Municipalities are facing increasing public pressure and mandates to reduce emissions and costs. Across the country, state and local directives require aggressive efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs). More than twenty-four states have adopted specific GHG reduction targets and net-zero emissions goals. Meeting green fleet management objectives requires data analytics to monitor and manage fleets.
Besides meeting emissions standards, fleet managers using data analytics can reduce fuel costs by 13% and maintenance costs by nearly 15%. With data on fuel consumption, maintenance costs, vehicle downtime, vehicle performance, and driver behavior, fleet managers can improve efficiency and lower carbon footprints.
Lowering fleet emissions with data analytics
Data analytics can produce actionable insights to meet fleet emissions targets and track progress toward goal achievement.
Vehicle emissions monitoring
Vehicle emissions monitoring can provide crucial data to improve emissions. For example, telematics can monitor engine health to alert when systems are malfunctioning and increasing emissions. Data can also surface driving behavior that increases emissions. Fleet managers use analytics to track idle time and aggressive driving.
Results:
- Direct emission data can identify the highest-polluting vehicles for faster replacement.
- Driver data can be used to provide customized eco-driving training for fleet drivers.
Studies show that eco-driving practices can reduce energy consumption by as much as 15% to 25% for internal combustion engines and electric vehicles (EVs) and up to 50% for hybrid vehicles.
Proactive vehicle maintenance
As vehicles wear, they become less energy efficient. By tracking diagnostic trouble codes and engine health, fleet managers can schedule proactive maintenance to keep vehicles operating in peak condition.
Results:
- Improved fleet health
- Fewer emissions from worn equipment
- Less downtime
Right-sizing duty fleet
One way to lower fleet emissions is to closely analyze fleet utilization to ensure that suitable vehicles are in place for each duty type. Oversized vehicles waste fuel when they are used in a way that light-duty vehicles can handle.
Right-sizing the fleet is crucial to lowering emissions. By monitoring data, fleet managers can also determine use cases where EV integration provides a measurable difference. For example, a McKinsey study shows that a fleet switching to EVs can reduce emissions by 19%.
Results:
- More efficient use of fleet vehicles
- Data showing where EVs can make a difference
EV performance
For municipalities that have adopted EVs, monitoring performance is crucial. Usage data helps optimize charging schedules and charging costs. For example, charging during off hours can eliminate peak-demand charges. Load management helps utility companies align electricity usage with renewable energy resources.
Results:
- Minimizing electricity and infrastructure costs
- Reducing emissions from better energy management
Five steps to start a fleet analytics program
Fleet management software can capture a significant amount of data. Analytics can help you manage fleet operations more efficiently to reduce emissions.
Here are the five steps to get started.
1. Assess goals and infrastructure
Municipalities should start by taking stock of their current fleet inventory and estimating their carbon footprint. The EPA’s MOVES and Mobile Source Emissions models can help create baselines for existing fleets. From there, organizations can set goals for reducing GHGs.
Vehicle type, condition, and usage need to be optimized for efficiency while ensuring that the proper infrastructure is in place to support performance. Government entities will need to assess their current data and look for gaps in collections or analysis that need to be filled.
2. Find telematics and monitoring providers
The next step is to research options for collecting data, such as the vehicle telematics and software needed for monitoring the impact of any sustainability efforts, including costs. Fleet and procurement managers will want to align purchases with data needs, ensuring that they integrate with existing systems and reporting.
3. Run pilot projects
It’s a good idea to run a pilot program for fleet analytics on a small group of vehicles to make sure you get the data that you need before a full-scale rollout. Pilot programs help work out any tech issues, data flows, and data analysis workflows to avoid shortfalls or mistakes.
Municipalities may want to pilot fleet analytics on high-mileage vehicles to show the greatest impact and compare data to baseline metrics.
4. Phase roll-out over time
Piloting provides insights to make integration smoother. Phasing integration over time helps mitigate risk. More vehicles can be added as technicians gain proficiency with installing and integrating telematic devices and analysts gain experience with monitoring data.
Adding data to the analytics platform in stages helps ensure smooth integration and identify any vehicle-specific inefficiencies.
5. Track and report
Once data is fully integrated into your fleet management systems, monitoring dashboards will provide visibility into performance. This data tracks progress toward meeting emissions goals and forms the basis of public reporting.
Further tracking and analysis can uncover additional opportunities to improve efficiency and lower costs.
Sourcewell can help reduce emissions in municipal fleets
Sourcewell’s cooperative purchasing agreements make it easy to find the fleet analytics, telematics, and EVs that you need to reduce emissions. At the same time, you can lower costs and reduce the time that it takes for procurement with competitively sourced, ready-to-use contracts.
By leveraging data and telematics, a fleet manager can identify areas for sustainability improvement by reducing a fleet's energy consumption and carbon emissions. Sourcewell contracts ensure that government entities can take the first step in supporting these initiatives. See how Sourcewell can help with your cooperative purchasing.
