Inrix Inc., one of the global leaders in connected car services and transportation analytics, and Germany-based ParkU, a provider of off-street parking reservations in 10 countries in Europe, have entered into a strategic partnership to bring embedded payment and reservation technology to the dashboard of connected cars.
The partnership provides auto makers with the opportunity to create an embedded, end-to-end parking experience, helping European drivers find, reserve and pay for parking directly using their in-car dashboard. ParkU’s reservation and payment locations will be incorporated into Inrix’s automotive parking system to empower European drivers with a complete parking experience, all from within the connected car. The new integrated platform will give drivers the ability to reserve and pay for parking spaces in 55 cities in 10 European countries.
ParkU is Europe’s leading parking app and currently gives car drivers the ability to find, book and pay for a parking space in advance of arrival. Due to the technical integration of Inrix’s comprehensive off-street parking database, the ParkU app now empowers drivers to compare different parking options, and advises on availability and occupancy level of spaces in parking garages or on private ground, as well as on location, distance, opening hours, tariffs, payment methods, and height restrictions.
Since its launch in 2013, ParkU quickly developed operations in the DACH region and in the Netherlands offering parking reservation services in inner cities and at airports in 55 European cities. Along with a filter function for types, properties and fees, the app features a comprehensive range of parking options, such as parking garages, airport and cruise port parking, P+R services, and peer-to-peer parking, allowing drivers to find their best possible parking space. Inrix Parking currently includes street-level parking information in over 30 cities worldwide, and an off-street parking database with more than 29 million spaces in over 90,000 locations spanning 4,500 cities in 65 countries.
“For many, parking your vehicle can be the most stressful part of driving, especially if you are looking for a space in a congested area or in a location you do not know very well,” said Alex Israel, general manager and vice president of parking at Inrix. “Our partnership with ParkU aims to remove this worry and give our European automotive customers the opportunity to offer drivers a complete embedded connected car parking experience. More and more drivers are demanding parking services in their next vehicle purchase, and this partnership helps bring this closer to reality.”
Adriaan Mensink, CEO of ParkU, noted, “Finding, reserving and paying for parking has always been at the heart of our service. This partnership with Inrix is an excellent opportunity to enhance and strengthen our all-in-one parking customer offering, providing all relevant parking reservation and information services in just one app. Firstly, we can now expand our parking reservation service directly into in-car connected car navigation systems. Secondly, ParkU app users can now view up-to-date information for more than six million parking spaces across 30 countries.”
