Vnomics Corp., provider of the True Fuel onboard fuel optimization system that combines real-time driver coaching and comprehensive fuel waste analytics, announced a new balanced driver scoring model.
The new scoring model, named “True Fuel Score,” includes distinct, normalized assessments of driver fuel efficiency in three key areas– engine control, speeding and idling– as well as a blended overall “True Fuel” score.
True Fuel Score presents a composite rating of the three highest fuel-wasting behaviors, combining new Idling and Speeding scores with the current Vnomics Engine Control score. The new scores are normalized for actual operating conditions so drivers will experience the same fair scoring that has been the hallmark of Vnomics’ Engine Control score.
“The blended True Fuel Score provides a more accurate and comprehensive assessment of real world driver fuel efficiency. We like to look at it as the ‘GPA’ of fuel efficiency,” said Bob Magnant, vice president of product management and strategy at Vnomics.
The new Speeding score assesses both the duration and severity of highway speed over a set threshold. The new Idling score segments and measures approved and unapproved idling. Approved idle time (e.g., short stops in traffic) is not included in a driver’s Idling score and statistics.
The new Speeding and Idling scores complement the existing Vnomics Engine Control Score, which measures how well the driver maintains proper engine speed given load and operating conditions, whether through careful acceleration for automatic transmissions or gear selection for manual transmissions.
The new True Fuel Score combines these three key fuel waste behaviors into one the composite GPA-like assessment of the driver’s real-world fuel efficiency performance, normalized for operating conditions to be fair and balanced.
All of the scores can be accessed on Vnomics’ customer web portal, which now includes detailed analyses of Engine Control, Idling and Speeding behaviors. With these changes, fleet managers can provide key information to drivers on how they can improve fuel efficiency in these areas, the company says.
“True Fuel Score provides detailed insight into how and when drivers excessively speed or idle or employ fuel wasting driving techniques,” said Magnant “Over the next several months, we will be extending the capabilities of True Fuel Score by adding other scoring dimensions in new areas of fuel waste that can be assessed and minimized by optimizing driver fuel efficiency behaviors. As a driver’s score improves, fuel loss will decrease, lowering costs and ultimately driving MPG improvement across the fleet.”