A CONCEPT of the business car of the future, on display at the Paris Motor Show, was exhibited not by a car maker but by full service leasing giant Arval PHH.

The fleet management and vehicle finance specialist created the 'communicating car of tomorrow' to showcase new intelligent technologies set to improve the life and efficiency of at-work company drivers.

In a joint project with Orange and Nexo, Arval PHH sought to identify how telematics technologies will enhance fleet management by allowing employers to follow their fleet by generating alerts when servicing is due and monitoring mileage from remote locations.

The 'car of the future' is also satellite tracked so that companies can follow its location – a particularly valuable facility for fleets such as delivery operators, for whom journey times are business critical.

Its technology also provides enhanced security features, including the ability to identify vehicle break-ins via remote monitoring, and even to immobilise a stolen vehicle via satellite.