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What is Telematics in Automotive?
Telematics in general refers to the use of onboard diagnostics and the Global Positioning System (GPS) in monitoring the movement of any asset such as a vehicle or machinery. A telematics control unit is an embedded system that collects and transmits telematics data from the vehicle to the cloud or other vehicles via a communication network and is useful for sending crash notifications, tolling and vehicle tracking. It connects people, vehicles, logistic operations, processes by enhancing safety, efficiency and reducing maintenance costs through notable insights. It records vehicle speed, fuel consumption, tire pressure and other details as well as provides visualization on such insights for improving driving habits.
Telematics solutions thus refer to technologies connecting vehicles to vehicles, remote locations, networks or systems through a wireless network. A few examples include GPS navigation devices, vehicle tracking systems, fleet management and safety systems, driver behavior monitoring solutions, reconstruction and crash notification applications, SoS alerts etc. The global telematics solutions market is estimated to be around ₹4.354 trillion in 2024 and is projected to reach a value of ₹6.478 trillion by 2029, surging at a CAGR of 10.05% during this forecast period. As of 2021, ₹555 Cr was reported as the Indian telematics market size, which is expected to rise to ₹3796 Cr by 2026, registering a CAGR of 46.8% during this forecast period.
Indian market size of telematics control unit in car during forecast period 2020 to 2030
Best Implementation Practices of Telematics Control Unit in Car
A telematics control unit consists of hardware components such as a GPS receiver, an engine interface, an input and output interface or expander port, an alerting mechanism, an accelerometer, and a SIM card. It is also characterized by an algorithm for GPS logging which is useful in determining data accuracy and reliability. The gist of its working and implementation is given below:
Requirement Gathering
Prior to designing and development, it is essential to understand the focus or objective of the device, such as location tracking, fuel logging, driver behavior analysis etc. This can be determined by monitoring the vehicle, planning for route optimization as per fuel consumption statistics, evaluation of previous complaints on driver behavior, historical expenses on maintenance, the need for alerts on predictive failure, and action response to blind spot detection system alerts etc.
Component Analysis
This step involves choosing IP66 dustproof hardware components and software platform for telematics control unit in car, where the former is needed to gather in-vehicle data and set up a telematics system, while the latter serves as its central hub that receives data. The hardware usually involves GPS units to track the vehicle’s location, routes, on board diagnostic devices to check engine performance and other sensors like resistive, magnetic, ultrasonic, capacitance fuel level sensors, tire pressure monitoring sensors (TPMS) etc. The software takes data from hardware components and transforms them into insights that can be viewed by the user over an intuitive interface.
It usually features dashboards for fleet management that showcase vehicle and driver performance, data analytics tools for insights and report generation, integration with ERPs, maintenance management systems, smart parking management system, accounting tools etc. It is important to note that robust security measures embedded into the software platform are required to assure sensitive information related to the vehicle’s location etc. stays safeguarded and inaccessible to anyone outside the client’s organization and driver.
System Architecture
This involves designing the telematics control unit, defining data flow between vehicles, cloud and main dashboard. A powerful backend setup that is capable of processing real-time sensor data from one or multiple vehicles in case of fleet management needs to be developed. At the same time, the front end needs to be user-friendly for drivers and fleet managers to easily gain access and insights on vehicle performance. Furthermore, security protocols and data encryption during communication and storage must be implemented to comply with regulations.
Sample architecture of implementing telematics control unit in car
Data Gathering
During training, all types of sensor data from various sources around the vehicle such as LiDAR, onboard engine diagnostics, GPS, 360 degree camera for car etc. are collected. Drivers can gain an oversight of the vehicle’s performance and track contingent situations like unattended or open doors while driving, sudden brakes, quick acceleration, risky overtakes, potholes, temperature of the engine, battery or inside the vehicle.
Data Containment
Data collected from these sources is communicated via cellular networks like 4G using a SIM card, modem and transferred to the telematics control unit in car, where the information is categorized and analyzed.
Data Processing
The telematics control module processes, analyzes and reports various types of data such as vehicle speed, fuel consumption, engine performance, odometer readings, tire pressure, battery voltage, temperature, live location, route history, geofencing-related data, acceleration, braking, cornering, idle time, seat belt usage, weather and traffic conditions, vehicle health etc. and sends real-time alerts and service reminders to the driver’s mobile app and vehicle dashboard developed by any custom application development company. It also analyzes vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V), vehicle-to-everything (V2X), and vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I) type of data.
Integration & Testing
Post system design, GPS and other fleet management features need to be integrated such as configuration of geofencing capabilities, fuel consumption and maintenance monitoring tools, driver behavior analysis software to track overspeeding, harsh braking, real-time location etc. Once the telematics control module is integrated, developers need to proceed with pilot testing to identify issues, spot bugs, gain driver feedback, refine the system and then complete implementation cycle and training. Developers also need to provide support post-implementation and make sure that analytical tools are working up to the mark as they track vehicle health, fine tune routes, verify driving protocol and optimize fuel consumption.
