Utilizing Electric Vehicle Data to Optimize Fleets

Fleets of electric vehicles are becoming more and more common as businesses work to reduce their environmental impact. However, many questions remain about how best to utilize these fleets. Businesses can optimize their fleets for more efficient operations by collecting data on how electric vehicles are used. This data can also help identify areas where improvements can be made to further reduce emissions.

Processing this data is just as important as collecting it. With EVs becoming more common, there are many more granular data points available than with traditional, fossil fuel-powered vehicles that are not built entirely around a computer (or, perhaps more accurately, a set of computers). Trying to make sense of these data points without a dedicated platform can seem nearly impossible, and after a fleet makes the transition to electric vehicles, the manager will need to find a way to track and analyze this data if they want to improve their operation.

Many different types of data can be collected from electric cars, but some of the most important include:

Vehicle Location Data

This can be used to track where vehicles are being driven and how often they are being used. This data can be used to optimize routes and improve fleet utilization and can lead to further insights about how to streamline deliveries, idle times, and more.

Charging Data

This data can be used to track how often and how long vehicles are being charged by using grid technologies. This information can be used to improve charging infrastructure and optimize energy usage. When paired with information from the grid, such as usage peaks and dips, fleet managers can identify the most cost-effective time for charging and can build a process around this information.

Driving Data

This data includes things like speed, acceleration, braking, and cornering. When fleet manager implements a telematics system to gain deeper insights into how their vehicles are used, they are often shocked to find the simple ways that drivers can adjust their habits in order to improve efficiency and safety.

Maintenance Data

This data can be used to track and update when and how often vehicles are being serviced. By having a high-level view of all maintenance data in a single aggregated place, such as in a telematics reporting dashboard, managers and drivers can improve maintenance schedules and reduce downtime by having a clear understanding of which vehicles require maintenance. More importantly, managers can get updated reports about diagnostic codes without relying on drivers to report this information since it will all be uploaded to the telematics dashboard in real-time.

Telematics Data

This data includes things like engine temperature, battery level, and tire pressure. Much like the maintenance data a fleet manager can gather, these pieces of data can help improve things like power usage while minimizing unnecessary wear and tear on a vehicle. This translates to real savings in operating costs with minimal effort.

The Benefits of Converting a Fleet To EV

There are many benefits to converting a fleet to electric vehicles, but the data that can be collected from these vehicles is perhaps the most important. With the right platform in place, this data can be used to optimize every aspect of a fleet’s operation, leading to significant savings in both time and money.

Not only will a business save on fuel costs by making the switch to EVs, but it will also save on maintenance and repair costs. EVs have far fewer moving parts than traditional internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles, meaning there are fewer things that can break down or need to be replaced over time.

In addition, electric vehicles emit zero emissions, which is not only good for the environment but also for a company’s public image. As more and more consumers become aware of the environmental impact of transportation, they are increasingly likely to do business with companies that are making an effort to be eco-friendly.

Finally, electric cars are simply more efficient, meaning that a business can get more work done with fewer vehicles. This increased efficiency can lead to a reduction in fleet size, which can save a company even more money in the long run.

Converting a fleet to electric vehicles is a big decision, but it’s one that comes with many benefits. With the right data platform in place, businesses can optimize their fleets and save money in the process.

The Importance of Collecting Data From Electric Fleet Vehicles

The most important thing to remember when collecting electric vehicle data is that it needs to be processed in order to be useful. A dedicated platform like Greenlots can help fleets make sense of their data and use it to improve their operations.

Collecting data on electric vehicle usage can help businesses in a number of ways. First, it can be used to optimize fleet operations for the most efficient use of resources. Historically, fleet managers were limited to data sources like odometer readings, fuel receipts, and maintenance logs. However, with the advent of telematics, it is now possible to track a wealth of data points on how vehicles are being used in real time. This data can be used to improve routing, schedule maintenance, and make other operational improvements.

Additionally, this data can help fleet managers identify inconsistencies or areas of wasteful usage. For example, if a vehicle is regularly driven outside of its assigned territory, this could be an indication that the fleet is not being utilized optimally. Managers may also quickly discover that a route they believed to be the most efficient might be unnecessarily long or circuitous. By understanding how and why these inconsistencies occur, businesses can make changes to improve efficiency.

Furthermore, data on electric vehicle usage can be used to inform future decisions about investing in or expanding a fleet. This information can help to justify the initial investment in electric vehicles, as well as demonstrate the emission reductions that have been achieved. Additionally, if a business is considering transitioning its entire fleet to electric vehicles, this data can be used to project future savings.

Finally, data on electric vehicle usage can be used to advocate for policy changes that will help accelerate the transition to a low-carbon economy. For example, this data can be used to demonstrate the benefits of investing in charging stations or providing incentives for electric vehicle adoption. By sharing this data with policymakers, businesses can help create the conditions that are necessary for a successful transition to electric fleets.

In summary, data on electric vehicle usage can be extremely valuable — both for efficiently running a fleet and for long-term and future planning on a macro level. Businesses that are not collecting and utilizing this data are missing out on a key opportunity to improve their operations.

Finding the Right Fleet Management Solution For Electric Vehicles

The data collected from electric vehicles can be extremely valuable, but only if it’s processed correctly, which is why it is key for a fleet manager to begin their search for a fleet management solution with their major goals in mind. If their fleet has an abysmal safety rating, then it will be important to find a management solution that incorporates specific telematics data like driving speed, braking and acceleration habits, and other factors that are direct contributors to safe driving.

As Artificial Intelligence continues to evolve, it will become more and more important for fleet management solutions to be able to take advantage of the power of predictive analytics in order to help fleets avoid accidents before they happen. This technology is still in its early stages, but it’s something that fleet managers should keep an eye on as it develops. Some telematics platforms offer AI-powered dash cams that provide real-time coaching to drivers, and can alert fleet managers to dangerous behaviors like distracted driving, driver fatigue, and even a driver not wearing a seatbelt.

Even if a manager is not interested in AI, they will still want to have a platform with a simple dashboard where they can review the many streams of data that are coming in from their EVs, and just as importantly, have the ability to manipulate this data in order to focus on the areas that are most important to their business.

Electric Fleets: The Future of Trucking and Transportation

Fleet electrification is a transformative technology that is already having a major impact on the trucking and transportation industries. The benefits of electric vehicles are numerous and include lower emissions, reduced fuel and maintenance costs, and improved safety — as well as greater insight into many telematics data streams that have historically been either impossible or inconvenient to collect.

Electric trucks have the potential to revolutionize the trucking industry. They are quieter than traditional diesel trucks, which can help reduce noise pollution in urban areas. They also have a smaller environmental impact, with lower emissions of both greenhouse gases and pollutants like nitrogen oxide and particulate matter. And because electric trucks can be powered by renewable energy sources, they are an important step towards decarbonizing the transportation sector.

The potential cost savings from transitioning to electric trucks are also significant. Electric trucks are cheaper to operate than diesel trucks since they require less maintenance and have lower fuel costs. In addition, many states offer tax incentives and other financial assistance for businesses that switch to electric vehicles.

Given all these advantages, it’s no surprise that fleet electrification is quickly becoming mainstream in the trucking industry. In fact, a recent study found that nearly half of all new heavy-duty truck orders in North America are for electric models. This trend is likely to continue as more businesses realize the benefits of fleet electrification.