Customizing a vehicle’s engine to experience improved fuel and or power use is no new process and is referred to as “calibrating the engine.” Traditionally, engine calibration has been performed within the automotive aftermarket as a direct to consumer driven purchase for an individual’s vehicle. Adjustments to the timing, turbo boost, air-to-fuel ratio and other vehicle settings can be done safely to modify how the engine operates and in return deliver increased horsepower, torque or fuel-efficiency. This level of customization and its benefits are no longer exclusive to consumers and are now providing significant improvements to fleet operations of all sizes specifically within the area of fuel efficiency.
Having the ability to determine how efficiently fuel is used for a fleet that runs long distances for a long period of time can be quite cost-effective. For example, a service-oriented fleet providing internet and cable installations might manage thousands of vehicles that drive thousands of miles monthly. Additionally, fleets that do not drive often but instead idle for extended duration can also consume large amounts of fuel. Consider any law enforcement fleet or utility vehicle. Fleets in these areas typically sit at idle while they are being utilized by drivers as work spaces - another opportunity to improve fuel use through reliable engine calibrations. These scenarios are not the only ways fleets are benefiting from engine calibration capabilities available from solutions today.
Fleets experiencing cost savings with calibrations
City of Orlando Law Enforcement achieves 12 percent reduction in annual fuel costs by calibrating key engine performance parameters.
Loenbro, construction company in Great Falls, Montana upgraded engine power and fuel settings with Derive’s engine calibration customizations capabilities, resulting in an annual fuel cost savings of approximately $70,000.
Fuel savings calibration optimizations for fleets
Off the line, fleet vehicle’s operation settings are set by the manufacturer and may not be optimal for the fleet’s actual use of the vehicle. Fleet solutions providing engine calibration capabilities make fleet vehicle customization possible. Whether the goal is to increase power for improved fuel use in a construction vehicle or to conserve fuel for those fleets who tend to work in idle – calibration adjustments can make all the difference.
- Shift pattern optimization: By adjusting a fleet’s transmissions’ patterns toward more efficient settings versus power settings, fleet operations can experience improvements to fuel efficiency.
- Torque management: Optimizations made to acceleration can mitigate fuel lost due to harsh driving behavior.
- Idle reduction: Modifications in fuel use during idle times or manager defined idle-shut off adjustments conserve fuel when appropriate and prevent useless waste of fuel.
Within the area of fleet management, reducing or improving fuel use directly correlates to money saved. When hundreds and thousands of dollars can be reduced from the bottom line, improving fleet fuel use just makes sense. Solutions available to fleet managers make doing so more attainable than ever and they don’t require extensive driver training because they improve fuel use directly where fuel is used – the engine. To learn more about these solutions and their capabilities, visit www.DeriveSystems.com/Enterpise/Overview
About contributor
Derive Systems is a leading automotive technology company with over two million software installations powering upgraded experiences for drivers on the road today. Derive connects vehicles and their engines to the digital world, enabling individuals and fleets to take control and optimize for performance, fuel efficiency, safety, and more.
Note: This is sponsored content
