How software empowers eMobility
Life without software. Can you imagine such a world? Maybe we should start by clarifying what we mean by software and where it can be found. On a practical level, software is everywhere. On your phone, when you order that food delivery or check your balance in your home banking app; in your fridge, when you set up the temperature; in your washing machine, when you choose the right cycle… the list is infinite, and we haven’t even left the house yet.
Of course, mobility is no exception. Since the beginning of modern times, transportation has relied on software to evolve and become more efficient. From airbags to anti-lock braking systems (ABS) and, more recently, telematics and anti-collision systems, we can all agree that software has been a game changer for our industry.
Looking forward to the upcoming challenges of transforming the transportation industry into a sustainable one, we truly believe that software can play a crucial role in achieving this goal by optimizing efficiency, lowering costs, reducing environmental impact, and improving overall performance.
That’s why we are developing software products that will enable transportation companies to switch from diesel to electric and run their business with minimal interruptions, automatically tackling all the challenges that arise when going electric.
With this in mind, we want to take you on a ride emphasizing how software empowers electric mobility, from two key perspectives at tb.lx. From the product perspective, Hannah Ehrle, Global Product Manager and Interim Head of Product weighs in, alongside Pedro Serra, Engineering Manager, on the engineering side. Both Hannah and Pedro work closely within the eMobility space at tb.lx and know the ins and outs of the area. Ready to supercharge your knowledge? Let’s go!
The Product Perspective — with Hannah Ehrle
Where can we find software in the electric transportation ecosystem?
Software can empower fleet managers and dispatchers to run electric trucks in their daily operation without putting much extra effort into it. This is part of the solution we are developing right now, which we call eServices. First, our services help determine how the fleet can be electrified by providing software that supports during the sales phase to analyze the personal use case. Once the company has bought an eTruck, the eServices ease the integration into the daily operations along the whole customer journey: plan the tour and predict the energy that will be needed for it, plan the charging session, monitor the truck and battery while on the road, the connection to the charging station, monitoring the charging and in the end also a report of the usage of the truck and charging infrastructure.
In which aspects can software improve the experience for our customers?
The eServices help improve uptime and the safety of chargers and trucks by monitoring them and alerting when something is not working as expected. Also, in terms of reliability, the eServices can help to predict a more accurate range of an electric vehicle as it can take into consideration the planned route for the vehicle. Additionally, eServices help to minimize the TCO by providing valuable insights and optimizing energy usage.
Without software, what aspects of sustainable transportation would not be possible?
Without software, it would, for example, not be possible to plan charging sessions and coordinate and optimize the energy needs of a truck operation.
Furthermore, it would not be possible to predict the energy needed for a route planned in the future. It would not be possible to analyze a hypothetical operation with an eTruck and how it fits into the current operation. Only with software, can we simulate how this can work.
What are the main problems that software can solve in electric vehicles’ (EV) adoption?
Energy price optimization, range anxiety, predictability, the provision of insights to learn about new technology, and charge planning.
What comes next in the electric mobility field? Where is the biggest potential coming from in the future?
Our customers are adding eTrucks into their operations. The next thing will be to scale the operations and to have software that knows which vehicle needs how much energy, at the right time, at the lowest price and to make sure that all vehicles are at the planned hour ready to go. The next big challenge will be scaling not only in terms of energy provision but also in terms of easing the operation of eTrucks and including them seamlessly into today’s business.
The Engineering Perspective — with Pedro Serra
Can you provide insights into the software development process for electric mobility solutions, what makes it different from developing software for other ends?
When developing software for electric mobility, we must consider connectivity and integration to other systems, most times hardware — being it an EV, a charging station, etc. Validation of such solutions becomes increasingly difficult since it is challenging (costly, hardly scalable) always to have hardware available for those tests, especially if we are considering automation. So, the software development process needs to take this into account, and teams must become creative by asking the question, “How can I simulate these behaviors — including errors and edge cases — without having hardware available?” Then, several rounds of end-to-end quality assurance in real conditions must exist to validate those solutions thoroughly.
What are the main challenges in developing software for electric vehicle platforms?
The main goal of applying software to the electric mobility market is to connect vehicles, chargers, and users in one place. This brings additional challenges given the sheer complexity of this setup: software manages several different models of EVs, and several Charging Station/Dispenser vendors and models. All these differences must be moved away from the user, so that the experience is as seamless and smooth as possible.
What’s the role of software in managing and optimizing battery performance and charging processes in EVs (Electric Vehicle)?
By connecting a software solution to trucks and chargers, we can fully automate processes and give our users insights on a bird’s eye view that would be very difficult to accomplish only by manual processes. As a result, we create a comfortable and predictable experience. For example, we can control when the truck should turn itself on and start preparing the cabin and powertrain, so it is fully ready when the driver steps in without additional strain on the batteries or staff. At the same time, we can manage busy sites so our customers know where they can charge when they need to, even in exceptional circumstances.
What is the role of vehicle telematics and connectivity in electric mobility, and how is software used to harness this data for various purposes?
Electric mobility is relatively new to the public, and it brings new doubts that might cause some anxiety if they are left unaddressed: is my EV capable of driving X distance? Will I be able to charge when I get to point Y? Am I driving this vehicle in the right way?
To provide these answers, software steps in to connect all parties and make sure we have all the insights to provide to our customers, ahead of time, without surprises. We can connect an EV, a charging station (infrastructure) and provide one seamless service to the user. One key point is vehicle telematics, which provides constant updates on the EV status and helps us better understand aspects such as battery consumption, driver behavior, charging patterns, and, in the end, control how it behaves when connected to the power grid. We can then use this to inform our customers on how to increase uptime, increase EV longevity and decrease the Total Cost of Ownership (TCO).
What are the key cybersecurity considerations in developing software for electric mobility to protect against potential threats?
One of the key aspects of electric mobility is the access to several sources of data/information flowing through several different channels. With this in mind, we need to make sure that security and compliance are by design included. This can be achieved by reducing the data points that are transported/processed and stored — i.e., making sure we don’t store Personal Identifiable Information (PII) -, ensuring that we always follow the best practices in transport encryption and that we only integrate with hardware from trustworthy sources that follow the best-in-class cybersecurity protocols.
How does software empower electric mobility as a sustainable and environmentally friendly transportation solution?
The heart and soul of sustainable and environmentally friendly solutions go hand in hand with the notion of waste but also cost. Our mission is always to create solutions that contribute to those goals by providing insights that allow our customers — and ourselves — to make better decisions, get the most efficiency out of their EVs, and increase the longevity of the products they buy. The electric mobility discussion brings additional challenges across the board but also a great room to learn and do things in a different, better way. Contributing to the evolution of this world of transportation.
Software paving the way for electric mobility success
As Pedro Serra says, it’s all about making the right decisions to make the electric transition possible. These decisions need to be supported by technology and software is at the center of that by giving companies tools to eliminate concerns that might stop them from electrifying their fleets, such as range constraints, planning the fleet schedule including charging, ensuring no truck runs out of battery, and that deliveries arrive on time also with electric vehicles.
Software might not be the most obvious weapon to leverage sustainable transportation, but we believe it is key to solving current challenges and unlocking its full potential. As the industry takes bold steps towards a greener future, scaling operations and integrating software seamlessly into the daily workings of electric trucks, is the next frontier in the dynamic field of electric mobility.
This interview was conducted by Daniela Portugal, Product Communications Expert at tb.lx, with the support and responses of Pedro Serra, Engineering Manager, and Hannah Ehrle, Global Product Manager, included. 🚛🌿
