Otto Car's 6,000-vehicle fleet demonstrates how connected operations can deliver safety and sustainability at scale

When Gurinder Dhillon founded Otto Car, his mission was straightforward: 

Bringing loved ones home safely - that's both the rider and the driver."

As CEO of what has become Europe's largest provider of private hire vehicles, serving over 5,600 rideshare drivers across London, Manchester, and Birmingham, Dhillon has turned that founding principle into a comprehensive safety and sustainability program that demonstrates how connected operations technology can underpin physical businesses.

The company's journey with Samsara's connected operations platform demonstrates how Internet of Things (IoT) and AI-powered systems can deliver measurable business outcomes while addressing complex operational challenges. Otto Car's results are certainly noteworthy: 50,000 tonnes decrease in CO2 emissions annually, maintenance of a 3-4% accident rate despite doubling fleet size, and the development of what Dhillon calls "the cleanest fleet in the world."

From reactive to proactive safety

Otto Car's relationship with safety technology began out of necessity rather than strategy. Dhillon recalls:

Literally in the first few years of running the business, we had an incident where a mother was walking with a child across a zebra crossing, and we clipped the child. We saw the footage. Being a father with young children, I said I don't want to be answerable to any mother.

This incident became a catalyst for a fresh approach to driver and passenger safety at Otto Car. The company initially relied on traditional methods - such as hiring driving instructors and conducting individual driving tests for every driver - but this approach didn’t translate into real-world results. Dhillon explains:

It's like a police car - you're driving down the motorway at 90, see the police car, slow down past it, then speed back up. Everyone performed well during tests, but we felt we were creating more friction than actual benefits.

The limitations of this reactive strategy led Otto Car to adopt digital tools that could support the nudging of driver safety towards more consistent positive outcomes. The company began investing in dash cameras in 2015 - "about 10 years now" - starting with basic DVR systems before shifting to connected products. The challenge with DVR systems was clear. Dhillon notes:

You didn't know it was broken until it didn't work - and that's the one time you need it.

Building a data-driven safety culture

The limitations with DVR systems led to Otto Car's partnership with Samsara, which has helped the company support its shift from reactive safety management to proactive, data-driven operations. The company now operates with both external and internal-facing cameras across its fleet, generating massive amounts of behavioral data that feeds into coaching programs. Dhillon explains:

What we've done instead is become much more data-driven over the last two years, using Samsara to find data, spot drivers, spot videos, and use that to coach.

This approach has scaled significantly in recent years. Dhillon adds:

Out of 5,000 drivers, we're making 500 calls a week - 100 calls a day - reaching out to drivers about something they're doing wrong, but also bringing them in to say they've really improved.

The company's approach to coaching also speaks to how Otto Car is somewhat of a different use case for Samsara - the company is coaching customers, not employees.. Dhillon says:

The problem we have compared to other customers is that most have employees - we have customers. Scolding our customers is not a good place to be. But I think we do it from a conversation and say, ‘Look, this is because we want you to get home safe’. 

This dynamic requires a more careful approach to behavior modification, one that Otto Car has developed through attention to context and individual circumstances.

Rather than relying on automated systems alone, Otto Car has adopted a more human-centric approach. Dhillon explains:

We have two or three people filtering it, then four instructors do the coaching. It has to come from a point of authority.

Beyond simple monitoring

Otto Car's implementation of Samsara's technology demonstrates how connected operations platforms can evolve beyond basic monitoring to provide actionable intelligence. The company's use of AI-powered contextual analysis represents an advancement over traditional telematics systems that simply flag events without understanding circumstances.

Context matters when evaluating driver behavior. Dhillon explains:

People will use their phones - if they're stationary in traffic, we're not going to react the same as if they're doing it on the motorway at 70mph.

However, this analysis requires AI capabilities that can distinguish between different types of driving behavior and assess risk levels accordingly. As diginomica highlighted at Samsara’s user event last week in San Diego, this is something the vendor is working on. 

