Scania Reports An Astounding Number of 1,70,000 Connected Vehicles
Published On Jan 29, 2016
Swedish automaker Scania has been a front runner in technological advancements and its fleet of connected vehicles have increased manifold since the past few years. Today, the European market has over 50 countries with connected customers, who can access the digital Fleet Management services to evaluate their vehicles’ performance. In 2015, Scania added around 70,000 connected trucks and buses, and till date, the number has increased up to 1,70,000.
Head of Scania's connected Services, Mattias Lundholm, said, “Our customers are increasingly seeing the opportunities presented by connectivity in order to improve the efficiency of their vehicle performance and therefore reduce costs. Interest is growing in line with the extension of our connected services offer, also among bus and coach operators.”
Scania first introduced connectivity in early 2000s when the digital Fleet Management services were launched. Initially, this connectivity was all about obtaining information from the vehicle's electronic management systems to find out fuel consumption, wear and tear and other factors. This collected information formed a basis for the Scania Driver Training service and Scania Driver Coaching service, which are crucial in the ‘Ecolution By Scania’ concept.
Based on this concept, the fuel efficiency of trucks can be enhanced by 10 to 15 percent, which ultimately helps the long-haulage trucks to reduce operational costs.
Scania's service workshops use the connectivity technology to seek information regarding vehicle data. It is meant for reducing downtime with planned workshop visits as well as road emergency services. Data relating to service & maintenance is also gathered to develop the communication with vehicles.
Scania considers the development of electronic control systems as an important business activity, while obtaining information from connected vehicles remains its crucial asset.
“The strategy was established during the 1990s and has enabled Scania to launch for instance various systems for encouraging and helping drivers to drive fuel-efficiently and safely,” added Mr. Mattias Lundholm.
To improve connectivity further, the Scania Watch was launched in 2014, which was the first wearable device in the truck industry. This enabled drivers to access information about driving, rest times and physical condition along with vehicle data, to simplify the operations.
