The need for unified EV data to maintain electric bus condition

The European target of 100% of new city buses being zero-emission by 2030 is driving Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) to invest at scale in battery-electric buses (BEBs). Municipalities and fleet operators are under similar pressure to meet demanding climate goals, resulting in a significant increase in their procurement across a range of OEMs. In this blog article, we examine the importance of gaining access to critical EV performance data to ensure that these vehicles remain in optimal health.  

The challenge of accessing unified EV data

A multi-vendor procurement approach often results in fragmented data availability as OEMs of electric vehicles are not legally required to conform to a unified data standard, as with internal combustion engine (ICE) buses. Each manufacturer offers proprietary telematics solutions for their electric buses, making it challenging for fleet managers and municipalities to get a unified view of their operations, as they have to log into multiple platforms to access all their diagnostic data. This is particularly problematic for monitoring battery health, the most expensive component of any BEB, where detailed, comparable data is crucial to maintain condition and prevent major safety incidents.

Geotab’s market-leading BEB data support

Geotab is uniquely positioned to support public transit fleets as they transition to electrification. Having reverse-engineered data across an extensive range of HGV chassis, we provide engineering teams with a critical edge, as the majority of battery-electric buses are developed on these same chassis. 

Geotab is a strong advocate of the VDV238 data standard and has supported major bus operators in shaping procurement tenders to ensure access to critical EV data. Where this standard cannot be applied, we work directly with both operators and OEMs to ensure the right data is still extracted quickly and effectively. 

View all your bus diagnostics through a single pane of glass

MyGeotab, our web-based fleet management solution, provides a single platform for operators to view and manage vehicle diagnostic data across all makes and models, including ICE, electric, and hydrogen fuel cell vehicles. This allows bus fleet engineering teams to:

• Gain a consistent, manufacturer-agnostic view of their entire EV and ICE bus fleet
• Access comprehensive analytics and insights into battery performance and condition, ensuring comparability across diverse bus models
• View specialised diagnostic dashboards, integrated within the MyGeotab platform, to monitor crucial real-time operational insights, such as fault codes, battery cell temperatures, charging status and state of charge (SOC) via our specialised bus partners that are integrated within our platform.

The critical EV data points for maintaining bus health

With Geotab’s full EV data support, rich diagnostic insights and AI-powered predictive maintenance solutions, the engineering team can receive real-time alerts for a BEB’s diagnostic trouble codes (DTCs), so that they can identify and triage minor issues before they escalate into serious faults. This helps the engineering department to minimise vehicle downtime and serious safety failures that could otherwise risk performance penalties and the expense of vehicles off the road (VOR). Long-term battery state of health (SOH) can also be monitored, modelling any effect that battery degradation has on range capability. 

Battery fire prevention is a critical concern for electric buses, particularly as operators serving the public sector face intense scrutiny. With Geotab’s advanced EV diagnostics, engineering teams can track battery cell temperatures in real time, providing an essential safeguard against this risk.

Unified data for safer bus operations

Without a unified view of bus diagnostic data, engineering teams face unnecessary complexity, blind spots, and risks that can compromise performance and safety. By consolidating data from all drivetrains and OEMs into a single platform, and providing access to critical EV diagnostic data, Geotab helps bus fleets to maximise the lifespan of their greatest assets, safeguard against major safety incidents, and confidently accelerate towards a zero-emissions future. 

Want to ensure your bus fleet meets its zero-emission targets, while delivering a dependable service? Get a demo today.