Automotive Applications & Cloud Services

Automotive Applications and Cloud Services

Reducing CO2 Emissions with Magna Metrix

Public transport operators must reduce the CO2 emissions of their fleets. The EU's Clean Vehicle Directive requires that at least 65% of newly acquired buses be low-emission, and from 2026, at least half must be emission-free. To achieve these goals, comprehensive telemetry data collection and analysis offer various opportunities to reduce energy consumption. Criteria such as route, topography, driving and idle times, and passenger load play a role.

Magna Metrix: Efficiency through Data Analysis

Magna Metrix collects data from buses, processes it in the cloud, and provides graphical efficiency analyses to fleet managers. Fleet managers can analyze vehicle data on their PCs and derive improvements. Applications include congestion analysis, route-specific energy consumption, and individual vehicle anomalies. Magna has been developing software solutions for years to optimize energy consumption and adjust operational strategies.

Integration of Metrix into the Vehicle

The Metrix component is a retrofit box that uses data from existing interfaces such as GPS, CAN bus, FMS, and IBIS. Installation is straightforward as the Metrix box is pre-configured and ready to use. Additional sensors can be optionally integrated.

FMS System: Present in most buses, it uses data such as fuel consumption, tank level, mileage, movement status, coolant temperature, interior temperature, and driver information.
IBIS System: Organizes and evaluates passenger information, collects data from ticket machines, validators, passenger counting systems, stop request buttons, and traffic light controls. It provides information about bus routes and stops and segments telemetry data by route sections and lines.

Data from GPS, CAN, FMS, IBIS, and additional sensors are collected in the Metrix box and prepared for further processing.

Processing Metrix Data

The Metrix box continuously records raw data, processes it locally, and transmits it via WLAN or LTE to a cloud database based on Microsoft Azure. The data is stored and prepared for analysis in fleet management tools and graphical dashboards. Evaluations can be performed over any period in the past.

These dashboards are the working environment for fleet managers and can be used on desktop computers and mobile devices (tablets, smartphones). As web applications, they are independent of the operating system. Dashboards enable the analysis of individual vehicles and the fleet. Pre-configured alarms help quickly identify unusual behavior such as malfunctions and avoid follow-up costs. The functionality of the dashboards can be customized according to customer requirements. Data export for presentations or offline analyses is also possible.

If desired, data can be visualized directly in the vehicle, as tablets allow flexible retrofitting of driver workstations with additional displays. Magna has been using such applications for years in the passenger car sector for real-time analysis and onboard drive configuration.

Application Examples of Magna Metrix

The integration of vehicle, passenger, and location data enables various applications. Here are some typical examples:

Optimized Vehicle Utilization:

Deployment based on drive characteristics (performance, range, efficiency).
Energy recovery by electric drives in stop-and-go traffic or elevation changes.
Metrix optimizes vehicle selection.

Route Optimization:

Graphical route evaluation to identify bottlenecks.
Reduction of energy consumption by avoiding idling.
Collaboration with local authorities for route optimizations (e.g., bus lanes, traffic light timings).

Thermal Management:

Quick response to interior temperature deviations.
Causes: Open doors, HVAC system issues.
Balance between comfort and efficiency, especially in electric vehicles.

Maintenance:

Detection of technical defects via vehicle sensors.
Dashboards show system temperatures and energy consumption.
Early anomaly detection through additional inspections.
Automatic notifications for early defect detection.

Driver Training:

Significant impact of drivers on energy consumption.
Optimization potential in the double-digit percentage range.
Sensor data shows savings potential through driver training.
Continuous evaluation of measures through recorded statistics.

Complaint Management:

Simplified complaint management with quick access to vehicle data.
Service managers can quickly assess the validity of complaints.

Vehicle Procurement:

Regular data recording provides insights into vehicle requirements.
Specification setting for new vehicles (drive type, sizing).

Notification System:

Automatic notifications for deviations or sensor errors.
Quick response to potential problems.
Increased operational safety, efficiency, and customer satisfaction through automated notifications.

Metrix Adapts to New Requirements

Metrix is a highly standardized product in terms of vehicle integration and cloud data processing. However, the dashboard functionalities are flexible and can be customized and expanded according to customer requirements. Challenges in public transport will continue to increase: hybrid and electric drives will gradually become established, leading to new requirements in operational planning, such as thermal conditioning of traction batteries or optimal charging strategies. Metrix field data can provide insights into how vehicle design can be better adapted to fleet requirements. Collaboration with authorities is also facilitated by extensive data, aiding decisions for better traffic flow. The data available in the Metrix cloud allows for increasingly automated information processes, providing fleet managers with recommendations for action. Overall, Metrix helps fleet operators achieve significant cost savings with relatively little effort through transparent and comprehensive presentation of all important information.