3 June, 2026
At the Yoogo Fleet Technology Roadshow in Auckland and Christchurch, we brought together fleet managers, vehicle leasing customers, industry partners, and technology leaders to explore what's next for fleet management in New Zealand
For many fleet managers, the challenge isn’t a lack of technology — it’s finding practical ways to reduce admin, improve fleet optimisation, and stay ahead of compliance requirements. The roadshow explored how New Zealand businesses are doing exactly that.
The NZ Herald was there to cover the event. Read the full story here.
Connected vehicles are transforming fleet visibility
For fleet managers, connected vehicle data is changing how fleets are maintained, monitored, and optimised. Through onboard sensors and telematics, today’s vehicles generate a stream of actionable insights — from upcoming service requirements to early safety alerts. Real-time vehicle tracking means visibility across how each vehicle is being used, the ability to address safety issues proactively, and opportunities to improve efficiency across the entire fleet.
“Fleet is one of the top three to five costs in any business,” said our CEO, Michelle Herlihy. “We were able to identify from the data that one customer could reduce 5% of their fleet by taking vehicles out. We then looked at other strategies and reduced their cost base by 8–10% in total, across 600 to 700 vehicles.”
New Zealand is also at the forefront of connected vehicle development. A 1,000-car BYD Internet of Things (IoT) pilot is currently underway here with connected vehicles sending data directly to fleet providers.
With electronic road user charges (eRUC) set to become mandatory from July 2027 for all vehicles, fleet compliance is about to get more complex. Connected vehicles offer a way to automate this by automatically capturing and transmitting mileage data. We're working alongside our telematics partner to deliver seamless eRUC integration at fleet scale, so it's one less thing your team needs to manage.
Automation and AI are reshaping how fleets are managed
Yoogo Fleet is the first fleet company in Australasia to develop an in-house automated fleet servicing platform. Our Digital Concierge combines real-time telematics data with an automated booking system to take the manual processes out of vehicle servicing and fleet compliance. When a service or warrant of fitness is due, drivers receive a notification and can book directly — click, pick, book. Within a month of launch, 70% of connected drivers were using Digital Concierge to manage their servicing directly.
Beyond servicing, our telematics platform uses AI-based cameras and driver safety technology to give fleet managers real-time visibility across driver behaviour and fuel management.
“The AI looks at patterns over time, picks up tailgating, cell phone use, fatigue and distraction,” said Dave Riches, our General Manager of Operations. “It tracks fuel usage and flags anomalies — fuel is one of the hardest fleet costs to manage, and the fuel crisis has made this visibility even more important.”
The goal isn’t surveillance, it is helping businesses improve safety, reduce risk, and identify operational inefficiencies before they become costly.
The EV future is closer than you think
Attendees also heard from Warren Willmot, General Manager of BYD Auto NZ, on what's coming next for electric vehicles. BYD's latest Blade Battery technology is designed for fast charging every time with minimal degradation, and BYD's flash chargers, rolling out across New Zealand and Australia from October, will allow compatible EV models to charge in under five minutes.
That changes the equation for fleets considering the transition to electric. When charging times match refuelling times, the practical barriers to EV fleet adoption fall away. We're also seeing a wider range of EV vans, utes, and 'super hybrid' vehicles on the horizon — designed for the kind of long-distance, mixed-terrain driving that many New Zealand businesses rely on.
Your fleet could power your office
One of the most forward-looking discussions at the roadshow was around vehicle-to-grid (V2G) technology. The ability to tap into your vehicle's battery to power your home, your business, or sell energy back to the grid. As bidirectional chargers are developed for more models, the role of a fleet vehicle could expand well beyond transport.
Could a company's fleet power its office during an outage? Could your vehicles reduce your energy costs at peak times? These are the kinds of questions being discussed at events like the Technology Roadshow, and they may not be far away.
New Zealand-built, globally relevant
“We're passionate about Kiwis and New Zealand Inc,” said Herlihy. “We want to see New Zealand solutions solving these problems, rather than just being consumers of global technology. We want solutions that work in practice for New Zealanders and create global solutions here in Aotearoa.”
The discussions confirmed what we see every day: New Zealand isn’t just keeping pace with global fleet innovation — we’re helping to shape it.
At Yoogo Fleet, that's exactly what we're building: from vehicle leasing and fleet management through to connected fleet technology and EV transition planning. If you'd like to talk about how any of this could work for your business, get in touch with our team.
Get in touch with the Yoogo Fleet team today. Contact Us