Anti-Theft & Vehicle Security

Every vehicle in your Levy Fleets fleet is equipped with an IoT module that provides multiple layers of security and theft protection. This guide explains how these security features work and how to use them effectively.

How Vehicle Security Works

Each vehicle has a built-in IoT device that communicates with the Levy Fleets platform over cellular networks. This device enables:

• Remote immobilization - Lock the throttle so the vehicle can't be ridden
• Real-time GPS tracking - Know exactly where every vehicle is at all times
• Tamper and motion alerts - Get notified of suspicious activity
• Audit logging - Complete history of every lock/unlock event

Remote Commands Overview

Every vehicle can be controlled remotely through the Levy Fleets dashboard. These commands are sent over the cellular network to the IoT device inside the vehicle and execute within seconds.

Available Commands

How Commands Are Sent

1. You press a command button in the dashboard (or the system sends one automatically)
2. The command is transmitted over the cellular network to the vehicle's IoT module
3. The IoT module executes the command on the vehicle hardware
4. The device sends a confirmation back to the platform
5. The dashboard updates to reflect the new state

Response time is typically 1-5 seconds when the vehicle is online with cellular coverage. You'll see a confirmation status in the dashboard showing whether the command was received and executed successfully.

What Happens If a Vehicle Is Offline?

If a vehicle has lost cellular connectivity (dead battery, no signal, device tampered with), commands cannot be delivered. The dashboard will show the command as pending or failed. The last known location is still available from the most recent GPS report.

Remote Lock & Immobilization

The most important anti-theft feature is remote locking. When a vehicle is locked:

Physical Wheel Lock

When locked, the vehicle's rear wheel physically locks up through the electronic braking system. This means:

• Can't ride it - The throttle is completely disabled
• Can't push it - The locked wheel creates significant resistance, making it very difficult to roll or push the scooter
• Can't coast - Even on a hill, the locked wheel prevents the vehicle from rolling away

This is a major deterrent because even if someone wanted to steal the scooter, they'd essentially have to carry it — they can't just hop on and ride away, and they can't easily roll it to a vehicle. The physical resistance makes theft impractical and obvious to bystanders.

When Vehicles Lock Automatically

Vehicles automatically lock in these situations:

• Ride ends - When a customer ends their rental through the app
• Status change - When you set a vehicle to "Available" or "Storage"
• Idle timeout - If configured, vehicles lock after being idle too long

Manual Lock Commands

You can lock any vehicle at any time from the dashboard:

1. Go to Vehicles and find the vehicle
2. Click View to open the vehicle detail page
3. Click the red Lock button
4. The vehicle locks within seconds (if online)

Remote Unlock

Unlocking re-enables the throttle and releases the wheel brake so the vehicle can be ridden or moved.

When Unlock Is Used

• Ride start - Automatically sent when a customer begins a rental through the app
• Field operations - Staff can unlock a vehicle from the dashboard to reposition it or perform maintenance
• Remote assistance - If a customer has trouble starting a ride, support can remotely unlock the vehicle

Security Safeguards

Unlocking a fleet vehicle isn't like using a key — there are multiple layers of protection:

• Authentication required - Only logged-in dashboard users or authenticated app users can trigger unlocks
• Permission levels - Operator role permissions control who can send unlock commands
• Audit logged - Every unlock records who did it, when, and from where
• Ride-bound - Customer unlocks are tied to an active rental session with payment on file

A random person walking up to a parked vehicle cannot unlock it. There is no physical button or switch to override the electronic lock.

Sound / Locate Command

The Sound (also called Locate or Beep) command triggers an audible alarm and light flash on the vehicle.

What Happens on the Vehicle

When you send a Sound command:

• The vehicle plays a loud alarm tone for several seconds
• Lights flash to make it visually identifiable
• The vehicle reports its current GPS coordinates back to the dashboard

When to Use Sound / Locate

Real-Time GPS Tracking

Every vehicle continuously reports its GPS location to the Levy Fleets platform.

What You Can See

Finding a Vehicle

If you need to locate a specific vehicle:

1. Open the Vehicles page
2. Search by vehicle number or IMEI
3. Click View to see the detail page
4. The map shows the vehicle's current position
5. Use the Sound/Locate command to flash lights or beep

Map View

The Vehicles page includes a Map View that displays all your vehicles on an interactive map. Markers are color-coded by status, and clicking any marker shows vehicle details including battery level and last signal time.

Motion & Tamper Detection

IoT devices can detect when a vehicle is being moved or tampered with - and automatically alert you.

Illegal Movement Alerts

If a locked vehicle is moved without authorization, the IoT device detects this immediately. The system can:

• Send SMS alerts to fleet operators when unauthorized movement is detected
• Send email notifications with the vehicle location
• Log the event with GPS coordinates and timestamp

This means if someone tries to pick up and carry away a locked scooter, you'll get a text message within seconds telling you which vehicle is being moved and where it is.

Types of Motion Detection

Configuring Alerts

To set up SMS and email alerts for motion detection:

1. Go to Settings > Notifications
2. Enable Motion alerts for your subaccount
3. Add phone numbers and email addresses for alert recipients
4. Choose which alert types you want to receive

What Gets Logged

All security events are recorded in the vehicle's telemetry history:

• Timestamp of the event
• Type of alert (motion, tamper, alarm)
• GPS location at the time
• Lock state before and after
• Whether alerts were sent and to whom

Lock State Monitoring

The dashboard shows the current lock state of every vehicle:

Lock Event Audit Trail

Every lock and unlock action is logged with:

• Who initiated the change (customer, staff username, or system)
• When the change occurred
• Result - success or failure
• Source - app, dashboard, or automatic

This audit trail helps investigate any security incidents.

Offline Vehicle Alerts

Vehicles that stop communicating are flagged as Offline in the dashboard.

Why Vehicles Go Offline

Investigating Offline Vehicles

1. Check the Offline status card on the Vehicles page
2. Review the Last Signal timestamp
3. Check the Last Known Location on the map
4. Send a field team to investigate if the vehicle has been offline for more than 24 hours

Best Practices for Fleet Security

Daily Operations

• Monitor offline vehicles - Check the Offline count daily and investigate any that have been offline for more than 24 hours
• Verify lock states - Ensure vehicles not in use are showing as locked
• Review unusual locations - Check if any vehicles are in unexpected places

Deployment

• Use geofenced service areas - Configure zones so you're alerted when vehicles leave your operating area
• Deploy in visible locations - Vehicles in high-traffic, well-lit areas are less likely to be stolen
• Use QR codes - QR stickers help identify your vehicles and deter theft

Response to Incidents

If you suspect a vehicle has been stolen:

1. Check last known location in the dashboard
2. Send locate command to flash lights/sound alarm (if still online)
3. Review location history to see where it traveled
4. Check lock event history to see if it was unlocked
5. Contact local authorities with location data if needed

How This Compares to Consumer Scooters

Fleet-grade vehicles with IoT provide significantly more security than consumer scooters:

Limitations

While IoT security is highly effective, it's important to understand the limitations:

• No system is 100% theft-proof - Determined thieves can still damage or remove IoT devices
• Offline = no commands - If someone disables the IoT device, you can't send remote commands
• GPS accuracy varies - Indoor locations may be imprecise
• Battery dependency - Dead batteries mean no tracking

The combination of remote immobilization, real-time tracking, and alert monitoring makes theft difficult and recovery much more likely than with unconnected vehicles.

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