In Mexico there are nearly 58 million vehicles circulating, of which more than 14 million are light units of corporate fleets, three million are medium-sized units and one million more are heavy fleets, according to figures provided by Pablo Chiappetta, general director of Mobility Edenred .
This fleet universe (dispersed, dynamic, and increasingly critical for digital consumption and the last mile) is Edenred’s new objective, Chiappetta commented.
The company, recognized for its fuel management solution, is now stepping on the gas in another direction: vehicle maintenance. It’s doing so with ” Maintenance Fleet ,” a technology platform already operating in Brazil and Argentina, and is now seeking to replicate its success in Mexico.
“Fuel represents 30% of a fleet’s expenses. Maintenance accounts for another 30%. While we already had control over one, we now want to offer a comprehensive solution that helps our customers operate more efficiently and safely,” Chiappetta explained.
In just over a year and a half of operation, the tool has integrated 35,000 vehicles from more than 100 customers. But its potential is still vast: Edenred‘s fuel customer base encompasses nearly 500,000 vehicles in Mexico, and the goal is to reach 100,000 vehicles with digitalized maintenance by 2025.
The solution is based on three key components. The first is a 100% online web platform that allows companies to manage and track all their fleet repairs, from service requests to work order completion.
The second is a national network of more than four thousand participating workshops , including multi-brand stores, dealerships, tire shops, and more, which Edenred does not own, but with which it establishes standards of quality, prices, and response times, commented Isaac Franco, product manager for Mobility Edenred.
And the third is a technical cell that evaluates each repair , validates the scales, spare parts prices, man-hours, and ensures transparency through photographic and video evidence.
Traceability is complete, Franco said. The system even issues alerts if, for example, a part is changed too frequently, which can indicate anything from misuse to possible fraud.
And while it doesn’t completely eliminate theft or collusion between operators and workshops, the model does significantly reduce it, thanks to the volume of orders and constant audits that Edenred imposes on its partners, Franco explained.
One of the biggest challenges has been changing the companies’ approach. “In Mexico, maintenance is often done until a failure occurs,” Chiappetta acknowledged. However, the results show that digitizing maintenance can have immediate impacts.
Jesús Sánchez, commercial manager of Fleet Maintenance, recounted a specific success story: a company with 11,500 vehicles that, upon logging into the system, discovered that 2,000 units were not in operation.
“It was an unnecessary expense that no one had been able to identify without this traceability,” Sánchez explained.
Furthermore, the system reduced the average repair time from four days to one, resulting in savings of up to 120,000 pesos per immobilized unit, considering costs such as operator salaries, the value of the detained asset, and the loss from non-revenue generation.
“We’ve invited workshops from Mexico City to expand to Monterrey or to specific areas where we see opportunities,” Chiappetta said.
They’ve even designed customized layouts for cable companies, oil companies, leasing companies , and utilities. Some require workshops operating at night, while others require mechanics to drive directly to the yards in trucks equipped as mobile workshops.
While the light-duty fleet has been the starting point, Edenred is already looking directly at the tractor-trailer and electric vehicle sector.
Chiappetta explained that he is currently working with large Mexican transporters to develop a specialized network for heavy-duty transport, with a view to launching operations soon.
The platform is now ready and has trained technicians to validate each intervention. Regarding electric vehicles, the firm observed rapid but chaotic adoption.
“We have customers with 200 electric vans, but not a single operational charger,” Chiappetta shared.
For this reason, Edenred now includes workshops specializing in electric vehicles, including charging, lithium batteries, and safety issues.
In Brazil, Edenred provides maintenance services to 500,000 vehicles, with a 50% penetration rate across its total base. Mexico is on track to reach 10% in just a year and a half, but with the same operating model.
The strategy is based on four pillars: leveraging the current customer base (cross-selling), growing in the public sector, closing deals with large fleets, and adding new value-added services.
If the formula is replicated, it will not only consolidate a comprehensive mobility solution, but will also boost the professionalization of automotive maintenance in Mexico, with a direct impact on road safety, competitiveness, and cost reduction, Chiappetta explained.
