Connected vehicle technology will become the “successor product” to telematics for fleets over the next few years as the data it provides becomes more widely available in commercially viable formats, epyx is predicting.
The fleet e-commerce specialist says that connected vehicle data offers key advantages over telematics including the fact that information comes direct from the vehicle and avoids the need for a “black box” or other intermediary device to be fitted or carried.
Debbie Fox, commercial director at epyx (above), said, “Fleets have been promised the benefits of connected vehicle technology for many years now but bringing it to market in a commercially viable manner has proven difficult for a range of reasons. Now, this picture is rapidly changing.
“The three stumbling blocks have been the proportion of fleet cars and vans that can provide connected vehicle data, the cost of accessing it, and the means to present that information to fleets in a format that makes it genuinely productive.
“Today, we’re in a situation where all of these issues are close to being resolved, we believe. Connected vehicle penetration within the fleet parc is already high and should represent the vast majority of vehicles by the middle of the decade.
“New ways of accessing the data at reasonable cost are now becoming available that make it much more affordable, at least comparable to the pricing of traditional telematics, bringing it within the reach of most fleets.
“Finally, providing fleets with connected vehicle data in a format that is meaningful and creates a range of cost, service and efficiency benefits is something that is very much our area of expertise, and we actively working with partners to bring a product to market.”
