1,000 days of “ERGO Mobility Solutions”

Three years after it was set up, the business unit ERGO Mobility Solutions (EMS), the automotive and mobility subsidiary of the ERGO Group, is taking stock for the first time. The business unit was created in 2017 to develop solutions to address the extensive changes taking place in the mobility ecosystem. Now, 1,000 days after it launched, EMS is successfully positioned as a strong partner for the automotive and mobility industry.

(Karsten Crede, Chairman of the Board of Management of ERGO Direkt Versicherung AG and in charge of EMS)

Against the background of an increasingly digitalized mobility infrastructure, products and services that are both data-driven and flexible play a special role. This evolution calls for a new approach to insurance: Cooperations with NRW Garage, which is part of the Emil Frey Group, Volvo, BMW and Great Wall Motors, two promising investments in car-as-a-service start-ups from Silicon Valley, the development of a completely new IT infrastructure tailored to mobility partners and the development of digital on-demand insurance solutions: after just over 1,000 days, the list of EMS’ achievements is impressive.

“Our modern infrastructure and our approach, which is specifically geared to the automotive industry with fast reaction times, high-quality and innovative solutions and a hands-on mentality, is now making an impact”, explains Karsten Crede, Chairman of the Board of Management of ERGO Direkt Versicherung AG and in charge of EMS. “Above all, our broad focus on China, the USA and Germany is driving our business, even in these out-of-the-ordinary times. Policy sales on the Chinese market have already reached the previous year’s level. In our joint venture with Great Wall Motors, almost 20,000 policies had been sold by the end of August”, says Crede.

EMS has also set up a dedicated “Automotive Factory” at its Nuremberg location, which provides outstanding customer support for all partners. Automotive business is written through the risk carrier ERGO Direkt Versicherung AG, so that synergies in dealing with automotive-specific risks can be exploited through centralization, especially with regard to expertise in the areas of claims and actuarial services. The business unit has introduced a new SAP-based IT platform for easy and deep integration to the existing IT systems of the car manufacturers. Within the framework of the Interlocking Business Model, the parent company Munich Re and EMS are joining forces to acquire new international cooperation partners, for example in setting up a joint venture with Great Wall Motors, the fifth largest Chinese automobile manufacturer.

Highlights since EMS was set up in 2017:

• Development of innovative services, e.g. Volvo Care and the Volvo Car Protection App, and the digital race track insurance designed for BMW
• Strategic cooperations with NRW Garage / Emil Frey, Volvo, BMW and the Chinese car manufacturer Great Wall Motors bring automotive and insurance know-how together
• Accompanying investments in mobility start-ups in Silicon Valley, such as Fair.com and Ridecell, emphasize the comprehensive approach in the anchor markets of Germany, China and the USA
• Implementation of an automotive-specific IT platform based on SAP
• Automotive-specific risk carrier with ERGO Direkt Versicherung AG
• Establishment of the Automotive Factory for Operations at the Nuremberg location

“Insurance and mobility belong together”, says Crede. "Our claim and incentive for the next 1,000 days is ambitious: we aim to use our insurance solutions to provide effective solutions to the challenges posed by the disruptive changes taking place in the automotive and mobility industry.”