The digital integration of EV fleets opens up many opportunities.
Above all, it allows every vehicle in a fleet to be monitored in real time. Fleet Managers can therefore view the power, charge status, location and much more of every vehicle. This real-time data enables optimized use of vehicles and can therefore help to make important business decisions and minimize operating costs. Fleet Managers can also achieve helpful improvements for the future through joint analysis of historical data and real-time information. For example, the most efficient charging stations can be identified, which can be used, for example, to find optimized routes when planning a route. Particularly with electric vehicles, major improvements in travel time can be achieved due to the sometimes limited range and the associated more frequent charging stops. Considered in the context of the often considerable size of the fleet, even small improvements often contribute to promoting environmental sustainability.
Challenges in digitizing EV fleets
Despite these promising opportunities, digitizing EV fleets poses a number of challenges. In view of the wide variety of vehicle types and models on the market, each equipped with its own software and hardware, seamless integration of these different systems is one of the biggest problems.
Different communication protocols and data formats can make integration difficult and often require tailor-made solutions to ensure compatibility.
Another challenge is managing and analyzing the huge amounts of data generated by large EV fleets. On the one hand, a well-optimized IT infrastructure is needed to be able to efficiently process the heavy data load into helpful results. On the other hand, the storage and use of sensitive data, such as location data, raises additional questions regarding data protection and cybersecurity.
Solutions: IoT boxes and native API approaches
To overcome these challenges, two solutions are often used: IoT boxes and native API approaches. In the following, we would like to bring them closer to you:
IoT boxes
IoT boxes are hardware that is installed in vehicles and thus provide access to a wide range of vehicle data. These boxes can collect and transmit data such as speed, battery status, error messages, and location data in real time. The two most common approaches for integrating IoT boxes are dongles and the CAN bus interface.
- Dongles: Dongles are plug and play devices that are simply connected via a vehicle's OBD-II port without modifications. They enable vehicle data to be collected by external systems, such as an EV fleet management platform. Thanks to their simple installation, they are probably the most cost-effective solution for connecting vehicles to an IT backend. They are flexible and can be used in a wide range of vehicles. However, the number of metrics they can read from a vehicle is limited compared to the next integration option. For example, it is typically not possible to read the location.
- CAN interfaces: The installation of CAN (Controller Area Network) devices is more complex than that of dongles. Furthermore, these devices are less flexible, as the connection must be set up specifically for each vehicle. However, as a result, they are also integrated at a deeper level of vehicle electronics and thus provide access to more comprehensive vehicle data. Unlike most dongles, the functions of IoT boxes connected to a vehicle's CAN bus are not limited to collecting data. They also allow you to control basic vehicle functions, such as opening and closing vehicle doors. Features such as these can be essential for some fleet management purposes, particularly with regard to car sharing services.
Together, the range of IoT boxes therefore combines a number of advantages:
- Independence from vehicle manufacturers: IoT boxes work independently of the manufacturer and can be used in a wide variety of vehicle models. This is an important aspect, particularly for fleet management and car sharing services.
- Easy retrofitting: IoT boxes can be easily integrated into existing vehicles without the need for extensive changes to the vehicle software.
- Reliability in data collection: IoT boxes can reliably access a specific range of data and functions.
However, their use is also associated with higher initial workload, which is why the following disadvantages should not be lost sight of:
- Hardware integration: The integration of IoT boxes into existing vehicle electronics can pose technical challenges and generate additional costs.
- Privacy concerns: The collection and transmission of location data through IoT boxes may raise privacy concerns, particularly when it is not clear how that data is used and stored.
- Dependence on external services: IoT boxes are often quite small components hidden in cars. This could have a negative effect on receiving and transmitting power in the mobile network.
Native API approaches
Native APIs provide a direct interface to the vehicle's integrated vehicle systems and electronic control units (ECUs). These are implemented and offered by vehicle manufacturers themselves. This allows direct access to detailed and specific vehicle data without having to resort to additional hardware.
Many vehicle manufacturers provide RESTful APIs that enable standardized exchange of data between the vehicle and external backends. In addition, webhooks are also used to send real-time notifications. For example, information can be provided about certain events, such as low battery levels or upcoming maintenance.
Because of the low initial workload, the use of native APIs has several advantages:
- No additional hardware required: Probably the biggest advantage is that native APIs use the vehicle's existing communication modules. This eliminates the need to install additional hardware.
- More Functionality: APIs provide access to deeper and more detailed vehicle data that goes beyond what IoT boxes and dongles can collect. They also make it possible to implement features such as OTA updates and remote diagnostics, which are difficult or impossible to implement with IoT boxes and dongles.
- More efficient data transmission: Data is transmitted directly to the vehicle's radio system designed by the manufacturer. In contrast to IoT boxes, this is therefore a tested antenna system that is likely to transmit data more reliably.
The use of native vehicle APIs also poses potential pitfalls:
- Vendor Dependency: Since APIs are provided directly by the vehicle manufacturer, integration is always dependent on changes made by the manufacturer. Many vehicle manufacturers also restrict access to certain data or functions.
- Different standards: Because different manufacturers use different API standards and protocols, integrating a fleet of vehicles from different manufacturers can be complex.
A holistic software solution for integrating EV fleets
The digitization of EV fleets offers many advantages, as discussed at the beginning. However, deciding on a specific solution to connect vehicles can be difficult. Each of these technologies, from IoT boxes to manufacturer-specific vehicle APIs, has its own advantages and disadvantages.
To solve these challenges, we use both IoT boxes and native API approaches in our innovative software solution and bundle them into a common platform. By abstracting the various connection options, we enable flexible and manufacturer-independent integration of vehicles. In this way, we offer a uniform interface for merging data without having to commit to a specific technology for data collection.
