System and method for managing a fleet of vehicles including electric vehicles

1 . A method, comprising:

transmitting, from a telematics device located at an electric vehicle to a server remote from the electric vehicle, a vehicle identifier obtained from the electric vehicle;

using the vehicle identifier to retrieve a data definition set from the server, the data definition set stored in association with the vehicle identifier on the server, wherein the data definition set enables configuration of the telematics device for decoding vehicle signals;

transmitting the data definition set from the server to the telematics device; and

using the data definition set, at the telematics device, to obtain electric vehicle data from the electric vehicle.

2 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising retrieving the vehicle identifier from the electric vehicle.

3 . The method of claim 2 , wherein retrieving the vehicle identifier from the electric vehicle comprises:

obtaining data from a serial network on-board the electric vehicle;

comparing the data obtained from the serial network to a plurality of fingerprints stored on the telematics device to identify a matching fingerprint, each of the plurality of fingerprints being stored in association with a vehicle identification instruction set;

identifying a vehicle identification instruction set corresponding to the matching fingerprint; and

performing the vehicle identification instruction set corresponding to the matching fingerprint to obtain a vehicle identifier for the electric vehicle.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the vehicle identifier comprises a vehicle identification number (VIN).

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the vehicle identifier comprises a make of the electric vehicle, a model of the electric vehicle, and/or a year of the electric vehicle.

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein using the data definition set, at the telematics device, to obtain the electric vehicle data from the electric vehicle comprises obtaining the electric vehicle data via a serial network on-board the electric vehicle.

7 . The method of claim 6 , wherein the serial network on-board the electric vehicle comprises a controller area network (CAN) on-board the electric vehicle.

8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein using the data definition set, at the telematics device, to obtain the electric vehicle data from the electric vehicle comprises obtaining electric vehicle specific non-OBD2 (on-board diagnostics 2) communication data from an OBD2 port of the electric vehicle.

9 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the electric vehicle data includes at least one of: battery state of charge, vehicle plug in status, vehicle current charging status, battery power, electrical current of the battery, electrical voltage of the battery, vehicle speed, and odometer value.

10 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising determining, based at least in part on the electric vehicle data, one or more trip metric for the electric vehicle and/or one or more charge metric for the electric vehicle.

11 . The method of claim 10 , wherein determining the one or more trip metric comprises determining at least one of: a trip start time, a trip duration, a total distance, a starting odometer, an ending odometer, a starting battery state of charge, an ending battery state of charge, a distance driven on electricity, a number of hard braking events, a number of hard acceleration events, an average speed, and a maximum speed.

12 . The method of claim 10 , wherein determining the one or more charge metric comprises determining at least one of: a charge start time, a charge duration, a maximum charging power, a total charging energy, estimated charging losses, a starting battery state of charge, an ending battery state of charge, and a charge energy interval.

13 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the one or more trip metric is determined using a driving calculator.

14 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the one or more charge metric is determined using a charging calculator.

15 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the data definition set comprises information enabling the telematics device to decode messages sent through a serial network of the electric vehicle.

16 . A telematics device for managing an electric vehicle, the telematics device comprising:

a connection port configured to obtain data from the electric vehicle;

a wireless communication interface configured to communicate with a server storing a plurality of vehicle identifiers, the plurality of vehicle identifiers stored in association with a plurality of data definition sets on the server;

a memory operably connected to a processor, the processor configured to:

transmit, via the wireless communication interface, a first vehicle identifier obtained from the electric vehicle to the server;

receive, via the wireless communication interface, a first data definition set of the plurality of data definition sets from the server, wherein the first data definition set enables configuration of the telematics device for decoding vehicle signals; and

obtain, via the connection port using the first data definition set, electric vehicle data from the electric vehicle.

17 . The telematics device of claim 16 , wherein the server is configured to select the first data definition set based at least in part on the first vehicle identifier, and wherein the processor is configured to receive the first data definition set selected by the server.

18 . The telematics device of claim 16 , the processor further configured to retrieve from the electric vehicle, via the connection port, the first vehicle identifier transmitted via the wireless communication interface.

19 . The telematics device of claim 18 , wherein the processor is configured to retrieve, from the electric vehicle, the first vehicle identifier transmitted via the wireless communication interface by:

obtaining data from a serial network on-board the electric vehicle;

comparing the data obtained from the serial network to a plurality of fingerprints stored on the memory of the telematics device to identify a matching fingerprint, each of the plurality of fingerprints being stored on the memory in association with a vehicle identification instruction set;

identifying a vehicle identification instruction set corresponding to the matching fingerprint; and

performing the vehicle identification instruction set corresponding to the matching fingerprint to obtain a vehicle identifier for the electric vehicle.

20 . The telematics device of claim 16 , wherein the first vehicle identifier transmitted via the wireless communication interface comprises a vehicle identification number (VIN).

21 . The telematics device of claim 16 , wherein the first vehicle identifier transmitted via the wireless communication interface comprises a make of the electric vehicle, a model of the electric vehicle, and/or a year of the electric vehicle.

