2017 to prevent collisions caused by the lack of digital communication and limited interoperability in vehicles and transportation systems. For example, drivers previously had zero digital awareness of responding emergency vehicles headed their way - they were forced to rely solely on themselves to hear sirens or see flashing lights. The US Department of Homeland Security, recognising the safety issues faced by first responders and other roadway crews, awarded HAAS Alert multiple contracts to accelerate the commercialisation of a national platform representing a digital twin of first responder activity on roadways for safety and collision prevention.
In 2022, Stellantis (formed from the merger of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles and PSA Group) became the first global automobile manufacturer to connect its vehicles to Safety Cloud in North America in order to alert its drivers of oncoming emergency vehicles and other roadway hazards available on the Safety Cloud platform. Today, there are millions of Jeep, Dodge, Chrysler, and RAM vehicles in the United States and Canada receiving real-time safety messages from Safety Cloud - making it the largest V2X deployment in North America. HAAS Alert is currently working with other manufacturers to connect their vehicles to Safety Cloud so that safety-related information can be accessed in real-time.
HAAS Alert also has a large partner ecosystem that allows various companies offering products and services to the transportation market to connect their assets to Safety Cloud. These partners include manufacturers of emergency vehicles, work zone equipment manufacturers, and many other vehicle types that make Safety Cloud connectivity standard from the factory. By doing so, digital alerting adoption is growing every day as customers and agencies take delivery of new connected vehicles and equipment.
Roadway safety issues in Europe are similar to those in North America. Emergency service vehicles require drivers to clear a path when responding to emergencies. Road maintenance vehicles need oncoming vehicles to slow down and move over. Cars, light trucks, and commercial vehicles stopped in or on the side of the road, oftentimes hidden from view of oncoming traffic, putting all drivers at risk. Wrong way drivers - vehicles traveling in the wrong direction on the highway - oftentimes lead to fatalities or serious injuries. While a majority of vehicles in Europe today are “connected”, their connectivity generally stops at the manufacturer’s cloud platform. HAAS Alert’s Safety Cloud platform enables these vehicles to tap into the broader transportation network so drivers, ADAS, and automated driving systems can make safer, smarter driving decisions.
Cory Hohs, the CEO of HAAS Alert, views connectivity as the key to achieving roadway safety and efficiency goals globally. ”While we live in an incredibly connected world today, the vehicles on the roadway are still relatively disconnected from the world around them, which results in continued roadway deaths and injuries we see everyday globally. Vehicles require interconnectivity to know what’s up ahead, coming from behind, and around the corner. As the largest commercially-available V2X platform in North America, Safety Cloud ‘connects the connected’ to bring advanced safety to our roads.”
“In every region, roadways share common challenges when it comes to safe and efficient mobility”, said Jeremy Agulnek, SVP Connected Vehicle of HAAS Alert. “Our Safety Cloud platform is gaining significant traction in North America and vehicle manufacturers have been asking when we will have the service available in Europe. Cars, trucks, and infrastructure in Europe have begun talking to each other via Safety Cloud.”
Earlier this year, HAAS Alert opened an office in the United Kingdom. To support the European expansion, more offices will be opening in additional countries throughout 2024.
To learn more about HAAS Alert’s introduction into Europe, contact info@haasalert.com.
