Karma Automotive Collaborates with the Connected Vehicle Systems Alliance (COVESA), UC Riverside and ROADMEDIC.AI to Develop and Pilot Software and Standards for Next-Generation 9-1-1 Emergency Response Vehicle Communications

At CES2025, a new vision is shared for standardizing the method that enables Software Defined Vehicles to more rapidly and robustly dispatch 9-1-1 Emergency Response Services to vehicle collisions 

IRVINE, Calif., Dec. 23, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Karma Automotive, America's only full-line ultra-luxury vehicle manufacturer, is passionate about enabling the proliferation of open standards in Software Defined Vehicle Architecture (SDVA) to increase industry collaboration, and to speed development as the expanded role of software redefines the driving experience aboard modern vehicles. With vehicle occupant safety as a preeminent focus in all vehicle development, Karma Automotive is collaborating with the Connected Vehicle Systems Alliance (COVESA), the University of California Riverside and ROADMEDIC.AI to develop standards-based software applications which leverage vehicle connectivity to provide robust and real-time insights to 9-1-1 first responders and the related eco-system.   

According to a paper published by the National Institute of Health (NIH), for every 1-minute increase in EMS response time, fatality odds increase by 2.6%. The goal of the effort is to drastically reduce emergency response times, and materially increase preparedness of responders when arriving at the site of a critical incident. Then, to validate software applications and communication protocols that have been validated in real-world applications that can be shared and easily deployed by the broader automotive industry.

To announce this project, Karma Automotive will join the COVESA Networking Reception and Demonstration at CES2025 on January 7 at 5pm at the Bellagio Hotel in Las Vegas, NV and showcase the ultra-exclusive, high-performance 2025 Karma Invictus. Karma Invictus is underpinned by the Karma Cloud Services platform that serves as the backbone for the development of the proposed safety system.

Enabling the detailed transmission of vital vehicle and occupant data in real-time could help responders increase preparedness to triage an incident, as contemporary automobiles carry tremendous amounts of data. Leveraging connectivity systems, a vehicle can directly identify number and location of occupants, severity of impact, location of the incident, vehicle extrication instructions and even driver biometrics. Software can be used to organize, parse, and transmit this data in real-time to parties based on their specific role in the 9-1-1 response eco-system.  When combined with vehicle-embedded and cloud-based AI, this data can be sorted and delivered independently, yet simultaneously to the diverse network of service providers that engage in incident response activities. Collectively, this effort is referred to as the '9-1-1 Dispatcher Visibility Demonstration Project'.

"Much of what we deliver to our customers in software should not be looked at as differentiating, but rather essential," says Marques McCammon, President, Karma Automotive. "Safety for example is important to all industry players, and if we could standardize our approach to innovation in the space, we can not only improve the well-being of drivers universally, but also reduce development cost, and time getting new tech technologies to market. This philosophy is central to the Karma Automotive brand promise and our positioning as America's only ultra-luxury automotive brand."  

"Together with our partners, we look to democratize development and share the learnings to the benefit of the broader industry and the community at large," continues McCammon, "and with upcoming Karma vehicles, this technology will be seamlessly integrated within our Karma Connect Vehicle Data Management and connectivity services platform."

"This collaboration is the realization of a 25-year journey," said Lawrence E. Williams, CEO and Founder of ROADMEDIC.AI. "Many times, it seemed like a pipe dream, but today, thanks to Karma Automotive's shared vision, we are turning that dream into reality. Together, we are poised to revolutionize 9-1-1 emergency response systems and save countless lives."

Next Generation 9-1-1 Technology: A Game Changer
Karma Automotive is the first OEM automotive partner to COVESA's '9-1-1 Dispatcher Visibility Demonstration Project'. Working in collaboration with the University of California Riverside, the automaker will utilize 3^rd Generation Karma Revero sport sedans to pilot the technology application and its related use cases. The results of this effort will then be shared with the greater COVESA community, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHSTA), and other community members and stakeholders.

Existing 9-1-1 emergency response systems rely heavily on caller-based information, often supplemented by telematics systems transmitting data to manufacturer call centers. These systems, while useful, introduce delays and inconsistencies that can hinder timely emergency responses. By contrast, the Next Generation 9-1-1 Technology spearheaded by Karma Automotive and its partners will enable vehicles to instantly transmit vital, multi-layered crash data directly to 9-1-1 Emergency Communication Centers, bypassing intermediaries and saving precious seconds in emergency scenarios.

About Karma Automotive

Karma Automotive is America's only full-line ultra-luxury vehicle manufacturer, and a pioneer of EREV (Extended Range Electric) vehicles which it manufactures at its Karma Innovation and Customization Center (KICC) in Moreno Valley, CA. Its Executive, Product Development, and Design headquarters are located in nearby Irvine, CA. The Karma portfolio embodies California's spirit of innovation and entrepreneurial boldness, reflected by the signature Comet Line which is the central hallmark of Karma's new design language. Sales of the 3^rd Generation Karma Revero sport sedan, the world's first luxury EREV plug-in hybrid, are now underway in the USA and EU, offering luxury balanced with conscientiousness delivered without compromise. Sales of Revero's ultra-exclusive, performance-tuned stablemate, Karma Invictus, will begin in Q1 2025, followed by the Gyesera four-seater in Q4 2025.  The Karma Kaveya super-coupe, with up to 1,000HP and butterfly-doors, will arrive in Q4 2026, incorporating SDVA (Software-Defined Vehicle Architecture) developed in collaboration with Intel Automotive. Further, Karma Automotive will provide Tier 1's and Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) with business-to-business SDVA solutions, as it does today with Karma Connect, its proprietary Vehicle Data Management and Over-the-Air services platform, which presently provides services to the world's second largest OEM. Karma Automotive's dealer network spans North America, Europe, South America and the Middle East. (www.karmaautomotive.com) 

About ROADMEDIC.AI

ROADMEDIC.AI is an authorized automotive OEM Tier 1 supplier dedicated to improving 9-1-1 emergency response through instantaneous IP-based data transmission from motor vehicles to 9-1-1 centers. Their innovative solutions save lives and reduce harm in crash events. For more information, visit www.roadmedic.com.

About COVESA

The Connected Vehicle Systems Alliance (COVESA) is an open, member-driven global technology alliance accelerating the full potential of connected vehicles. By developing common approaches and technologies, COVESA provides a collaborative platform that empowers automotive software stakeholders and world-class developers to address challenges and opportunities in connected mobility and navigate the digital transformation of the automotive industry. Learn more about COVESA or join our community at www.covesa.global.

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SOURCE Karma Automotive