Clarios Connected Services gives trucking fleet managers a new level of insights into their batteries, using real-time battery data and artificial intelligence to help extend battery life and reduce idling, resulting in fuel and maintenance cost savings.

And while Clarios also makes batteries, Clarios Connected Services work with any battery chemistry from any battery maker, according to the company.

It’s a modular platform. IdleLess, announced at ACT Expo in April, can ensure truck drivers' comfort and peace of mind while avoiding unnecessary idling and wasted fuel.

Battery Manager monitors the health of the battery and notifies fleets when the battery is nearing the end of its life. 

Real-Time Alerts Take the Guesswork Out of Overnight Idling

Truck drivers tend to idle more than they need to, trying to stay comfortable in their truck cabs overnight, because they don’t have real-time battery charge status. 

IdleLess monitors the charge level of the battery and sends drivers alerts on when to start and stop the engine.

The Clarios IdleLess solution monitors the state of vehicle batteries and provides real-time actionable insights to fleets, helping to maintain optimum battery charge level while reducing fuel consumption and emissions. 

According to Clarios, fleets using the system can reduce unnecessary idling by about 60%, saving roughly $3,300 in fuel per truck per year. Because they’re using their batteries more efficiently, fleets can also avoid some maintenance costs. Over five years, that can add up to more than $13,000 in savings per vehicle, Clarios estimates.

The solution uses three components:

• Battery Data: Each battery has a sensor to collect voltage, current and temperature data, which is sent to the Clarios cloud via a cellular gateway.

• Proprietary algorithm: With 130 years of expertise in low-voltage batteries and vehicle power systems, Clarios has developed advanced AI algorithms to convert raw data into predictive insights on battery state of charge.

• Communications link with drivers and fleet managers: These predictive insights are converted into actionable alerts, notifying drivers when to start and stop their engines to maximize fuel savings while minimizing the risk of a battery-related downtime event.

"The Clarios idling reduction solution not only maximizes battery potential but also revolutionizes the way drivers and fleet managers understand and utilize battery power," said Cagatay Topcu, vice president of Clarios Connected Services.

A Clear View of Truck Battery Health Across the Entire Fleet

The insights into battery health provided by Battery Manager allows fleet managers to plan ahead and know when a battery needs to be replaced instead of replacing on a set schedule. This can mean getting more life out of the battery — and less risk of downtime.

In addition, Battery Manager monitors charging system health and analyzes the system to see if there’s something impacting the battery, like an alternator putting out the wrong amount of power. 

Insights are delivered through a customer portal. The fleet manager can see how many are green, yellow, or red, so you can see at a glance which batteries need attention. Battery Manager is portal-agnostic and Clarios offers APIs to integrate into a fleet’s existing maintenance software.

Clarios Battery Manager monitors individual batteries, not the battery pack as a whole. Often fleets will replace the whole battery pack, not knowing which one is the culprit. 

Even fleets that don’t have jumpstarts may have over-spec’ed their batteries to prevent it, adding expense and weight. 

And with Battery Manager, fleets don’t need to rely on battery testers that are often inaccurate.

Ruan Sees Fast ROI in Pilot Deployment

Ruan Transportation Management Systems, Des Moines, Iowa, quickly saw the return on investment in a pilot program and is now deploying IdleLess with Battery Manager in strategic phases.

As part of that implementation, the 3,500-truck private fleet will train drivers to maximize idle reduction benefits.

When Ruan started the pilot program, the fleet quickly added more trucks to the pilot, going from 10 trucks to more than 50, as it found ROI opportunities beyond idle reduction. 

In fact, it was Ruan who noticed the Battery Manager offered savings that were low-hanging fruit beyond the fuel savings from IdleLess, according to Clarios officials, such as eliminating jumpstarts.

The idling reduction technology is now available to U.S. fleet operators.