New mobility provider SOGO is to use IMS telematics devices across its fleet to manage its vehicles and protect them from theft.

Leon Hurst, CEO of the IMS Mobility Solutions division

SOGO launched in the UK in late 2020 by former Citroën UK managing director Karl Howkins, offering private individuals, micro-businesses, SMEs and corporates with ultra-flexible vehicle leases from one month to four years.

It’s targeting a 5,000-strong vehicle fleet by the end of 2021, of which at least 35% will be electric vehicles as it looks to make inroads in the EV segment.

SOGO has now signed up IMS (Insurance and Mobility Solutions), to supply telematics solutions, focused initially on asset protection and collision detection, ensuring vehicles are returned in good condition at the end of the lease period, in turn preserving their residual value in the used car market at defleet time.

Leon Hurst, CEO of the IMS Mobility Solutions division, commented: “Flexible leasing is an exciting growth sector, and the close, continuous asset management that our technology enables will bring extra efficiency to the business model. This is a great opportunity for us to work hand in glove with a dynamic, customer-centric business that is hungry to grow in a sector that, in the wake of Covid’s impact, is dealing with rapid changes in customer requirements.”

Karl Howkins, managing director of SOGO, said the partnership with IMS will enable SOGO to be proactive on risk management but also to provide customers with support packages as the pandemic rapidly accelerates change in the mobility space.

“Connecting the SOGO fleet through IMS gives me added confidence that 2021 will be a successful year of growth for our business, as we will be better placed to make data-driven decisions around asset management on the back of the real-time information their technology provides,” he continued.