eCabs and Google enter strategic partnership

eCabs Technologies riders, drivers and city partners will benefit from Google’s route optimisation, AI and machine learning technology.

Photo caption: Francesco Fraccalvieri (TIM), Matthew Bezzina (eCabs Technologies), Nicolo Pisani (Google Italy), Ginevra Garelli (Google Italy) and Luca Di Michele (eCabs Technologies)

eCabs Technologies has signed a strategic partnership with Google.

The deal was signed at Google’s offices in Milan earlier this month. eCabs Technologies will add several of Google’s leading tools to its ride-hailing tech stack. This will upgrade its products and power new innovation projects.

Route optimisation with the Google Maps Mobility Platform

All eCabs Technologies ride-hailing products will now use the Google Maps Mobility Platform, Google’s fleet and route management engine.

This gives platforms built by eCabs Technologies best-in-class location tools and smart route optimisation. Riders, drivers and city partners all get a better experience.

In practice, eCabs Technologies can:

• navigate traffic better, anywhere in the world
• plan optimised routes
• cut waiting and riding times

eCabs Technologies is only the second B2B private hire mobility tech provider in the world to use Google’s mapping tech stack for ride-hailing.

Moving to Google Cloud

eCabs Technologies has also agreed to move its hosting to Google Cloud. This brings industry-leading security and reliability.

The move also makes every product far more scalable, which supports better testing and piloting.

Part of a wider international expansion

The partnership comes weeks after eCabs Technologies began taking its mobility product abroad. Earlier this year, ride-hailing platforms powered by eCabs Technologies launched in Athens, Greece and Bucharest, Romania. More markets are in the pipeline.

CEO Matthew Bezzina said the partnership marks a pivotal moment for the company. It brings precise ETAs, optimised routes and new user tools that will lift the eCabs Technologies user experience.

“This is a very proud day for all of us at eCabs and we are thrilled to be bringing this innovation to our users, riders and drivers, as well as our city partners who have entrusted eCabs Technologies with powering their own ride-hailing ventures across Europe and beyond,” he said.

“Partnering with Google, the undisputed world leader in global mapping and route management technology, is an endorsement, not only of eCabs Technologies’ mission to be an important player in the international ride-hailing market but of the high standards of our dedicated and capable team. It signals that we are competing at the highest level in a complex and challenging global industry,” Bezzina said.

“eCabs Technologies was born to make transport efficient, accessible and affordable for all. We couldn’t be happier to be partnering with Google to provide tangible user benefits through best-of-breed technology,” he added.

An extremely powerful tool

eCabs Technologies’ Chief Technology Officer, Luca Di Michele, said the first phase of adding Google’s mapping technology is already underway.

“This is a quantum leap for us. It will allow eCabs Technologies to continue to expand and grow, providing better ride-hailing technology, not just for our home market in Malta, but for new jurisdictions where our city partners are launching their brands,” he said.

Users of the eCabs platform should start seeing changes to the app in 2024.

Key benefits of the Google partnership

• World-leading technology: eCabs Technologies will roll out a suite of Google-powered features that improve the ride-hailing experience and level of service.
• Better ETAs: New smart routing algorithms, prediction tools, and historic and real-time data give more accurate pickup and arrival times.
• Smarter driver dispatch: Google Maps data, combined with eCabs Technologies’ operational know-how, sends the right driver to each rider based on real-time factors. Waiting times drop and partner fleets earn more.
• A level playing field: City partners get a tech stack on par with the world’s leading ride-hailing players.
• Strategic innovation: Google’s expertise will improve efficiency and user experience across all eCabs Technologies products. It will also power pilot projects in AI and machine learning.

See how these tools work in practice in our Dispatch Portal.

In the press:

Times of Malta | Lovin Malta | The Malta Independent | Malta Today