Abstract

Ultra Low Carbon Vehicles (ULCVs) include fully electric and hybrid vehicles utilising various combinations of battery systems and hydrogen based technologies. ULCVs offer many organisations with large vehicle fleets an opportunity to reduce the cost of their operations. One of the major concerns regarding the operation of ULCVs is uncertainties relating to the ongoing cost of vehicles due to issues such as replacement of major parts e.g. traction batteries, and ensuring the vehicles’ lifespan is maximised. Telematic monitoring equipment is widely used in fleet vehicles but is rarely used to its full potential and does not match the benefits exhibited by remote condition monitoring systems used in other sectors. Such technology has the potential to address many of the concerns relating to ULCV operation. A number of barriers exist, however, to the wider use of telematic systems including integration with other vehicles systems, management of large volumes of data and issues relating to the effect on the finite power supply of an idle vehicle. In this chapter we will examine the underlying technology of vehicle tracking and monitoring systems and investigate the technical, organisational and operational enablers which are required to exploit fully the benefits of telematic monitoring.