Final month, Geotab signed a cope with Volvo Group to combine the producer’s car information API into Geotab’s telematics platform. It’s the most recent in a current onslaught of such offers between telematics suppliers and OEMs that begs the query: what’s in it for the OEMs?
Nearly all fashionable vehicles and vehicles are “linked” ultimately. Ford, for instance, started becoming the FordPass Join modem on all its autos within the 2020 mannequin 12 months, and the car (and driver) information gathered powers the Ford Professional fleet administration platform and allows choices like the corporate’s E-Swap Help, which allows Ford fleet managers to establish which of its ICE-powered F-150 and Transit belongings are able to make the swap to EV.
“Good instruments knowledgeable by information like E-Swap Help are opening up many new conversations with our industrial prospects massive and small about EV readiness; we’re already utilizing E-Swap Help commonly in consultations to assist organizations decide if electrical vehicles and vans are proper for them,” says Nate McDonald, EV technique and cross car model supervisor at Ford Professional. “The significance of those instruments and applied sciences goes past promoting a buyer a brand new car—it modifications mindsets about whether or not electrical autos will work for his or her enterprise whereas probably saving them money and time.”
So, it is smart for producers to construct that connectivity into their autos and makes much more sense to make use of that information connection to populate a fleet administration dashboard that makes it painless for fleet managers to observe their belongings inside a trusted ecosystem. Suppose Android vs. iPhone, and the ache that may go into switching from one to the opposite after a decade or so of fixed interplay – as a result of that’s how the OEMs are taking a look at it.
Why, then, would an OEM open up that information stream to a 3rd social gathering like Geotab?
The reply, presumably, is that that information sharing is a two-way road: the producer’s are opening up their APIs to Geotab, and Geotab is sharing not less than a few of the information from different producers with their trade companions.
And Geotab has lots of companions:
- In 2019, Geotab started working with Ford to combine Ford’s telematics information into its fleet administration platform
- In 2020, Geotab started integrating with GM and its OnStar telematics in North American markets
- In 2022, Geotab started partnering with Stellantis’ Free2move automotive sharing model, offering full telematics integration into the MyGeotab platform in North America
- In April of 2024, Geotab partnered with Mobilisights to combine information from Stellantis’ European manufacturers, together with Opel, Fiat, Alfa Romeo, Citroën, and Peugeot
- In September of 2024, Geotab introduced a brand new partnership with VW Group Data Companies aimed toward enhancing the corporate’s information integration throughout its manufacturers
- A cope with Rivian, VW’s associate in a $5 billion joint software program enterprise, adopted quickly after
All of these gamers are satisfied that the info coming from their autos can produce sufficient worth to noticeably impression fleet ROI.
Fleet managers appear satisfied, too. In a current McKinsey survey, almost 57% of EV consumers stated they have been keen to change manufacturers in an effort to get higher connectivity options. And, should you’ve ever labored in “a Ford store” or “a Chevy store” you already know what an enormous that deal that quantity could be to an OEM.
McKinsey connectivity survey
In that standpoint, working with a trusted, common platform like Geotab who doesn’t have a canine within the car gross sales struggle is smart. If the Ford Transit the fleet purchaser is taking a look at performs properly with their fleet auditing software program and methods and the Nissan NV doesn’t – properly, it doesn’t actually matter if Nissan’s fleetail man is providing you with a greater deal at that time. It’s simply too painful to function a second dashboard for one subset of belongings.
The person-hours saved with a common and model agnostic fleet administration platform is probably not the simplest to hint all the way in which to the underside line, however they’re there.
Moreover, the Geotab dashboard might be configured to gather and even analyze information that’s particularly related to EVs. Info like charging historical past, and regenerative braking effectivity, and total battery well being – information that, over 1000’s of autos, can provide fleet managers actual perception into how lengthy the brand new electrical autos they’re contemplating will final in comparison with the fuel and diesel autos they’ve expertise with.
Geotab analysis reveals that EV batteries might final 20 years or extra in the event that they degrade at a mean fee of 1.8% per 12 months, as we now have noticed.
In response to our information, the straightforward reply is that the overwhelming majority of batteries will outlast the usable lifetime of the car and can by no means should be changed. If a mean EV battery degrades at 1.8% per 12 months, it would nonetheless have over 80% state of well being after 12 years, typically past the same old lifetime of a fleet car.
Telematics integrations can even assist optimize a fleet’s charging schedules, each by scheduling EV charging for decrease priced, off-peak hours and by figuring out essentially the most reliable high-speed charging stations alongside common routes to attenuate down time for each autos and drivers.
Lastly, these data-driven platforms can present fleet managers instruments for monitoring and reporting issues like carbon emissions and total vitality consumption, which may streamline ESG reporting processes and make it simpler for the employee bees to get regulators, directors, and managers the type of charts, tables, and graphs they love.
One thing like that, anyway.
You possibly can take a look at my Fast Cost with Nate McDonald, EV technique and cross car model supervisor at Ford Professional, who explores how Ford’s in-house telematics can assist fleet managers decarbonize, and head over to Geotab to search out out extra about their model agnostic fleet administration dashboard, beneath. Get pleasure from!
EV or fuel – which is best for you?
SOURCES: Fleet Europe, Ford Professional, Geotab, McKinsey; add’l hyperlinks in article.
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