Skip to main content

Study calls Inrix off-street parking the ‘clear winner’ in US and Europe

An independent off-street parking benchmark study carried out by automotive technology research firm SBD has concluded that ParkMe, an Inrix company, beat Parkopedia in data accuracy across the key attribute categories in five cities in the US and Germany. According to the study, overall, ParkMe was 12 per cent more accurate than Parkopedia across a set of core attributes that are essential to automakers for customer satisfaction. Most important, ParkMe was 23 per cent more accurate providing the precise
January 21, 2016 Read time: 3 mins
An independent off-street parking benchmark study carried out by automotive technology research firm 4263 SBD has concluded that 6114 ParkMe, an 163 Inrix company, beat 7374 Parkopedia in data accuracy across the key attribute categories in five cities in the US and Germany.

According to the study, overall, ParkMe was 12 per cent more accurate than Parkopedia across a set of core attributes that are essential to automakers for customer satisfaction. Most important, ParkMe was 23 per cent more accurate providing the precise entrance location to parking lots as compared to Parkopedia. ParkMe was the ‘clear winner’ across parking attributes including pricing information accuracy (91 percent versus 81 percent) and correct parking lot operating hours (87 per cent versus 83 per cent).

ParkMe, acquired by Inrix in September 2015, has built the world’s most comprehensive parking database that includes more than 29 million confirmed spaces in over 90,000 accessible locations spanning 4,000 cities in 64 countries. ParkMe only displays publicly accessible, non-restricted lots, including both free and fee parking locations, unlike Parkopedia, which also displays restricted-access lots. By excluding restricted lots from its worldwide dataset, consumers using ParkMe are not misrouted to locations that are unavailable to the general public.

SBD’s assessment looked at 488 random parking lots in November 2015 across Berlin, Munich and Stuttgart in Germany, as well as Boston and San Francisco in the United States. SBD’s trained data collectors evaluated on-site attributes lot by lot (backed by photographic evidence), then compared the field results to published information on respective ParkMe and Parkopedia websites. From the findings, SBD assessed overall accuracy scores, and scores per attribute, lot and city. SBD was compensated for collecting the data, but the assessments and scoring were completed on an objective and independent basis.

“SBD’s off-street parking study tells a very compelling story about the quality of ParkMe’s coverage in the US and Europe,” said Mark St Andrew, senior connected car analyst at SBD North America and the study’s author. “These results reinforce the importance of automotive OEMs and service providers focusing on the end-to-end experience for consumers, the foundation of which is starting with the most accurate data possible.”

“Inrix has always striven to have the most complete and reliable dynamic driver services worldwide,” said Steve Banfield, chief marketing officer of Inrix. “SBD has confirmed what we were already very confident in – that ParkMe has the most accurate parking service in the industry, which ultimately leads to very happy drivers.”

Inrix has also announced a new licensing agreement with Parknav to expand its on-street parking services to more than 20 German cities, bringing its total coverage to over 40 cities worldwide.

Parknav uses machine learning, big data and predictive analytics to determine what streets will have open parking in real-time. The solution works on all road types and covers all on-street parking categories including free, metered and permit parking. BMW will be the first automaker to include Inrix’s breakthrough service into its ConnectedDrive cars.

Related Content

  • March 19, 2020
    Inrix: Bogota ‘most congested city’ on planet
    Drivers in South America endure some teeth-grindingly long waits on their commutes, according to the Inrix 2019 Global Traffic Scorecard.
  • July 6, 2012
    Partnership to provide free real-time parking solutions for major US cities
    ParkMe, a provider of dynamic and real-time parking data, and Parkeon, a specialist in multi-space parking solutions, have completed an integration which will enable the companies to provide free parking solutions to residents of major US cities.
  • June 10, 2022
    The art of road safety
    Saving lives on the road surely can’t be as easy as painting the town red – and pink, green and yellow? Or purple and blue? Can it? Adam Hill has a brush with Bloomberg Philanthropies
  • July 28, 2016
    ADAS leads consumer preferences in new vehicle purchases, says survey
    According to a new IHS Automotive global consumer survey, Connected Cars, 55 per cent of annual global new vehicle sales in 2020 will be connected vehicles and at that time, nearly half of the global fleet of vehicles in operation will be connected. Findings indicate that new advanced technologies and increased connectivity are driving consumer preferences as they consider new vehicles. More than 4,000 vehicle owners intending to purchase a new vehicle within the next 36 months were surveyed, representi