European Union Study Estimated Trucks Equipped with Smart Tracking Devices Would Generate a Net Present Value of Over 4.2 Billion USD by 2045.
European Union Study Conducted a Feasibility and Cost-Benefit Analysis for Smart Tachograph Devices.
European Union
TachogrApp: Feasibility Study and Cost Analysis of Developing a Tachograph Based on Smart Technologies Final Report
Summary Information
The digital tachograph, installed in heavy vehicles, records driver activities and allows control officers to download and verify compliance with European Union (EU) regulations on driving times and rest periods. While the tachograph technology has advanced over the years, it still lacks some features found in modern electronic devices that could facilitate a smart enforcement network across EU member states, such as targeted roadside inspections. The objective of this study was to assess the feasibility of developing a new tachograph incorporating smart technologies commonly used in everyday devices such as smartphones and tablets. The study also performed a cost-benefit analysis (CBA) of deploying cloud-based smart tachographs for the period between 2028 and 2045.
METHODOLOGY
The study reviewed the current available technologies and incorporated stakeholder input to propose a new tachograph based on the “thin client” concept (a basic computer that uses a central server for processing and storage), in which the tachograph would transmit data to be permanently stored on a cloud, processed, and analyzed. The study provided two options for the new tachograph, one integrated and fixed to a vehicle (“fixed”), the other detached from vehicles and carried by the driver (“nomadic”). The study then conducted a CBA covering the period of 2028 through 2045.
FINDINGS
- The proposed tachograph was estimated to generate a net present value (NPV) of more than 3.6 billion EUR (about 4.2 billion USD) between 2028 and 2045. This NPV represented the impact on the end users, such as transport operators, enforcement bodies, national authorities, and society. Of this, 2.8 billion EUR (3.1 billion USD) would benefit road transport operators, and 830 million EUR (925 million USD) would go to law enforcement agencies.
- The proposed tachograph was also estimated to generate an NPV of 296.8 million EUR (approximately 330 million USD) for the tachograph value chain, including tachograph and smart device manufacturers, cloud and software providers, Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs), and telecom operators.
- It was estimated that the NPV for national agencies would be zero; however, it was argued that these agencies could recover their investments by increasing the price of the tachograph cards.
- Stakeholder feedback, technical assessment, and CBA all favored the “fixed” tachograph approach as it would help facilitate smoother enforcement with updated legislation to adapt to the new system.
