Maximizing Vehicle Data with Tech & Location ​

What is Telematics? Telematics is a combination of telecommunications and informatics. It encompasses information transfer between telecommunication devices, computers, GPS satellite systems, and objects. It all started. The concept of telematics dates to the 1960s and 1970s, but the term was officially coined in 1978. However, it was in the 1990s that GPS technology began revolutionizing fleet management.

Telematics and Vehicles

In the mid 90s a new standard OBD-II (On–Board Diagnostics) was mandated in United States which allowed vehicles to extract data such as health of engine, health of the battery, fuel level, etc. In addition, it also provided location-based services. Fleet Management were able to convert vehicle data into valuable insights for businesses that own and manage vehicles.

However, the vehicle telemetry via OBD interface faces some limitations. On the other hand, connected cars generate and track a lot more real time information which is not accessible via the standard OBD2 port.

Smartphone Telematics

Then came smartphones. These devices spread like wildfire, pretty soon every driver had a smartphone on hand. This opened competition to Fleet Management companies. Smart phones proved to be invaluable when providing data by not only collecting real time tracking of the vehicles, but also information such as speed, acceleration and harsh braking.

The biggest advantage of smartphone-based Apps is their low cost and low barrier to entry as no external hardware is required. There are many Apps available which provide functionalities such as real time tracking of vehicles, route optimization and driver behavior.

The biggest limitations of the Smartphone based Apps is their lack of vehicle data itself. Additionally, the accuracy of the data collected by the phone accelerometers and gyroscope are dependent on the phone and their placement in the vehicle.

Connected Cars/OEM Telematics

In all the above technologies (GPS system, Dongles and Smartphone), the data that was generated while driving a vehicle, however, was not controlled or owned by the OEMs (Original Equipment Manufacturer). Naturally, OEMs started owning and controlling the data generated from the vehicles. This allowed them to provide these smart features directly to consumers via their mobile Apps.

The now “Connected Cars” have cellular modem built into it right from the factory. Now these Connected Cars can collect vast amounts of information from the sensors. By using built in cellular modems, they make this all available on their Apps. Connected cars enable a 2-way communication with driver and car. Drivers can now send signals to cars via the car Apps to start the engine or lock/unlock the car remotely.

This is great! Now drivers feel connected to their vehicles all the time. Well, the apps provided by each OEMs are great for the individual car owner, however it is a massive challenge for Fleet Management companies. A fleet may have not only had vehicles from multiple OEMs, but also legacy vehicles (non-connected). In fact, as of today most of the fleets only consist of about 30-40% connected vehicles.

Another challenge faced by the Fleet Management companies is how to extract, manage and organize the massive volumes of vehicle data coming from the various connected vehicle OEMs. So far there is no standard to transmit the data. For instance, the dongle-based solution requires vehicles (except EVs) to provide information using the OBD 2 standard.

Having all the right data in an intuitive, easy to implement, and maintain platform with customizable dashboards can be crucial to decision-makers across the organization. With a platform like this, they can take full advantage of the extraordinary wealth of vehicle data available to fleet owners, managers, dispatchers, and drivers.

Leveraging the common data platform that homogenizes all devices allows fleets to simplify complex use cases and address critical operational aspects of their business. This includes reducing labor costs, mitigating driver/staff shortages and assigning the right vehicle and driver for the job in the case of mixed fleets.

About OnPointSolution:

https://onpointsolution.ai/ aims to provide businesses with reliable insights and enhanced intelligence using smart mobility, enabling them to innovate, optimize operations and make crucial decisions using an AI-driven platform.