As commercial vehicle manufacturers and fleet owners transition to battery-electric powertrains, they must manage a new set of mobility variables. Factors such as the battery system’s state-of-charge (SOC), overall health, driving range and charging times are critical considerations in optimizing urban and long-haul transportation networks that rely upon this alternate... Read more →

Speeding is the riskiest kind of aggressive driving, according to an analysis of data from on-board devices in vehicles. Researchers at the University of Waterloo examined data from 28 million trips for possible links between four bad driving behaviors—speeding, hard braking, hard acceleration and hard cornering—and the likelihood of crashes.... Read more →

US-based Energy Impact Partners (EIP), a utility-backed energy investment and innovation firm, has invested $5.7 million (€5 million) in ViriCiti, a Europe-based EV fleet efficiency technology company (earlier post), in a Series A round. The investment is EIP’s first in a Europe-based firm. ViriCiti has developed and deployed a telematics... Read more →

Bridgestone Corporation announced that its subsidiary Bridgestone Europe NV/SA, has entered into an agreement with TomTom to acquire TomTom Telematics, its digital fleet solutions business, for a cash consideration of €910 million (US$1.034 billion). €750 million will be distributed to TomTom shareholders by means of a capital repayment, combined with... Read more →

New Flyer of America Inc. has introduced Connect 360—a real-time, cloud-based business analytics dashboard for Xcelsior CHARGE battery-electric buses, operated by New Flyer Connect. New Flyer Connect is New Flyer’s cloud-based telematics technology that communicates real-time GPS and analytic data to optimize bus performance, driver efficiency, safety, and preventative maintenance.... Read more →

LG Electronics is partnering with HERE Technologies (HERE), a global provider of digital mapping and location services, to offer a next-generation telematics solution for autonomous vehicles. The solution combines LG‘s advanced telematics technology with high-precision map data and location services powered by the HERE Open Location Platform. Through their planned... Read more →

Toyota Motor Corporation and the MS&AD Insurance Group’s Aioi Nissay Dowa Insurance Co., Ltd. have jointly developed Japan’s first driving behavior-based telematics automobile insurance. The plan is available to owners of certain units of Toyota connected cars, and uses driving data gathered via telematics technologies to adjust insurance premiums based... Read more →

Michelin will acquire NexTraq, a US provider of commercial fleet telematics, in an all-cash transaction. Based in the Atlanta area, NexTraq is a subsidiary of FLEETCOR Technologies, Inc., a leading global provider of fuel cards and workforce payment products. NexTraq provides solutions for driver safety, fuel management and enhancing fleet... Read more →

Solaria Labs, an innovation incubator established in 2015 by Liberty Mutual Insurance, is introducing an open API developer portal that combines public data with proprietary insurance knowledge, helping to inform future products and apps for customers. This technology will be able to help consumers do everything from finding the safest... Read more →

Shanghai OnStar has upgraded its key service portfolio by rolling out four innovative new service packages covering mobile apps, security and safety, smart fleet management and telematics data reports. It has also introduced a first-of-its-kind B2B service platform in China that allows corporate users to enjoy onboard telematics services. OnStar... Read more →

Qualcomm Incorporated, through its subsidiary, Qualcomm Technologies, Inc., announced the Qualcomm Connected Car Reference Platform aimed at accelerating the adoption of advanced and complex connectivity into the next-generation of connected cars. As a leader in automotive connectivity with more than 340 million chips shipped so far for products for more... Read more →

ViriCiti B.V., a provider of telematics systems for electric city buses and trucks, and Simacan B.V., a provider of real-time traffic information, are partnering to develop a new online tool that predicts the energy usage and savings per route by driving electric. The EV Fleet Analyzer provides insights into when... Read more →

Established automotive industry companies—not Silicon Valley—are leading the development of autonomous driving technology, according to a new report from the Intellectual Property and Science business of Thomson Reuters. The report, which analyzes global patent activity in the field of self-driving automobiles over the last five years, identifies the global leaders... Read more →

UPS expects its ORION (On-Road Integrated Optimization and Navigation) routing system (earlier post) to reduce the distance driven by its drivers by 100 million miles annually when fully implemented in 2016. The company is accelerating its implementation to complete all planned US routes by then. The deployment will result in... Read more →

ORION infographic. Click to enlarge. UPS has launched its ORION (On-Road Integrated Optimization and Navigation) advanced route optimization software. The rollout of ORION is intended to optimize 10,000 delivery routes by the end of the year, reduce miles driven and reinforce UPS’ sustainability efforts. US deployment to nearly all 55,000... Read more →

