
In this Article:
- Zubie won the Gold Stevie® Award for Technology Excellence — New Service of the Year for its Smoke Detection solution in collaboration with Bosch.
- Smoke Detection delivers real-time alerts, incident reports, and in-vehicle smoking detection, helping rental fleets enforce smoking policies with precision.
- The system is quick to deploy and supports GPS tracking, geofencing, trip reporting, and mileage monitoring.
- Rental operators using Smoke Detection can recoup costs related to cleaning and downtime, reduce customer disputes, and improve fleet reputation through cleaner, smoke-free vehicles.
- Zubie plans to expand Smoke Detection capabilities to include incident/damage detection, broadening protection across vehicle misuse types.
We’re excited to share some big news: Zubie has been awarded the Gold Stevie® Award for Technology Excellence – New Service of the Year for our Smoke Detection product, built in collaboration with Bosch. This recognition highlights our commitment to helping rental car operators protect their fleets, improve customer accountability, and enhance the renter experience.
The Stevie Awards recognize outstanding performance in the workplace worldwide. The Gold Stevie represents the highest honor in its category and Zubie is grateful to be selected among a competitive field of nominees.
A Breakthrough Solution for Rental Car Operators
Designed specifically for rental car operators, Zubie Smoke Detection delivers real-time alerts, detailed incident reports, and tangible evidence of in-vehicle smoking. Installed in just 15 minutes per vehicle, the system leverages Bosch’s RideCare hardware, fully integrated into the Zubie platform.
Key features include:
- Smoke detection with alerts when smoking occurs, and reports that include total smoke detected, background air quality, and duration of smoking.
- GPS tracking
- Geofencing
- Trip reporting
- Mileage monitoring
Together, these features give rental car companies more control over fleet condition, help enforce smoking policies, defend against customer disputes, and help recover lost revenue from cleaning costs and fleet downtime.
Built in Collaboration with Bosch
Zubie’s collaboration with Bosch merges their expertise in sensor technology with Zubie’s strength in real-time vehicle monitoring and reporting, and rental-industry workflows. As Bosch’s Philipp Gauss, Vice President and Head of Fleet Sales for North America, says:
“Together, we’re setting a new standard for fleet management, combining Bosch’s technological innovation with Zubie’s deep understanding of the rental car market.”
What This Means for Customers
For rental fleet operators, Smoke Detection means:
- Fewer interior refurbishment costs and less downtime from cleaning out smoke odor and damage.
- Lower risk of disputes with renters over smoking fees, thanks to timestamped, detailed incident reports.
- A mechanism to impose smoking fees with confidence.
- Better customer satisfaction and fleet reputation, as vehicle interiors stay cleaner and are more consistently smoke-free.
What’s Next: Incident Detection
Zubie is continuing to enhance its platform. Coming soon, customers using Smoke Detection will also be able to detect damage incidents — expanding beyond in-vehicle smoking to enable even more comprehensive monitoring and protection of fleet assets and renter accountability.
A Win for Our Customers
Zubie is a connected vehicle platform serving car rental, peer-to-peer, commercial, and dealership fleets. Through GPS tracking, telematics, vehicle health, driver performance, and now Smoke Detection, Zubie gives operators powerful tool to enforce policies, reduce costs, and provide a better experience for renters. Winning the Gold Stevie is an honor, but what matters most is the impact this technology has for our customers.
Want to learn more about Smoke Detection and how it can transform your rental fleet?
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