“ŠKODA AUTO is evolving from a pure car manufacturer into a provider of integral mobility services,” said Andre Wehner, Chief Digital Officer at ŠKODA AUTO. “That also includes offering mobility services to those who, for different reasons, cannot live their everyday lives independently. With its expertise in the field of digitalisation, the ŠKODA AUTO DigiLab supports ‘CareDriver’ to a great degree and significantly contributes to the start-up’s success by assisting with clever concepts and providing technical support.” Jarmila Plachá, the Head of the ŠKODA AUTO DigiLab, pointed out that, “‘CareDriver’ makes a valuable contribution to society. We are therefore supporting the project wholeheartedly.”
The service was launched in February 2017 with the aim of giving families their time and mobility back. In Munich, numerous customers now put their trust in the service. The ‘CareProfs’ as they’re known, are qualified care professionals. They take children to school or help the elderly and people with disabilities go about their daily routine. ‘CareDriver’ also provides accessible transport for people with disabilities thanks to trained staff and specialised vehicles. As and when required, customers can book the service either on the website www.caredriver.de, or via email, WhatsApp, Facebook, an app or by telephone. As an investor and provider of ideas, the ŠKODA AUTO DigiLab is instrumental in the development of the start-up. ŠKODA AUTO provides its bestselling ŠKODA OCTAVIA to the service provider at special rates.
‘CareProf’ applicants are selected following a strict procedure. Each care professional must first be compared against a 10-point checklist, and is subsequently continuously assessed. In addition to experience with children or the elderly, they must also prove their social and communicative skills and have a trade licence as well as a clear criminal record. Candidates must also have held a driving licence for a minimum of 3 years. This means that ‘CareDriver’ customers can count on friendly and qualified staff.
As part of its 2025 Strategy, ŠKODA has defined digitalisation and the creation of digital mobility services as one of the pillars for the company’s future development. Here, a key role is played by the ŠKODA AUTO DigiLab in Prague, which is expected to strengthen the Czech manufacturer’s innovative capability. The ŠKODA AUTO DigiLab orients the entire company towards the opportunities and demands of digitalisation. Structured like a fast-reacting IT start-up, this ideas workshop researches and develops new business models, solutions and products.