Results from Nissan’s New Traffic Information System Model Project in Beijing (earlier post) have demonstrated that Dynamic Route Guidance System (DRGS) can help alleviate traffic congestion and reduce fuel consumption. A simulation based on the project results suggested that when 10% of all traffic in Beijing used DRGS, due to... Read more →

UPS released its annual Sustainability Report announcing that while the total number of packages shipped in 2012 increased, the company reduced its total Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions. Environmental achievements included ground and air fuel savings, increased investments in alternative fuel vehicles, and retooled routes that shaved 12.1 million miles from... Read more →

Kia Motors America (KMA) will work with Google to provide content and search-based solutions enabled by Application Program Interfaces (APIs) for the second-generation of the automaker’s UVO (“Your Voice”) eServices telematics system, introduced in November 2012 at the Los Angeles Auto Show. These new solutions will initially be introduced on... Read more →

Components of the Saturna system. Click to enlarge. Under a new partnership, New York-based evolve motorcycles will incorporate Saturna Green Systems’ wireless Communications Platform on its electric scooters and motorcycles. Saturna Green Systems Inc. is a developer of automotive wireless technology developer and provider of GPS location-based services (LBS). The... Read more →

OnStar, a wholly owned subsidiary of GM, is inviting utilities, energy companies and tech firms to develop Smart Grid solutions using a set of proprietary OnStar application programming (APIs). OnStar is opening up its APIs to give developers the ability to broaden the potential for integrating EVs such as the... Read more →

Concept of the service and mobile app for renewable charging. Click to enlarge. OnStar and Google are working together to demonstrate a new OnStar service for managing the charging of Chevrolet Volts with renewable energy, using the 17 Chevrolet Volts in Google’s “Gfleet” based at the company’s headquarters in Mountain... Read more →

OnStar will give selected developers access to a proprietary application program interface (API) to create innovative mobile applications designed to interact with OnStar’s suite of services. OnStar services are enabled by its Advanced Telematics Operating Management System. The ATOMS cloud platform connects to more than 6 million OnStar customers. Apps... Read more →

Cumulative light-duty PEV deployments by segment, world markets: 2011-2017. Source: Pike Research. Click to enlarge. Nearly nine out of ten plug-in electric vehicles (PEVs) sold this year will include at least a basic telematics package, and that percentage will likely grow to 94% by 2017, according to a new report... Read more →

Users of Ford Crew Chief—powered by Telogis—are improving fuel efficiency for their fleets by up to 20% through better management of vehicle diagnostics, location and driver behavior. Crew Chief was developed by Ford Motor Company in response to commercial customer demand for a system that would allow fleet managers to... Read more →

Schema of the Windows Azure cloud computing platform. Source: Microsoft, David Chappell. Click to enlarge. Microsoft Corp. and Toyota Motor Corp. have formed a strategic partnership and plan to build a global platform for TMC’s next-generation telematics services using the Windows Azure cloud computing—i.e., Internet-based—platform. As part of the partnership,... Read more →

Nissan Motor Co., Ltd. will introduce an Information and Communication Technology system (ICT) for electric vehicles (EVs). The new system will be implemented with the Nissan LEAF, slated to go on sale in Japan and the US in December, and in Europe early next year. With the ICT system, Nissan... Read more →

OnStar is working with Google’s Android and Maps technologies to enhance the navigation capabilities of the Volt mobile app. Click to enlarge. OnStar is leveraging Google technology to develop a number of new mobile application features to provide Volt customers with the most connected vehicle experience possible. OnStar will debut... Read more →

Hitachi Automotive Systems, Ltd. and Airbiquity Inc., a designer and operator of a complete service delivery infrastructure for connected vehicles, have formed a partnership to provide telematics services for electric vehicles (EVs) globally. Through this partnership, Hitachi Automotive Systems and Airbiquity will be able to establish a common system infrastructure... Read more →

Most important external forces impacting the trucking industry today versus 2020. Source: Truck 2020. Click to enlarge. IBM released the findings of a new global study which shows that trucks will become more fuel efficient, environmentally sound and safer due to the adoption of new technologies throughout the vehicle. The... Read more →

Shanghai OnStar Telematics Co. Ltd., a joint venture between General Motors Company, SAIC Group and Shanghai General Motors (SGM), will activate OnStar services and be fully operational in China in December 2009. This marks OnStar’s first venture outside of North America. SGM will eventually make this telematics service available on... Read more →