Fleets using connected car data to replace telematics will risk leaving essential gaps in fleet management data, especially for real-time insights.

RAM Tracking believes that telematics still brings vital fleet benefits despite the age of connected cars

That’s according to RAM Tracking, which believes that telematics still brings vital fleet benefits despite the age of connected cars.

Earlier this year, Epyx warned that connected vehicle technology will become the “successor product” to telematics for fleets over the next few years as it becomes more commercially viable.

While Epyx has said it’s working on a potential product that would bring key advantages over telematics, including negating the need for a black box or other tracking device to be fitted, RAM Tracking has voiced a number of concerns on a wholesale shift away from telematics.

This includes the fact that datapoints can vary from vehicle manufacturer to manufacturer, making it hard for a fleet manager to gain a holistic view of their vehicles at a glance.

Richard Blown, chief technology officer at RAM Tracking, explained: “With connected cars, data isn’t universal and or consistently connected – different OEMs will offer different levels of connectivity and types of data collected – making the collecting and monitoring even more onerous for fleet managers.”

And it’s spotlighted that telematics devices – such as those offered by RAM Tracking – offer a single platform that provides consistency of data collected across the full range of vehicles on the entire fleet.

“We fit a device to track vehicles, but telematics offers a much more cost-effective approach to real-time data collection. Telematics makes fleet managers’ lives simpler,” Brown added.

Other key benefits of telematics include efficient routing, closest unit job allocation, vehicle speed checking, accurate ETAs, real-time location of vehicles, idling, speeding alerts, vehicle maintenance reminders, cost of reduced fuel usage and mileage to name a few.

Another major advantage of using telematics is that datapoints can be tailored to a fleet’s need, rather than only being limited by data that a manufacturer is happy to share. And telematics software also allows businesses to measure and identify any potential issues caused by their mobility strategy as well as improving operational productivity, recording real-time data and encouraging safer driving and reducing insurance premiums across the fleet.

Brown continued: “Connected cars have their place within fleet management but should not yet be considered the holy grail of real-time data retrieval for entire fleets. Telematics offers a one-stop platform for fleet managers to monitor their entire fleet on the same basis, producing consistent, accurate data to support effective fleet management.”