Haas Alert says that Škoda has become the first vehicle manufacturer to introduce Haas’ Safety Cloud-powered digital alerts in Europe.
The “milestone deployment”, according to Haas Alert, of its cloud-based Vehicle to Everything (V2X) digital alerting platform, provides real-time warnings to Škoda drivers when ambulances are approaching.
This helps emergency services reach their destinations faster, while enhancing overall road safety.
Emergency vehicle alerts have been added to Škoda’s Traffication in-vehicle safety app, which is available on all new Škoda vehicles with a one-year free trial.
The feature is available on compatible MY2019 and newer vehicles with active Škoda Connect services. The alerts run in the background without requiring driver intervention, while providing immediate visual and audio notifications on the central infotainment display.
Haas said Safety Cloud is the industry's most comprehensive V2X digital alerting platform. It is designed to connect emergency responders, municipal fleets, workzones, connected infrastructure, disabled vehicles and vehicles to create a safer, more informed driving environment.
The Emergency Vehicle Alerts are integrated into Škoda's safety technology within Traffication’s suite of safety features, which already includes wrong-way driver warnings, stationary vehicle alerts, weather and road condition warnings and accident notifications.
"The speed of our integration with Safety Cloud demonstrates the power of modern connected vehicle platforms," said Michal Vondra, product manager responsible for Traffication at Škoda.
"In less than one year, we were able to seamlessly integrate Haas Alert's comprehensive V2X alerting capabilities into our existing Traffication app. This rapid deployment underscores our dedication to quickly delivering innovative safety technologies to our Škoda customers."
Jeremy Agulnek, chief product officer and senior vice president for connected vehicles at Haas Alert, says: "This collaboration demonstrates the global scalability of our platform and demonstrates that cloud-based V2X solutions are the preferred choice for automakers across Europe."
Alerts can be expanded to Škoda vehicles in any European country wherever emergency vehicles are connected to Safety Cloud. Today the digital alerting platform already boasts significant coverage in the UK and the Netherlands, with more countries and regions becoming available later this year.
In the Netherlands, nearly all ambulances are integrated. In the UK, Haas Alert says it has connected more than 600 ambulances including those operated by the South East Coast Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust.
Safety Cloud currently protects millions of vehicles across the US and Canada, with Stellantis (the makers of Jeep, Dodge, Chrysler and Alfa Romeo) vehicles using it.
Mercedes-Benz US introduced its Emergency Vehicle Alert beta feature powered by Safety Cloud in September 2024 and Volkswagen of America launched two Car-Net Safe & Secure safety features powered by Safety Cloud in November 2024.
