Targa Telematics strengthens vehicle misuse prevention with AI driven solutions

Highlights

Analysis from Targa Telematics Observatory shows that incidents of vehicle misuse increased by 50% in 2025 and now account for 40% of total vehicle thefts.
By implementing preventive measures, vehicle recovery rates may reach up to 90%.
Targa Telematics’ AI-driven solution, Smart Vehicle Protector (SVP), enables early identification of misuse risks and effectively supports vehicle recovery.

Targa Telematics, one of the world’s leading players in AIoT (Artificial Intelligence of Things) for the development of digital solutions and platforms for connected mobility, announces significant progress in tackling vehicle misuse through Smart Vehicle Protector (SVP), an advanced AI-driven solution capable of identifying early signals of risk and supporting vehicle recovery.

Analysis from Targa Telematics Observatory shows that vehicle misuse is on the rise. In 2025, out of 10,000 instances of theft, cases of misuse and unauthorised use increased by 50%, representing nearly 40% of all thefts.

The trend is mirrored in the broader UK vehicle crime landscape. According to data from the Office for National Statistics, vehicle thefts have increased by over 70% in the ten-year period 2015-2025. Vehicle crime, whether in the form of theft or misuse, poses considerable challenges to fleet managers and mobility operators, in terms of operational efficiency, costs and insurance exposure.

The importance of a prevention strategy

Instances of misuse, unlike traditional theft, often originate from initially legitimate access to a vehicle. Risk evolves over time through non-compliant behaviour, prolonged use, or unusual operational patterns, making timely detection more complex. The intelligent correlation of events, such as behavioural anomalies, breaches of agreed limits, and inconsistent usage patterns, helps overcome the limitations of reactive models based on ex-post controls and enables a preventive approach. This allows operators to monitor assets and intervene before misappropriation turns into a definitive loss.

Targa Telematics Observatory reports that, when risk is identified at an early stage, the recovery rate may exceed 90%, greatly reducing the economic and operational impact for operators.

Targa Telematics’ AI-driven solution

Building on a strong data foundation developed over years of field experience and enriched with large volumes of signals and real-world cases, Targa Telematics has developed Smart Vehicle Protector (SVP), a cutting-edge AI-driven solution that identifies early signs of vehicle misuse, facilitating the rapid activation of the operators responsible for vehicle recovery.

Leveraging Artificial Intelligence – including Agentic AI – and behavioural analysis, SVP continuously monitors each asset, correlates weak signals, and prioritises high-risk alerts, enabling fast and targeted intervention through the network of Targa Telematics’ 24/7 Control Rooms operating across Europe.

“With its Smart Vehicle Protector solution, Targa Telematics empowers companies to move from reactive damage management to proactive asset protection, identifying warning signals before risk turns into loss”, said Alberto Falcione, VP Sales at Targa Telematics. “For Rental & Leasing operators, this translates into significant cost savings and fewer resources allocated to vehicle recovery. As vehicle misuse has increased by more than 50%, with a severe impact on operators, data-driven prevention should become a strategic choice, rather than a nice to have”.

About Targa Telematics

Targa Telematics is one of the main global players in the IoT field and in developing solutions and digital platforms for connected mobility. For over 20 years, the company has been bringing to the market a range of telematics technology solutions, smart mobility and IoT platforms for short and long-term rental companies, financial companies and large fleets, ranging from insurance telematics to asset and fleet management, from remote diagnostics and telemetry of vehicles, professional and construction vehicles, to the management of airport vehicles. Following the acquisition of Viasat Group – finalized in 2023 – Targa Telematics has strengthened its footprint in European markets – thanks to a strong presence in countries such as Italy, the UK, France, Spain, Portugal, Belgium, Poland and Romania – as well as Chile. The company is able to work on projects at international level with dedicated local teams. Targa Telematics participates to the United Nations Global Compact and adheres to its principles-based approach to responsible business.
For more information: www.targatelematics.com/uk-en