Newly founded Porsche Digital is investing a seven-digit sum in parking solution specialist Evopark.
Porsche will hold a minority stake in the Cologne-based start-up, which is seeking to revolutionise parking in urban areas. Free parking cards will replace paper tickets; it will raise barriers automatically at many parking garages and underground parking facilities. Parking fees are paid at the end of each month.
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The Evopark app shows where parking is available at parking garages and offers to guide drivers to free parking spaces. The investment is the first by Porsche Digital since its foundation in May 2016.
Evopark was founded in Cologne in 2014. Currently, the parking service is already available in 16 German cities and at 37 car parks and underground parking facilities. National and international car park operators such as B+B Parkhaus, Goldbeck and Q-Park are working closely with the start-up. Cooperation partners also include the major manufacturers of parking management systems, Scheidt and Bachmann, as well as Skidata, the AXA insurance company and renowned retail chains offering parking validation to shoppers.
In the context of a joint pilot project, already today Porsche and Audi drivers can park at no charge for the first hour at parking garages operated by Evopark partners for three months.
Evopark executive Tobias Weiper said: "The search for a parking spot is the reason for almost 30% of inner-city driving. At the same time, however, many spots in parking garages stand empty."
Evopark is making a positive contribution to inner-city mobility. The goal, according to Weiper, is "an open platform for off-street parking in Germany and Europe".
