Introduction
The future of the automotive industry depends extensively on EV Telematics as it transitions towards electrification. This technology will be crucial in determining opportunities and obstacles and whether different strategies succeed or fail. Optimizing EV operations will require telematics’ valuable data on user behavior, energy economy, and vehicle performance. To properly utilize telematics as electrification advances, the sector must also solve obstacles like data security, infrastructure integration, and regulatory guidelines.
The increasing complexity associated with electric vehicle development will make telematics gathering data even more crucial in the future. Telematics systems will probably develop, gaining access to and using more data as the EV market steers the industry’s course. Telematics can add important context to the data collected and provide useful data about software and integrated technology systems when combined with a thorough analytics strategy. Telematics will continue to be a vital resource for the automotive industry as safety-optimized, technically advanced vehicles grow in capability.
Telematics in Automotive
Over the past few decades, telematics has been crucial to the automotive industry and is still an important part of product development. Telematics testing has been necessary for the correct validation of complex automotive systems and features in the integration of innovative technologies, such as advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS). Telematics goes beyond its conventional definition, which is the meeting point of information technology (IT) and telecommunications, encompassing data transmission, reception, and storage.
There are immediate obstacles, such range anxiety, to overcome before EV adoption becomes widely accepted. The ultimate goal is to lessen world reliance on foreign oil and improve the environment. Like many other areas of electrification, the optimization of EV telematics is strongly impacted by worries about battery life and constrained access to infrastructure for charging. Telematics is a useful tool that can help reduce range anxiety even though it can’t be removed because it offers immediate data on battery status, charging places, and the best routes. It’s critical to understand the overall operation of EV telematics before delving into the extra organizational advantages telematics can provide.
How does telematics work?
One of the benefits of telematics is that organizations have various platforms to choose from depending on their needs. Some teams may opt for Azure, while others may prefer Amazon Web Services. Regardless of the platform, the goal is to use a system that efficiently stores data points in the cloud. By presenting this data in charts or other visual formats, organizations can identify and extract valuable insights. This leads to thorough analytical evaluations, empowering them to make informed decisions. The telematics process follows a similar path for many, with information being gathered, stored, and transformed into actionable insights. This journey plays a key role in how organizations leverage telematics for product development, remaining an essential tool as OEMs continue to produce new EV models.
By connecting to the hardware and sensors of the car, the telematics device shows information about the battery life, the length and distance of the trip, the speed and acceleration, the GPS location, and vehicle maintenance. Additionally, telematics improves the effectiveness of subsystem interactions by directly connecting to EV subsystems.
For example, as infotainment subsystems grow in complexity to support more innovative technology, they will offer improved driver usability. Similarly, components like dash cameras, which assist drivers, are likely to become more common in future EV models. The CAN bus acts as a highway for all this information, enabling various components to communicate and transmit data seamlessly.
Important advantages telematics may offer to the development of EVs
The overall advantages that telematics brings to the advancement of EVs are as follows:
Transforms vehicle data into actionable assets: Transforms raw vehicle data into useful information that businesses may use to make decisions: Telematics transforms vehicle data into assets that can be used immediately.
Contextual evidence is offered for decision-making: Telematics data removes uncertainty and misunderstanding in the decision-making process by providing context, which supports decisions.
1. Monitor Driver Behaviour
Drivers are a valuable asset, but even one careless driver might put your company at serious risk. You can keep an eye on driver performance with EV telematics instead of depending on “How’s my driving?” hotline calls.
These solutions give fleet managers a thorough, up-to-date picture of driver behavior by continuously gathering data from fleet vehicles. Routes, distance traveled, driving time, average speed, incidences of severe braking or acceleration, and noteworthy occurrences like breakdowns or accidents are all included in the data that is recorded and easily accessed.
Fleet managers may intervene and rectify inefficient, careless, or risky driving with the use of this comprehensive understanding, which can reduce vehicle wear and tear, prevent accidents, prolong battery life, and eventually minimize insurance costs.
2. Monitor Vehicle Range in Real Time
There are some situations that even the best route planning cannot foresee. Unexpected circumstances may occur and force vehicles onto longer, less effective routes. This is not a big deal for a diesel fleet because drivers can fill up at the closest station. However, if there isn’t a proper charging station close by, it may be disastrous for an EV fleet.
For this reason, EV telematics is crucial for fleets that run on electricity. It gives fleet managers real-time information on the amount of remaining range in their vehicles, enabling them to swiftly adapt to unforeseen delays or detours by rerouting to incorporate adjacent charging stations as necessary.
3. Improve Routes Effectively
GPS and real-time map tracking are included in even the simplest telematics systems for electric vehicles.
This supports proactive, data-driven route planning in addition to providing fleet managers with vital vehicle status updates and aiding in the prevention of theft. By planning routes that take into account the availability of charging infrastructure along the way, fleet managers can minimize problems like range anxiety and optimize battery efficiency.
Other benefits of real-time tracking include avoiding collisions, gridlock, and road construction. The majority of EV telematics packages frequently come with these features as standard.
4. Establish Charging Schedules and Alerts
One of the major challenges for fleet managers transitioning to electric vehicles is maintaining consistent vehicle charges. This requires careful coordination of schedules, routes, traffic conditions, and environmental factors such as elevation, weather, and temperature.
A robust EV telematics system like Trakm8 simplifies this process by leveraging real-time data from these and other factors. It offers continuous charging updates, allows fleet managers to prioritize vehicle recharging based on schedules and routes, and identifies available charging stations, enabling drivers to choose the optimal route for their current charging needs. If a vehicle’s battery reaches a critical level, fleet managers receive alerts to take immediate action.
5. Receive Health Alerts
EV telematics systems equipped with sensors give fleet managers valuable insights into vehicle and overall fleet health, enabling predictive maintenance.
For instance, the Trakm8 system’s cloud-based platform allows fleet managers to instantly monitor factors like tire pressure, oil levels, and battery health while receiving alerts about potential issues with faulty parts. The platform also facilitates scheduling of maintenance and servicing to minimize disruptions to schedules and routes.
Conclusion:
EV telematics is anticipated to change the automobile industry over the next ten years. While precise dates and benchmarks are unknown, progress is unavoidable. The investigation of telematics and analytics for contemporary transportation has created an opportunity that is unlikely to close. Organizations should keep spending money on sophisticated telemetry solutions as the drive toward electrification increases, realizing that more data is always beneficial.
Three things can be counted on from an efficient telematics system: performance optimization, a strong security framework, and zero data loss. Particularly, performance needs to be considered a fine art since only select groups may truly recognize its worth. Telematics should be seen as a safety measure even by individuals who don’t rely on it significantly. Most businesses try to minimize operational uncertainty, and telematics offers vital visibility in situations where incomplete or ambiguous data could result in errors or failures. Product development will be becoming more complicated as the market moves toward EVs with cutting-edge technology and greater complexity. For these technologies to work as intended, telematics and data insights will be essential.