NAFA Helping Nevada-Based Mobility Accelerator Get Off the Ground

NAFA Fleet Management Association is collaborating with the Nevada Governor's Office of Economic Development to help them establish Fleetworks, an industry focused technology accelerator designed to source, accelerate and validate solutions for future fleet management and operations.

With the advent of the sharing economy and the development of mobility-as-a-service business models, vehicle ownership is quickly moving more towards vehicle usership. As a result, our relationship with transportation is changing from one where we identify with particular vehicle(s), brands or even dealerships to a relationship with software platforms, networks and fleets.

What this disruption in transportation means for NAFA members is that the volume, size and sophistication of commercial fleets and the role of fleet managers will significantly change over the coming years. This change is further compounded by electrification, connectivity and the promise of autonomy. Traditional fleet management companies, fleet operators, suppliers, and government agencies are already experiencing new entrants to the fleet ecosystem such as tech giants (Google, Apple), new automotive (restructured GM, Ford, Aptiv), network companies (Uber, Lyft) and technology startups.

Fleetworks aims to provide an environment for collaboration and a pipeline of innovation in advanced fleet management and operations (M&O) based on needs identified by program partners. Fleetworks and partners will achieve this by providing the programming and infrastructure to deliver a series of projects designed to validate globally-sourced technology solutions. These needs-based projects will help validate solutions ranging from data tools for first responders and traffic managers, to vehicle maintenance, staging and utilization optimization.

NAFA’s collaboration with Fleetworks will provide NAFA members with cutting-edge information  through channels such as NAFA’s annual Institute & Expo and FLEETSolutions magazine.  Just as important, NAFA members will have the opportunity to be directly involved in Fleetworks’ projects by providing expert input that will help guide the development of innovative technology solutions.

But all of this will take money.  Fleetworks’ existing founding partners range from public transportation agencies to a global transit operator and tier one automotive supplier.  Additional founding partners are needed to achieve minimum funding requirements.  Founding partners are ideally organizations who operate and manage a fleet with a vested interest in being at the forefront of advanced fleet, and/or suppliers with foresight to create new products and services and stay ahead of the changes in the industry.

Representatives from Nevada Governor's Office of Economic Development with be at the NAFA I&E in Louisville April 15-17 to meet with anyone who wants to learn more about Fleetworks or about becoming a founding partner.  To arrange a meeting email Dan Langford at dlangford@diversifynevada.com.