New EU regulations are often met with protest from companies. Not so with the planned European data law. The alliance is aiming for new services, such as help finding parking spaces.
Allianz hopes for good business with car data in the future. After long-term debates with the automotive industry about the commercial use of vehicle data, Germany’s largest insurer assumes that the planned EU data law will benefit the insurance industry. Allianz board member Klaus-Peter Röhler cites the end of annoying searches for parking spaces, faster help after accidents and the automatic recording of damage to the vehicle as possible new – or improved – services.
The “EU Data Act” is intended to regulate the usage rights to the flood of data that networked machines generate, including cars. Manufacturers are concerned that they will be deprived of the fruits of their technical development if they are forced to share the data with third parties indefinitely. In 2021, the automotive industry association VDA proposed leaving the “authorization management” for car data with the manufacturers. The insurers distrusted this and suggested a neutral data trustee.
Data Act is intended to strengthen the legal position of users
The EU Commission now wants to strengthen the legal position of users with the Data Act – when applied to cars, these are their owners. You should have the right to transfer the use of the vehicle data for maintenance, repairs and other services to a company of your choice.
“The new law stands for innovation and competition,” explained Allianz board member Röhler at the insurer’s annual car day in Ismaning. According to the manager, cars will in future be able to direct their drivers to free parking spaces without them having to make long turns: “By using millions of live camera and position data from vehicles, the problem of finding parking spaces in inner cities could be solved.”
Notify the towing service automatically
In the event of an accident, according to Röhler, it would be possible to record the location and severity of the accident automatically and in real time using data. “Allianz could immediately notify a towing service, reserve a rental car, order suitable spare parts and arrange a workshop appointment for our customers,” explained the manager.
Source: Stern
