The General Services Administration is adding efficiency to fleet vehicles by tracking data on their use. As a result of the March 25 executive order to make fleet vehicles more sustainable and emit fewer greenhouse gases over the next decade, the GSA is now providing vehicles with telematics, the term for devices that gather and store data on vehicle use.
Telematics involves installing "black box" devices that track information like fuel consumption and driver behavior to increase fleet efficiency.
GSA is offering two telematics after-market packages through a blanket purchasing agreement with AT&T: a GPS-only kit and a GPS kit with vehicle diagnostics.
The GPS-only package runs $266.55 for the first year, with a monthly $10 data charge, and will provide data on location, speed, idling and utilization.
The GPS with vehicle diagnostics package combines the data of the GPS-only service and adds maintenance, fuel consumption and vehicle emission information. It will cost $290.55 for the first year with a $12 monthly charge. Both kits can be installed on existing vehicles.
GSA said it would also be purchasing vehicles with factory-built telematics installed as they become available and would offer them through the AutoChoice service.
The executive order requires fleet vehicle emissions to be 4 percent lower in 2017 than 2014's base emissions, 15 percent by 2021 and 30 percent lower by 2025.
