When it comes to fleet vehicles, the number one priority for government customers is safety, says Toyota Australia’s National Government Fleet Manager, Aman Gupta.

“They want the safest possible vehicle on the road,” he says.

Majority of our Toyota vehicle range  have a five-star ANCAP rating. Often  government customers want more, such as autonomous braking, lane assist technology and telematics solutions.

And whether its automated vehicles or Cooperative Intelligent Transport systems, Toyota is pioneering the technology that promises to make driving safer than ever before.

Cooperative vehicles

Cooperative vehicles are able to communicate with other cooperative vehicles, as well as street infrastructure and traffic systems.

They have the ability to “see” around corners and they know what other cooperative vehicles are doing, and can operate in cooperation with them.

“We’re working on technology at the moment which is going to help cars communicate with each other and with road infrastructure to make driving a lot safer,” Mr Gupta says.

“It’s about helping drivers be better on the road and at the same time reducing risk and accidents.

“It makes sure that, while the driver is still in control, they get a lot of help. For example, the system can tell you if there’s an accident ahead, if a car’s coming up to an intersection, or there are red lights.

“We see this technology as playing a big role in the future.”

Toyota Australia and Lexus Australia are currently trialling cooperative vehicle technology in collaboration with VicRoads and separately with the Queensland Department of Transport and Main Roads.

These Cooperative Intelligent Transport Systems (C-ITS) trials, involving several outfitted Lexus SUVs, are being conducted over two years under normal driving conditions on public roads and test courses in Victoria and Queensland.

Telematics

Fleet telematics is another big area of interest for Toyota’s Government fleet customers.

Telematics uses GPS location and vehicle onboard diagnostics to provide information on both vehicle and driver behaviour. It has the capability to improve fleet management while delivering savings and efficiencies.

“Telematics provides information about safety and vehicle usage,” Mr Gupta says. “It lets managers know where their drivers are in real time and if they are safe .”

Toyota is also piloting telematics with some of its larger fleet customers and aims to launch a full fleet solution to the market

As part of Toyota’s exploration of shared mobility in Australia, it is offering car sharing options to business customers to help them maximise their fleet utilisation.

A customisable mobile or desktop app manages bookings, and additional services are available, such as keyless entry, vehicle location and driver behaviour.

The company is also trialling car sharing internally for transport between its Melbourne office locations, and will apply those learnings to further improve its offering to fleet customers.

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