Notable Considerations for Telematics Control Module Deployment
Tailored Telematics Solutions
Common factors for deciding custom telematics solutions, fleet management tools, and software-as-a-service (SaaS) platforms include business requirements, budget, scale of operations, complexity and feature level etc. Custom telematic solution development is advantageous when specific operational requirements such as very large volume of tracking operations are needed to be met by the software. They can also be fine-tuned to be integrated with existing software if the organization is dependent on it without any data loss during transition.
When the telematics control unit or solution is customized as per the client’s needs, they have complete control over development and deployment, including appearance of the interface, functioning of backend processes, AI-powered analytics, seamless integration with ERP like Bosch Rexroth, logistics and inventory control platforms, data ownership, regulatory compliance, smooth and scalable adaptation. It is also noteworthy that significant investments and extended delivery timelines are commonly observed, alongside continuous support, maintenance and updates post-deployment, especially when transportation of high-value goods or hazardous material is involved.
Software-as-a-Service Telematics Solutions
Since SaaS solutions are ready-made and can be white labeled, the deployment time period varies from weeks to months. It can be easily made part of an existing fleet management system or single vehicle performance analysis system. It is especially useful when small and medium fleets consisting of telematics control module are under consideration which do not require a high level of customization before deploying the solution. It is more cost-effective as compared to customized telematics solutions because a low number of resources are involved in development and setup is comparatively quicker due to pre-built infrastructure.
It is usually available with a subscription-based pricing model that includes regular updates, bug fixing, security, support and maintenance with minimal effort. On the other hand, some demerits include low customization options, growth in recurring fees as and when the fleet size increases and additional costs or a lack of analytics-based custom reports on vehicle performance. As the solution is hosted on the SaaS provider’s cloud or edge-deployed servers, security concerns may often get raised, while complete reliance on the provider for updates reduces flexibility to adopt future-proof technology in the long run.
Regulatory Compliances
It is essential to get the designed telematics control unit in car AIS 140 (Automotive Industry Standards) / ISO 16833 certified and tested by the Automotive Research Association of India (ARAI). Designers and clients must understand, adhere to these regulations and ensure user data is collected, processed and stored as per norms. They must be familiarized with industry-specific regulations related to the management of telematics data sets and be registered in the state-wise eVAHAN portal developed by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways in collaboration with Sensorise and BSNL. In the case of large fleet managing organizations, proper documentation should be maintained for audit trails, data access and compliance reporting. These standards are applicable to all state road transport corporations, vehicle detection systems, automotive OEMs, domestic and interstate private buses, ambulances, autonomous driving systems, emergency response vehicles, school buses, cars, rental car agencies and on-demand taxis.
Some common features of a telematic control module
Data Management
Businesses need to decide whether a data lake should be used for raw, unstructured data or a data warehouse for structured data analytics. Developers need to selectively choose robust APIs to facilitate integration and data exchange between platforms. Data formats across devices and platforms must be standardized to ensure consistency and ease of analysis. With respect to privacy concerns, strong encryption protocols must be used such as Transport Layer Security (TLS), Advanced Encryption Standard, Rivest-Shamir-Adleman (RSA), Elliptic Curve Cryptography, Internet Protocol Security (IPsec), GNU Privacy Guard, Secure Hash algorithms etc. and encryption libraries must stay updated. Critical data must be available as per role-based access controls, routine penetration testing must be conducted to address vulnerabilities, and a clear incident response plan must be put in place.
Others
Businesses can also include geofencing for security during telematics solution development while emphasizing advanced data analytics as a core solution feature. Designers must consider and establish a feedback loop around user experience design and instigate future-proof technology for scalability during the development stage to integrate emerging technologies such as firmware-over-the-air updates and more. Proper documentation and demonstration video content must be created to augment training and support activities. Ultimately, it is also necessary to evaluate carbon footprint, emissions and the level of environmental impact in the long run.
Enter the Future with KritiKal’s Telematics Control Unit
As the automotive IT solutions industry increasingly integrates environmental data and navigation technologies, KritiKal Solutions is connecting vehicle subsystems to the cloud for telematics via its cutting-edge telematics control module. Our advanced TCU provides real-time insights into the battery monitoring system, transmission fluid, engine data, and connection quality, enhancing overall vehicle performance. We integrate AI models for predictive analytics and real-time decision-making using high-quality training data supported with data annotation services for autonomous vehicle data to enhance accuracy and performance. We employ modular architecture and cloud solutions for scalability and design user-friendly, mobile-optimized dashboards with feedback mechanisms. We assist automotive businesses in implementing training programs, establishing KPIs for performance monitoring, and regularly assessing ROI for effective cost management. Please get in touch with us at sales@kritikalsolutions.com to know more about our products and realize your automotive requirements.
Subhajit Sarkar currently works as a Senior Embedded Systems Engineer at KritiKal Solutions. He has more than 10 years of experience in Software and Hardware development, controller level board troubleshooting, and customization of different microcontrollers. With an extensive skill set of Embedded C, MPLAB, Code Composer Studio, Hardware designing – Analog & Digital, Ki-Cad, Altium, OrCAD Multisim and spice tools etc., he is adept in end-to-end embedded systems development and has efficiently assisted KritiKal in delivering some major projects.