KUALA LUMPUR (June 2): Sime Darby Motors said its wholly-owned unit Sime Darby Rent A Car Sdn Bhd (SDRAC) has delivered a fleet of telematics-enabled vehicles to support the Pengerang Integrated Complex in Johor.

The automotive arm of Sime Darby Bhd said SDRAC successfully delivered the fleet in December 2020 with a call centre set up on the site of the Petronas petrochemical facility to manage the fleet dashboard.

"The integration of a telecommunication and information processing system in its vehicle fleet is another milestone for SDRAC, and is a part of its efforts to expand its leasing business and transform from a conventional car rental company into a fleet management solutions provider," Sime Darby Motors said in a statement.

“Telematics, which is recognised for its role in the logistics industry, will be used for the first time in the car rental industry by SDRAC to improve the performance of its fleet.

“With centralised control, SDRAC’s customers will be provided with real-time insights to track vehicle usage and driver performance. With vehicle telematics installed, SDRAC’s customers can expect improved journey performance and safety through an elaborate alerts system and observation of driving behaviours,” the statement read.

SDRAC managing director Harun Mohd Joned said the company’s transient business has been impacted by the travel and movement restrictions that have "turned the industry upside down", but stressed the need to innovate.

“The work that we have put in to digitalise our fleet management business thus far has enabled us to continuously grow our business by implementing our telematics solution to power up our customers’ fleets.

“We aim to prove the case for vehicle fleet telematics and support more customers to migrate to an advance fleet management system as part of our promise to consistently add value and deliver the highest standard of service,” said Harun.

SDRAC manages close to 3,000 vehicles with a 276-member workforce, representing one of the largest fleets in Southeast Asia for the Hertz and Thrifty brands.

At 3:24pm, Sime Darby’s share price rose one sen or 0.44% to RM2.28, giving the group a market capitalisation of RM15.51 billion.