The company's experience with false positives illustrates both the challenges and opportunities in AI-powered safety systems. Dhillon notes:

We get a lot of false positives and stuff we don't think is that serious."

However, he sees potential in the advancing AI capabilities. Dhillon adds:

What would be helpful with AI is - if you think there's been an accident, but the car continues to drive on, it probably didn't have an accident. It was just a speed bump. But if the car stops and the driver gets out, you should recognize that.

The challenge points to a broader issue in connected operations: the gap between data collection and actionable insights. Dhillon explains:

Our problem with telematics is it's great at telling you general things, but you need vision data. They've got it, but they need to analyze it better.

Sustainability as competitive advantage

Otto Car's commitment to sustainability extends beyond regulatory compliance or marketing positioning. The company operates approximately 80% of its 6,000-vehicle fleet on electric power, which as highlighted above, means that Dhillon can claim it as "the biggest electric vehicle fleet in Europe." The commitment stems from a deeply personal understanding of the communities Otto Car serves. Dhillon explains:

Most of these drivers come from the poorest parts of the community. We said every hero doesn't have to wear a cape - they can be everyday heroes and clean up their community by contributing. 

The philosophy was reinforced by the story of a young girl, Ella Adoo-Kissi-Debrah, who died from pollution-related asthma attacks while living near the South Circular road in London. Dhillon says:

These guys come from that same community. How can they contribute? A lot of people want to help, they just don't know how.

The business case for electrification goes beyond environmental benefits. Otto Car's sustainability initiatives have practical implications for driver economics and operational efficiency. By providing infrastructure and support for electric vehicle operation, Otto Car creates a competitive advantage that benefits both drivers and the broader community. Dhillon notes:

Of course, charging electric cars isn't really accessible to the lower income bracket, so we're able to help them.

The company's sustainability metrics demonstrate the scale of impact possible through connected operations. According to the company, Otto Car has prevented 50,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions annually and achieved over 100 million "green miles" driven by their EV fleet - equivalent to the amount of CO2 absorbed by 2 million trees.

Interestingly, despite Otto Car’s noble intentions, the company's safety and sustainability improvements have not always translated into adequate recognition from insurance companies. Dhillon explains:

One thing we wanted to ensure was insurance costs going down. We haven't been rewarded by insurers as much as we'd like. Having said that, insurance has gone up for everyone - ours has gone up less, and we're seen as a good risk.

The challenge, according to Dhillon, is that insurers sometimes rely on good performers to subsidize poor ones. He says:

Sometimes what an insurer will say is, 'We need someone good like you because you subsidize the bad fleet.'

However, the company's driver coaching programs have evolved into a competitive differentiator, helping to build loyalty and attract new drivers. Dhillon observes:

This community is very much lone wolves, but wolves want to move in packs. Getting that feedback, being part of something bigger, is helpful.

The autonomous future

Looking ahead, Dhillon also shared his thoughts on autonomous vehicles, hinting at the company’s future direction. He says:

First of all, it's coming. I think we've come out of the trough of despair. If you spoke about it a year or two ago, people said ‘it's never happening’ - too much hype around Elon and everything else. In the last six to 12 months, it feels like it's really ramped up.

The drivers behind this resurgence, according to Dhillon, are concrete demonstrations of safety and operational effectiveness. He explains:

Waymo pulled it off - their operations are working. Secondly, they've done an amazing job on safety. They've been good at showing data and statistics - how well they drive relative to humans, 80-90% safer regarding pedestrian accidents, vehicle collisions.

Looking at how this may impact the transportation industry and the medium-to-long term results, Dhillon says:

When mobiles came out, no one gave up their landline. They sat side by side for 10 years. Now if I'm moving into a flat, am I going to put a landline in? Probably not.

The perspective suggests that the transition to autonomous vehicles will be gradual rather than disruptive, creating opportunities for companies that can adapt their operations and technology infrastructure. Dhillon notes:

If anything, I think it would be more of a danger to personal car ownership. What we'll end up having is needing a lot more drivers because the newer generation, particularly younger people, won't even think about having a driver's license.