Swedish-Swiss technology company ABB has partnered with cloud computing giant Amazon Web Services (AWS) to jointly develop a cloud-based electric vehicle fleet management platform that will be designed to optimise the efficient use of EVs and accelerate the electrification of transport fleets.
Planned to roll out in the second half of 2021, the new EV fleet management system will offer a tailored user experience in a single-view platform that will provide real-time monitoring of vehicle charging, actions for vehicle health and servicing, as well as EV route optimisation based on time of day, weather, and use patterns.
ABB has already created a pureplay venture in Berlin that, with support from AWS, will develop tailored, scalable, and cost-effective technologies for fleet operators which can also be used by all vehicle OEMs.
The new venture will develop an interoperable fleet management solution that can work with all vehicle types and charging infrastructure, which will work with all types of EV fleet sizes.
“ABB and AWS share a similar vision around the potential of eMobility to transform society,” said Frank Muehlon, President of ABB’s eMobility Division. “Our combined expertise supports the common goal of making EV fleet management simpler and more accessible.
“This new solution will revolutionize the world of electric mobility, integrating EV hardware and software into one ecosystem to provide a seamless user experience. We are confident that by working together we can propel the use of electric fleet vehicles by giving operators the confidence to make the switch.”
With 23% of global energy-related greenhouse gas emissions caused by the world’s transport sector, significant electrification of transport could substantially reduce CO2 levels.
While the shift to electric vehicles by everyday consumers will be driven by economies of scale and continued reductions in EV costs matched by increases in charging infrastructure, transport fleets could put a significant dent in transport emissions by a wholesale shift to EVs.
There are nearly 400,000 electric delivery vans and trucks on our roads today, according to figures published by BNEF in May 2020, along with over 500,000 e-buses and over 7 million passenger EVs.
Already electric fleets offer reduced fuel and servicing costs. By building out an EV fleet management platform such as the one proposed by ABB and AWS, more companies may consider the value of transitioning their fleets to electric vehicles.
Joshua S. Hill is a Melbourne-based journalist who has been writing about climate change, clean technology, and electric vehicles for over 15 years. He has been reporting on electric vehicles and clean technologies for Renew Economy and The Driven since 2012. His preferred mode of transport is his feet.