Systems and methods for tracking and evaluating fuel consumptions of vehicles

Abstract

Systems and methods for tracking and evaluating fuel consumptions of vehicles are provided. The method can involve operating a telematics device installed in the vehicle to: collect fuel data from at least one fuel data source of the vehicle; track, for each fuel data source, a cumulative amount of fuel consumed by the vehicle; determine a confidence level of each fuel data source; identify an initial fuel data source; generate a plurality of mid-trip fuel records; identify a final fuel data source based on a priority of each fuel data source and each confidence level of each fuel data source; determine whether the plurality of mid-trip fuel records is valid; and transmit the plurality of mid-trip fuel records and an indication of whether the plurality of mid-trip fuel records is valid to a fleet management system.

1 . A system for evaluating fuel consumption of a vehicle, the system comprising:
 at least one data storage operable to store telematics data associated with the vehicle, the telematics data collected by a telematics device installed in the vehicle during operation of the vehicle; and   at least one processor in communication with the at least one data storage, the at least one processor operable to:
 retrieve the telematics data; 
 identify a plurality of trips completed by the vehicle based on the telematics data, each trip associated with a portion of the telematics data collected during the trip; 
 classify at least some of the plurality of trips as fuel supported trips, the portion of the telematics data associated with each fuel supported trip comprising fuel consumption data, the fuel consumption data representing an amount of fuel consumed by the vehicle during at least a portion of the trip; 
 identify, from the portion of the telematics data associated with each fuel supported trip, distance data corresponding to the fuel consumption data, the distance data representing an amount of distance traveled by the vehicle during the at least a portion of the trip; 
 calculate a fuel economy of the vehicle based on the fuel consumption data and the distance data of each fuel supported trip; 
 identify a plurality of comparable vehicles having at least one shared vehicle characteristic with the vehicle; and 
 determine a fuel economy score of the vehicle based on differences between the fuel economy of the vehicle and a fuel economy of each comparable vehicle in the plurality of comparable vehicles. 
   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the telematics data comprises mid-trip fuel records generated by the telematics device and the fuel supported trips are classified based on an indication of whether the mid-trip fuel records are valid received from the telematics device. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the fuel economy score of the vehicle is determined based on a percentile rank of the fuel economy of the vehicle in relation to the fuel economy of each comparable vehicle in the plurality of comparable vehicles. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein at least some of the trips in the plurality of trips completed by the vehicle are identified based on ignition events in the telematics data. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the distance data comprises GPS data and/or odometer data. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein classifying the at least some of the plurality of trips as fuel supported trips comprises determining that the fuel consumption data in the portion of the telematics data associated with the trip is valid. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the fuel consumption data of each fuel supported trip is substantially cotemporaneous to the corresponding distance data. 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor is operable to:
 determine, based the telematics data, an amount of idling performed by the vehicle during the at least a portion of each fuel supported trip; and   generate a warning indicating the amount of idling in response to determining that the fuel economy score and the amount of idling exceed a predetermined idling threshold.   
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor is operable to:
 determine, based the telematics data, an amount of aggressive driving performed by the vehicle during the at least a portion of each fuel supported trip; and   generate a warning indicating the amount of aggressive driving, in response to determining that the fuel economy score and the amount of aggressive driving exceed a predetermined aggressive driving threshold.   
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor is operable to:
 determine, based the telematics data, an amount of idling performed by the vehicle during the at least a portion of each fuel supported trip;   determine, based the telematics data, an amount of aggressive driving performed by the vehicle during the at least a portion of each fuel supported trip; and   identify a mechanical issue with the vehicle based on the fuel economy score, the amount of idling, and the amount of aggressive driving.   
     
     
         11 . A method for evaluating fuel consumption of a vehicle, the method comprising operating at least one processor to:
 retrieve telematics data associated with the vehicle, the telematics data collected by a telematics device installed in the vehicle during operation of the vehicle;   identify a plurality of trips completed by the vehicle based on the telematics data, each trip associated with a portion of the telematics data collected during the trip;   classify at least some of the plurality of trips as fuel supported trips, the portion of the telematics data associated with each fuel supported trip comprising fuel consumption data, the fuel consumption data representing an amount of fuel consumed by the vehicle during at least a portion of the trip;   identify, from the portion of the telematics data associated with each fuel supported trip, distance data corresponding to the fuel consumption data, the distance data representing an amount of distance traveled by the vehicle during the at least a portion of the trip;   calculate a fuel economy of the vehicle based on the fuel consumption data and the distance data of each fuel supported trip;   identify a plurality of comparable vehicles having at least one shared vehicle characteristic with the vehicle; and   determine a fuel economy score of the vehicle based on differences between the fuel economy of the vehicle and a fuel economy of each comparable vehicle in the plurality of comparable vehicles.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the telematics data comprises mid-trip fuel records generated by the telematics device and the fuel supported trips are classified based on an indication of whether the mid-trip fuel records are valid received from the telematics device. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the fuel economy score of the vehicle is determined based on a percentile rank of the fuel economy of the vehicle in relation to the fuel economy of each comparable vehicle in the plurality of comparable vehicles. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein at least some of the trips in the plurality of trips completed by the vehicle are identified based on ignition events in the telematics data. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the distance data comprises GPS data and/or odometer data. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein classifying the at least some of the plurality of trips as fuel supported trips comprises determining that the fuel consumption data in the portion of the telematics data associated with the trip is valid. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the fuel consumption data of each fuel supported trip is substantially cotemporaneous to the corresponding distance data. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising operating the at least one processor to:
 determine, based the telematics data, an amount of idling performed by the vehicle during the at least a portion of each fuel supported trip; and   generate a warning indicating the amount of idling in response to determining that the fuel economy score and the amount of idling exceed a predetermined idling threshold.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising operating the at least one processor to:
 determine, based the telematics data, an amount of aggressive driving performed by the vehicle during the at least a portion of each fuel supported trip; and   generate a warning indicating the amount of aggressive driving, in response to determining that the fuel economy score and the amount of aggressive driving exceed a predetermined aggressive driving threshold.   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising operating the at least one processor to:
 determine, based the telematics data, an amount of idling performed by the vehicle during the at least a portion of each fuel supported trip;   determine, based the telematics data, an amount of aggressive driving performed by the vehicle during the at least a portion of each fuel supported trip; and   identify a mechanical issue with the vehicle based on the fuel economy score, the amount of idling, and the amount of aggressive driving.   
     
     
         21 . A non-transitory computer readable medium having instructions stored thereon executable by at least one processor to implement a method for evaluating fuel consumption of a vehicle, the method comprising operating the at least one processor to:
 retrieve telematics data associated with the vehicle, the telematics data collected by a telematics device installed in the vehicle during operation of the vehicle;   identify a plurality of trips completed by the vehicle based on the telematics data, each trip associated with a portion of the telematics data collected during the trip;   classify at least some of the plurality of trips as fuel supported trips, the portion of the telematics data associated with each fuel supported trip comprising fuel consumption data, the fuel consumption data representing an amount of fuel consumed by the vehicle during at least a portion of the trip;   identify, from the portion of the telematics data associated with each fuel supported trip, distance data corresponding to the fuel consumption data, the distance data representing an amount of distance traveled by the vehicle during the at least a portion of the trip;   calculate a fuel economy of the vehicle based on the fuel consumption data and the distance data of each fuel supported trip;   identify a plurality of comparable vehicles having at least one shared vehicle characteristic with the vehicle; and   determine a fuel economy score of the vehicle based on differences between the fuel economy of the vehicle and a fuel economy of each comparable vehicle in the plurality of comparable vehicles.