Telematics and IoT solutions have entered industries as diverse as logistics, construction, ports, oil & gas and mining to enhance navigation, remote tracking, safety, productivity, asset utilization, fuel consumption and operational efficiency.
The demand for connected vehicles is increasing and it is critically important for those involved in the ecosystem to keep pace and embrace the future. Covid-19 restrictions have also increased growth in the connected vehicle industry. Even after the pandemic ends, demand will rise for features such as secure driving, remote control and auto fault diagnosis with benefits other than the ability to facilitate social distancing.
Fleet management companies are predicted to propel the e-mobility space in the near future. According to Deloitte, by 2025, the connected car market in India is projected to grow at a CAGR of 22.2% to reach an estimated USD 32.2 billion from USD 9.8 billion in 2019.
Adapting to growth involves catering to the specific needs of various industries and developing more innovative solutions for automation, better network services and more evolved hardware models.
Evolution of connected vehicles in India
Many companies are considering the major costs involved in maintaining a fleet of vehicles, which can constitute 30-50% of total operational spend. Fleet-related expenses were traditionally recorded using ledgers and log books, which is outdated and challenging to maintain.
As digitalization grows in India, companies are looking for efficient systems to access fleet-related data and take important operational decisions. Enhanced connectivity, communication, monitoring and safety of drivers and goods alike are now possible with the new generation of smart IoT and telematics platforms for connected vehicles.
Connected vehicles in India: a case study
With more than 20 years of experience in telematics and IoT solutions, we have significant expertise in developing fuel-control and vehicle monitoring technologies for applications such as heavy trucks, construction equipment, generator sets, fuel storage tanks, pumps, off-highway vehicles and commercial vehicles. A recent use case demonstrates a typical connected vehicle project in an Indian business.
- A client has a stone quarry using several excavators and tippers. A complete-fleet management solution was deployed to keep real-time records of asset utilization by tracking the total hours of engine operation.
- Overloading the excavator for extended periods of time can truncate its life. The solution records and analyzes engine usage to optimize operations.
- Correlating load data with fuel consumption on a time series allows the plant and machinery head to accurately index the cost of excavation and predict future costs. This also minimizes wastage of fuel while idling and points to battery health, since a bad battery gives operators a reason to keep the machine idling. The custom reports help the client address these issues in real-time.
- The client deploys excavators inside a 250 ft mining pit. At this distance, it is not possible to hear the hum of engines and clanking of steel buckets from the control tower. At night, machine operators often put the machine in idle mode, turn on the AC and doze off. The next morning they claim overtime and extra fuel. Our solution maps hours of utilization at full load and idling against fuel consumed, resulting in fuel savings of over 25%, rationalization of overtime wages and 30% reduced engine wear.
- Safety is another concern. The system also tracks machinery health and sends instant alerts to the control tower if unexpected events occur.
The future of connected vehicles in India
As a leading IoT and telematics manufacturer, our role in the future of connected vehicles in India is to meet the demands of customers in all industries with customized solutions and aggregated data analytics through a combination of robust hardware and smart, secure software solutions.
However, advanced vehicles bring a host of concerns about data generation and exchange. This new technology needs to address privacy, data protection, encryption and normalization. The true value of a holistically efficient system is in its ability to provide business data while following the norms of security and data safety.
Connected vehicles are certainly the next big economic evolution for Digital India. With the growing need to maximize resources and efficiently control business assets, telematics experts are developing cutting-edge IoT solutions that ensure data provision and customization, security and smart insights.
Author:
Mohit Mehrotra
Managing Director
OMNICOMM India
Published in Telematics Wire
