Targa Telematics has signed a new connected mobility deal with Volvo Cars that will see vehicle data from the Swedish manufacturer’s European fleet integrated directly into Targa’s digital platform — a move aimed at accelerating the development of connected services for commercial operators. The tie-up is part of a broader trend in the European automotive […]
Targa Telematics has signed a new connected mobility deal with Volvo Cars that will see vehicle data from the Swedish manufacturer’s European fleet integrated directly into Targa’s digital platform — a move aimed at accelerating the development of connected services for commercial operators.
The tie-up is part of a broader trend in the European automotive and fleet management sectors, where manufacturers are increasingly opening vehicle data streams to specialist software providers.
This allows for new services such as remote diagnostics, predictive maintenance, fuel optimisation, and improved driver support — all delivered without the need for costly aftermarket installations.
The Targa-Volvo partnership will cover a broad swathe of the European market, from Scandinavia to the Mediterranean. By drawing on live vehicle data — including location, mileage, energy consumption, and EV-specific metrics — Targa says it will be able to offer fleets better decision-making tools and faster provisioning of digital services. Commands such as remote locking and unlocking will also be supported.
While both companies have presented the deal as a leap forward in efficiency and innovation, it also highlights how OEMs are beginning to see connected data as a commercial asset in its own right.
Commercialising automated mobility
“The goal is to simplify and normalise data flows,” said Alberto Falcione, vice president sales at Targa Telematics, adding that direct integration avoids the complexity and operational disruption associated with installing aftermarket devices.
Volvo Cars, meanwhile, is using the deal to push deeper into the B2B mobility space. “Connected vehicles offer a unique opportunity to fundamentally reshape the way fleets are managed,” said Dimitrios Merkouris, commercial manager at Volvo Cars.
A growing trend
This latest deal follows several similar arrangements across Europe, as automakers and fleet technology firms look to monetise vehicle data while offering enterprise clients a more sophisticated digital toolkit.
In 2023, German startup High Mobility entered into a multi-OEM agreement to provide access to real-time vehicle data from brands including BMW, Mercedes-Benz and Mini, through a unified API platform. The aim was to streamline access to OEM-grade data for mobility service providers and insurance tech companies.
Earlier this year, Free2move, the mobility arm of Stellantis, also expanded its connected services programme, making direct vehicle data from Peugeot, Citroën, and Opel models available to fleet managers and third-party developers across several European markets.
The race to capitalise on vehicle data is intensifying as more cars come equipped with embedded connectivity by default. With Europe’s major manufacturers increasingly building digital services into their business models, partnerships like that of Targa Telematics and Volvo are likely to become the rule rather than the exception.
However, challenges remain — from data standardisation and customer consent, to cross-border compliance with privacy regulations like the GDPR.
While partnerships like Targa Telematics and Volvo promise to streamline data flows, the reality is that each OEM collects, formats, and transmits vehicle data differently.
For fleet managers or service providers using mixed-brand fleets, stitching together data from multiple sources into a coherent, actionable format can be a complex and resource-intensive task.
That is why much of the industry’s focus today is on developing common data models or APIs that can bridge these gaps — but progress has been uneven.
Additionally, as vehicles become more connected, questions arise about who owns the data — the driver, the fleet operator, the OEM, or the platform provider — and what rights each party has over its use.
