Daimler, formerly DaimlerChrysler, is an industry leader in the development and deployment of fuel cell vehicles. With greater than 100 vehicles being driven worldwide at locations including the U.S., Singapore, Japan, Germany, China, and Australia, Daimler currently operates the world’s largest fuel cell vehicle fleet. Each vehicle is equipped with a powerful telematics system that records fuel cell specific vehicle operation data under these real-world conditions. This onboard data acquisition system uploads vehicle performance data to a central database via a Daimler wireless infrastructure, where it is stored on a central database for further analysis

The central database is a key component to the continued development of fuel cell vehicle technology, hydrogen infrastructure, and future serial production. Daimler engineers are utilizing advanced software solutions to analyze an aggregate of vehicle performance data and guide decisions surrounding the development of fuel cell technology. Daimler engineers are able to translate nearly two years of data into unique knowledge of hydrogen infrastructure needs, system diagnostics, and overall vehicle performance through statistical analyses and automated report generation. Through these diverse analyses we support the creation of a commercially viable fuel cell vehicle for market introduction.

For example, to help guide the development of the hydrogen fueling infrastructure, vehicle GPS data and geographic roadway data are correlated to depict where fleet vehicles are most frequently driven.  The Daimler fuel cell vehicle fleet consists of passenger cars, buses, and vans. The data acquisition and analysis tools are also used to derive consumer driving expectations through analyses of usage patterns and trends in vehicle pedal position. Also, this large worldwide fleet allows engineers to compare the performance of similar types of fuel cell vehicles in different regions. Observations from this comparison are capable of exposing external influences, like fuel contamination.

The ability to condense vast amounts of data into obvious and insightful analysis has become a valuable tool for all levels of fleet management and engineers and is, therefore, shaping the future by improving fuel cell vehicle and hydrogen technologies leading towards commercialization.