Sustainable Suite Connects Drivers and Vehicles

In 2018, KE’s Bussar invested in Sustainable Suite –Drivec’s comprehensive solution for sustainable vehicle economy. A system that allows the renowned and environmentally conscious bus company to work with improved vehicle economy from multiple perspectives. We found out more about what took place during the 18 months the company has worked with Drivec’s system.

We meet up with workshop manager Carl-Johan Elofsson just after he has inspected on the company’s buses, and he promptly begins to tell us:

“Here we have a good example of how we can save time and money with Drivec Vehicle Health Management (VHM). Although we always perform a basic inspection of lamps and warning systems, the system gives us information that we could not retrieve previously. It is so unnecessary that the vehicle inspector should be the one to tell you that the rear right brake calliper seizes. Now we are aware of this and can fix it before inspection.”

Elofsson is one of four employees at the KE’s Bussar workshop depot. As workshop manager, he is responsible for planning the maintenance of the company’s 70 buses, 20 of which are equipped with Drivec Sustainable Suite.

“When we chose to invest, we had two main goals,” says Elofsson. “Firstly, we could save money which we would instead use to develop the business, and secondly, we would attain greater control in our workshop. Drivec’s comprehensive Sustainable Suite solution was perfect with both EcoDriving and VHM.”

It’s full speed ahead for the mechanics at KE’s Bussar. The workshop operates continuously to service, maintain and repair of the company’s buses. The way continuous maintenance is carried out has changed a great deal over the last year.

“Today we are always fully aware of the condition of the buses,” says Elofsson. “The vehicle health system allows us to see where the buses are in real time and, for example, the condition of the brakes. We have succeeded in preventing numerous problems and can now plan downtime and avoid having buses stand still.”

In addition to the vehicle health system, KE’s Bussar also uses Drivec EcoDriving. A system that is greatly appreciated by the drivers and has led to a lot of discussion during coffee breaks.

“In truth, EcoDriving and VHM are interconnected,” says Elofsson. It’s the combination of driver knowledge and ability and vehicle condition that has produced savings, both financially and environmentally.”

To clarify what he means, Elofsson provides an example:

“During the week, one of our best drivers came in and was curious about why his excess consumption was higher on a route he had driven many times before even though he had driven efficiently. We looked into it and discovered that the heater was on and drawing energy, which increased excess consumption. Here we managed to find an error because of the driver’s desire to drive efficiently.”

“We have many examples of how the two systems support each other. Low tyre pressure or poor brakes makes it impossible for the driver to drive efficiently,” concludes Elofsson.

For Drivec, the collaboration with KE’s Bussar has been strategically important.

“KE’s Bussar was our first individual customer in Västra Götaland, so for us it was an important geographical establishment,” says Mikael Gabrielsson, Head of Marketing at Drivec. And it’s customer who is also well established and has a very good reputation in the industry.”

“When we look at how they have developed since the installation, we can see that they are really good at using the system. On numerous occasions they have reduced consumption by 3-4 litres/100 km per vehicle. We know that sustainability and the environment are important for KE’s Bussar, so it’s an excellent achievement,” says Gabrielsson in closing.

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