The Evolving Landscape of Fleet Telematics in Europe

In the rapidly evolving landscape of commercial fleet management, fleet telematics systems have become indispensable tools for enhancing operational efficiency, ensuring regulatory compliance, and improving safety. As these technologies advance, so too does the legislative environment that governs their use. Currently, several key pieces of legislation in Europe are poised to impact the deployment and operation of fleet telematics systems in commercial fleets, including the EU Mobility Package 2024, General Safety Regulations (GSR), Direct Vision Standard (DVS) 2, and the forthcoming Euro 7 emissions standards. Here we take a look at the specifics of each regulation, examining their scope, implementation timelines, and the expected impacts.

The EU Mobility Package 2024

The EU Mobility Package 2024 is aimed at increasing social protection for drivers, enhancing road safety, and ensuring fair competition within the road transport sector. One of the most critical components of this package is the introduction of smart tachographs, specifically the DTCO 4.1. This advanced tachograph system is designed to provide more precise tracking of driving times, rest periods, and other activities, thereby ensuring better compliance with driver hours regulations.

The implementation of the DTCO 4.1 tachographs is phased, with key dates including December 31, 2024, for retrofitting first-generation tachographs in vehicles over 3.5 tons used in cross-border travel, and August 20, 2025, for adopting DTCO 4.1 in all such vehicles. By July 1, 2026, all commercial vehicles from 3.5 tons and up in international freight will need to comply. These requirements necessitate significant investments from fleet operators in retrofitting existing vehicles and ensuring that new vehicles are equipped with compliant tachographs. Fleet telematics systems will play a crucial role in managing this transition, which includes not only the technical integration of these devices but also training for drivers and administrative staff to handle the new systems effectively.

General Safety Regulations (GSR)

Scheduled to come into effect in June 2024, the General Safety Regulation (EU) 2019/2144 introduces a host of new safety features that will need to be integrated into vehicles. These features include drowsiness and attention detection systems, which monitor driver alertness and issue warnings when it is time to take a break. Additionally, the GSR mandates standardised interfaces for alcohol breathalysers that prevent a vehicle from starting if the driver is over the legal alcohol limit.

Importantly on this last point, this does not mean that breathalysers are fitted, rather that the vehicles manufactured after this date are capable of connecting to a third-party device that can act as an "alcolock" and prevent the vehicle from being started.

This will very likely see legislation being introduced mandating such alcolock devices, however this doesn't prevent national legislation mandating such actions sooner. Evidence of this can be seen in countries like Sweden, the Netherlands and Slovenia, where pilots have been conducted. Similarly, countries like Finland and France already have legal requirements for school buses to be fitted with alcolocks as standard.

Direct Vision Standard (DVS) 2

In October 2024, the Direct Vision Standard (DVS) 2 will come into force in Greater London, raising the bar for vehicle safety standards. This legislation is closely related to the General Safety Regulations, though DVS 2 requires heavy goods vehicles (HGVs) to achieve a minimum three-star direct vision rating to operate within the area meaning that vehicles must be equipped with advanced safety systems, including upgraded Progressive Safe System (PSS) sensors, predictive radar systems for blind spots, and ‘Moving off’ sensors at the front of the vehicle.

Importantly implementation of DVS 2 affects both new and existing vehicles. Hence fleet operators will need to retrofit their current HGVs to meet the new standards and ensure that any new vehicles purchased are compliant. Hence there is an opportunity for Fleet telematics service providers to aid in the streamlining this process, providing operators with the data, insights, equipment and support needed to ensure compliance.

Euro 7 Emissions Standards

Set to be implemented in 2025, the Euro 7 emissions standards represent the most stringent regulatory framework for vehicle emissions to date. The standards tighten the limits on exhaust emissions and also introduce measures for non-exhaust emissions, such as particles from brakes and tires. They also impose minimum performance requirements for battery durability in electric vehicles and set stricter vehicle lifetime requirements.

Whilst the Euro 7 standards affect new vehicles, the impact on existing fleets cannot be underestimated. Fleet operators will need to phase out non-compliant vehicles and invest in Euro 7-compliant models. Not least as EU policy is relentlessly pushing to reduce tailpipe emissions and attain sustainability target. In this regard, fleet telematics systems will be invaluable in this transition, helping operators understand vehicle performance and compliance, and thus help fleet operators to understand the best point at which transition to either lower emission, or zero emission vehicles emissions make financial sense.