In the near future, AI will help optimize the routes of your fleet vehicles, reduce their emissions, and lower their TCO.
Access to vehicle data is essential for achieving fleets’ strategic goals in terms of costs, safety, and sustainability. Access to real-time data is even better! On the occasion of Echoes’ participation in Global Fleet 2024, Mathieu Chènebit, CEO of Echoes, explains.
What is the biggest benefit of connected technology for fleet sustainability?
Echoes’ CarFleet solution is based on real-time data transmitted natively from the vehicles to the manufacturer via an onboard 4G/5G chip. There is therefore no need to install a device or make any modifications to the vehicle: data transmission can begin immediately after the contract is signed. This data is generated by the numerous sensors found in modern vehicles, from the odometer and flow meter to the speedometer and the traction-battery charge level. Consolidated in a dedicated interface, it can be analyzed and exported for future use.
With this tool, fleet managers can track and monitor the consumption of their internal-combustion or electric fleet on a day-to-day basis, with a historical view that traces any change. Specifically, CarFleet allows you to:
- Measure the fleet’s fuel or electricity consumption, while identifying vehicles and/or drivers with abnormally high figures.
- Analyze the behavior of vehicles showing excessive consumption and determine the causes.
- Take action on the vehicles in question, or contact the drivers at fault to urge them to slow down.
- Monitor the results of the action plan daily, and communicate them internally and externally.
By combining all these factors, fuel/electricity savings and emissions reductions can reach 25%, provided the vehicles are closely monitored and tracked.
How will artificial intelligence improve the efficiency of fleet management in the coming years?
In the near future, it will be possible to take the optimization of company vehicle routes even further, thanks to the AI developments Echoes is currently investing in within CarFleet:
- Driver behavior analysis — acceleration and braking intensity — to detect abrupt driving that harms the vehicle and its consumption.
- Passenger counting via seatbelt sensors, to analyze consumption and emissions based on vehicle occupancy and encourage carpooling.
- AI route analysis and optimization, in terms of schedules, itineraries, speed, and electric charging.
- Optimized use of charging infrastructure.
What can Echoes customers expect in the coming years?
In January 2024, Echoes announced its partnership with Moving Intelligence (MI), a leader in secure asset tracking, sustainable fleet management, and smart mobility. The combined group will create an undisputed European leader in smart connected vehicle solutions, serving customers in 10 European countries with 500,000 connected assets expected by the end of the year. By joining forces and pooling their resources, Echoes and MI will be able to offer management solutions specifically tailored to mid-sized fleets.
These solutions will give SME executives real-time, 360-degree monitoring of their fleets — for safety and traceability, but also for day-to-day management. The goal: more sustainable vehicle fleets, with less impact on the environment and on the company’s bottom line.
Want to see what real-time data can already do for your fleet? See CarFleet applied to your own use cases.
