North America’s First Road Usage Charge Program Begins In 2015

#aftermarket – The operator of intelligent transportation solutions, Sanef ITS, and Intelligent Mechatronic Systems (IMS), a leading connected car company, has announced that they have been awarded a road usage charge contract by the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT).

Debuting on Oregon’s roadways in July 2015, this distance-based road usage charging program is North America’s first implementation of a mileage-based charging solution. “A natural evolution of our DriveSync platform, this partnership expands on IMS’ leadership in connected car services such as usage-based insurance (UBI), young driver coaching and more,” commented Dr. Otman Basir, Founder and CEO of IMS.

“We are seeing a growing trend in the number of electric and hybrid vehicles on our roads, which has led to a significant fall in critical gas tax revenues being collected for road maintenance,” said François Gauthey, President of Sanef ITS. “To improve and maintain America’s roadway infrastructure, the transition from a gas tax to a distance-based road usage charge solution is a critical evolution. Moving forward, creating a sustainable but fair system for collecting revenues is essential for future sustainability of critical transportation networks. Sanef ITS America is delighted and looks forward to working with ODOT in contributing to the program with its road usage charging expertise.”

Participants throughout the state of Oregon will have access to road usage charging, beginning July 1, 2015. All light-duty vehicles registered in Oregon are eligible.

ODOT is making the road charging framework available to other states and Canadian provinces. Governments and insurers interested in leveraging this innovative technology solution can visit www.intellimec.com/road-charging for more information.