NEWSBYTE: Scottish fuel management company FUELlink has secured a deal with Nottingham City Transport to install smart data collection devices on the city’s new fleet of bio-gas buses.
FUELlink’s IoT fuel-tracking device, named ‘VINIE’, sits on the dashboard and allows fleet managers keep track of and analyse data picked up from the vehicle’s engine management computer. Operators can set miles per gallon targets, view the amount of hours worked per litre, and detect fuel leaks.
The device was developed with support from the CENSIS IoT Centre, one of eight innovation centres funded by the Scottish Funding Council.
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Fleet management for city transport
FUELlink expects to see its VINIE devices gain traction in the coming months, particularly as the benefits become clear to transport operators that are keen to retrofit old vehicles and build more efficient fleets.
John Ashley, director at FUELlink Systems, notes the importance of support from CENSIS in reaching this point. “The way we’ve grown as a business is by listening to our customers and developing products which help them run their companies more efficiently,” he said.
“Working with transport operators, we recognised some of the pitfalls and challenges facing them on a daily basis. And while we had a concept to address some of those challenges, it was by teaming up with CENSIS that we were able to develop VINIE.”
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He continued, “by demonstrating the proof of concept, we could pilot the product with a number of companies, showcasing the benefits of the device, and have since landed significant contracts, including Nottingham City Transport.
“At the moment, we’re focused on introducing the product to local authorities, bus operators, and haulage firms, but in the future, we hope to diversify and allow companies across industries to take advantage of VINIE’s versatile data monitoring and storage capabilities.”
Internet of Business says
Fuel and energy efficiency is emerging as an important hotspot in IoT programmes, not just in transportation and the supply chain, but also in starting new relationships between utilities and energy companies and their business and domestic customers.
We applaud any new programme that seeks to make public transport smarter and more efficient, and city centre traffic more environmentally friendly and sustainable.
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