22 . The telematics device of claim 16 , wherein the processor is configured to obtain the electric vehicle data from the electric vehicle via the connection port over a serial network on-board the electric vehicle.

23 . The telematics device of claim 22 , wherein the serial network on-board the electric vehicle comprises a controller area network (CAN) on-board the electric vehicle.

24 . The telematics device of claim 16 , wherein the electric vehicle data includes at least one of: battery state of charge, vehicle plug in status, vehicle current charging status, battery power, electrical current of the battery, electrical voltage of the battery, vehicle speed, and odometer value.

25 . The telematics device of claim 16 , wherein the processor is further configured to determine, based at least in part on the electric vehicle data, one or more trip metric for the electric vehicle and/or one or more charge metric for the electric vehicle.

26 . The telematics device of claim 25 , wherein the one or more trip metric comprises at least one of: a trip start time, a trip duration, a total distance, a starting odometer, an ending odometer, a starting battery state of charge, an ending battery state of charge, a distance driven on electricity, a number of hard braking events, a number of hard acceleration events, an average speed, and a maximum speed.

27 . The telematics device of claim 25 , wherein the one or more charge metric comprises at least one of: a charge start time, a charge duration, a maximum charging power, a total charging energy, estimated charging losses, a starting battery state of charge, an ending battery state of charge, and a charge energy interval.

28 . The telematics device of claim 25 , wherein the processor is configured to determine the one or more trip metric using a driving calculator.

29 . The telematics device of claim 25 , wherein the processor is configured to determine the one or more charge metric using a charging calculator.

30 . A system, comprising:

a server storing a plurality of vehicle identifiers in association with a plurality of data definition sets;

a telematics device for an electric vehicle, the telematics device being in communication with the server, the telematics device having:

a wireless communication interface configured to communicate with the server;

a connection port configured to obtain data from the electric vehicle;

a processor; and

a memory operably connected to the processor, the processor configured to:

transmit, via the wireless communication interface, a first vehicle identifier obtained from the electric vehicle to the server;

receive, via the wireless communication interface, a first data definition set of the plurality of data definition sets from the server, wherein the first data definition set enables configuration of the telematics device for decoding vehicle signals; and

obtain, via the connection port using the first data definition set, electric vehicle data from the electric vehicle.

31 . The system of claim 30 , wherein the server is configured to select the first data definition set based at least in part on the first vehicle identifier, and wherein the processor is configured to receive the first data definition set selected by the server.

32 . The system of claim 30 , the processor further configured to retrieve from the electric vehicle, via the connection port, the first vehicle identifier transmitted via the wireless communication interface.

33 . The system of claim 32 , wherein the processor is configured to retrieve, from the electric vehicle, the first vehicle identifier transmitted via the wireless communication interface by:

obtaining data from a serial network on-board the electric vehicle;

comparing the data obtained from the serial network to a plurality of fingerprints stored on the memory of the telematics device to identify a matching fingerprint, each of the plurality of fingerprints being stored on the memory in association with a vehicle identification instruction set;

identifying a vehicle identification instruction set corresponding to the matching fingerprint; and

performing the vehicle identification instruction set corresponding to the matching fingerprint to obtain a vehicle identifier for the electric vehicle.

34 . The system of claim 30 , wherein the first vehicle identifier transmitted via the wireless communication interface comprises a vehicle identification number (VIN).

35 . The system of claim 30 , wherein the first vehicle identifier transmitted via the wireless communication interface comprises a make of the electric vehicle, a model of the electric vehicle, and/or a year of the electric vehicle.

36 . The system of claim 30 , wherein the processor is configured to obtain the electric vehicle data from the electric vehicle via the connection port over a serial network on-board the electric vehicle.

37 . The system of claim 36 , wherein the serial network on-board the electric vehicle comprises a controller area network (CAN) on-board the electric vehicle.

38 . The system of claim 30 , wherein the electric vehicle data includes at least one of: battery state of charge, vehicle plug in status, vehicle current charging status, battery power, electrical current of the battery, electrical voltage of the battery, vehicle speed, and odometer value.

39 . The system of claim 30 , wherein the processor is further configured to determine, based at least in part on the electric vehicle data, one or more trip metric for the electric vehicle and/or one or more charge metric for the electric vehicle.

40 . The system of claim 39 , wherein the one or more trip metric comprises at least one of: a trip start time, a trip duration, a total distance, a starting odometer, an ending odometer, a starting battery state of charge, an ending battery state of charge, a distance driven on electricity, a number of hard braking events, a number of hard acceleration events, an average speed, and a maximum speed.

41 . The system of claim 39 , wherein the one or more charge metric comprises at least one of: a charge start time, a charge duration, a maximum charging power, a total charging energy, estimated charging losses, a starting battery state of charge, an ending battery state of charge, and a charge energy interval.

42 . The system of claim 39 , wherein the processor is configured to determine the one or more trip metric using a driving calculator.

43 . The system of claim 39 , wherein the processor is configured to determine the one or more charge metric using a charging calculator.