In this series of articles, Propulsion Québec looks back at the 2nd edition of the International Forum on Fleet Management IMPULSION MTL, which took place as 5 virtual events, from October 27, 2020 to April 27, 2021. This unique event in Quebec brings together professionals and suppliers around a common goal: updating vehicle fleets through new technologies and solutions available on the market in order to meet environmental, social, operational and regulatory requirements.
With the COVID-19 pandemic, Propulsion Québec chose to completely rethink the presentation format of this event in virtual form, offering 5 events each focused on a single theme. A look back at the April 27, 2021 event, focused on connectivity, data collection and smart cities, of the 2nd edition of the IMPULSION MTL Forum.
This 5th and final event was launched with the presence of Mr. Mickaël Bouloux, Vice-President of Rennes Métropole, delegate for international affairs and tourism, Mayor of the commune of Le Rheu. He addressed the participants by emphasizing the importance of the chosen theme, namely connectivity, data collection and smart cities, which is at the very heart of Rennes Métropole's priorities. He believes this event is a unique opportunity to pool cross-cutting strengths and synergy between key Quebec and French stakeholders.
The future of connected transport
The first presentation of the day set the stage for the event’s theme. The globally recognized expert and President and CEO of the Intelligent Transportation Society of America (ITS America), Mr. Shailen P. Bhatt, stated that technology is the key to sharing new information related to connectivity around the world. He mentioned, as an example, that more than 70 years ago people envisioned travel by autonomous vehicles and in 2021 we are developing these technologies and testing autonomous vehicle solutions. According to him, the latter are not yet a mature subsector in terms of mobility, but the electric vehicle segment is currently booming.
The vision for new innovative mobility solutions imagined decades ago is becoming a reality and developing today thanks to today's technologies and energies.
Within 10 years, our children will be able to get around with the evolution of options currently under development in autonomous and intelligent mobility.
Solution for electrification: fewer batteries!
That is at least what the latest innovation from the Quebec company and IMPULSION MTL partner Effenco proposes. The company's president, David Arsenault, presented an innovative solution that reduces the amount of energy on board the vehicle, which in turn increases its range.
This flexible and adaptable electrification process, tested on a vehicle that follows a regular route, made it possible to collect very surprising data! By positioning charging points opportunistically during the vehicle's scheduled stops, the vehicle recharges frequently without having to be equipped with an excessive battery pack, which also reduces its purchase cost.
Connected mobility serving cities
The invited panelists raised the importance of connectivity in cities to ensure traffic flow and safety for the benefit of citizens and the environment. They stated that Quebec is a pioneer in connected mobility worldwide.
Mr. Félix Laroche, President and CEO of Jakarto, believes that a connected smart city is synonymous with quality of life for citizens. In the future, he believes vehicles will communicate directly with citizens via their mobile phones through a more connected and intelligent network.
Mr. Roger Fugère, President and co-owner of Orange Traffic, for his part, states that it is important to invest in connecting intersections to know what is happening on the road network. Why? To make corridors smoother and reduce traffic, because the smoother a city is, the safer it is and the more people want to live there.
The president of Dimonoff, Mr. Bernard Têtu, for his part, emphasized that humans depend on technology, so it must be monitored and optimized from now on, and constantly. By interconnecting different road infrastructures, we ensure not only user safety but also help preserve the environment by using vehicles for shorter periods.
Smoother public transport thanks to data
Our panelists discussed the challenges of processing data to ensure smooth public transportation and an enhanced user experience.
Ms. Elisabeth Poirier-Defoy, Deputy Director General at MobilityData, emphasized the importance of standardizing data upstream. Ms. Sophie Le Blanc, Head of Business Development at Transit app, for her part, mentioned the importance of data quality, meaning that data must be reliable, real-time and frequently updated. Mr. Olivier Blais, Co-founder of Moov Ai, said that it is essential to ensure that data reflects reality. Several factors must be considered such as weather, events, and construction work. Finally, Mr. Martin Choinière, President of Civilia, explained that the data stream must be distributed across multiple platforms, such as a mobile app, SMS or display boards, for the most relevant use possible by users.
Energy megatrends: smart cities are the solution to optimize energy use
Mr. Eric Deschênes, National General Manager and Head of the Electrification business unit at ABB Canada, official partner of this IMPULSION MTL event, took the opportunity to emphasize the importance of optimizing energy use through smart cities.
Here are some key figures from his presentation:
⚡ By 2050, it is estimated that 70% of the world's population will live in urban areas, which represent only 3% of the Earth's surface;
⚡ Canada is at the forefront, with 82% of its population living in urban areas, among the highest rates on the planet;
⚡ Global energy demand will double by 2050;
⚡ Electricity demand will double by 2030;
⚡ 90% of the world's data has been generated in the past 2 years (and it doubles every 18 months);
⚡ Data centers worldwide consume 2 to 3% of all electricity produced;
Consequences of the megatrends:
- Climate change;
- Frequent outages in emerging countries;
- Increase in GHG emissions;
- The price of electricity continues to rise.
Electrification with confidence thanks to telematics data
Mr. Anthony Mainville, President of AttriX, Geotab integrated partner and partner of IMPULSION MTL, emphasized the importance of advanced telematics for optimization and the energy transition.
According to him, your energy transition journey can be considerably simplified thanks to specialized telematics, which helps optimize:
- Fleet inventory;
- Operational data;
- Key performance indicators per vehicle driver;
- Benchmarking and the state of affairs.
Telematics applied to vehicle fleets makes it possible to identify real needs thanks to vocation-related data. These collected data make it possible, for example, to define which hours and days are best suited for vehicle charging and to identify charging opportunities by periods.
Smart cities and the future of the connected shift
As part of the day's final panel discussion, experts shared the different initiatives undertaken in their cities to make them smarter, as well as the challenges faced.
Ms. Jordan Davis, Executive Director at The Columbus Partnership, spoke about their pilot project started in 2016 from which they share various learnings to help other cities that wish to be inspired. According to her, it is important to clarify needs from the start, which is not always the reality. Mr. Miguel Sangalang, Executive Director and General Manager of the City of Los Angeles, mentioned that their biggest current challenge is targeting communities according to solutions. Demographic diversity also represents a major challenge in connected mobility. Mr. Paul Rothman, Director, Smart Cities and IoT Lab, Office of the CTO of the City of New York, highlighted the importance of collaboration between cities and the need to react in real time. Mr. Stéphane Guidoin, Director of Montreal’s Urban Innovation Lab, said he learned that things change very quickly but cities evolve slowly. It is important to remain humble and respect the time needed for cities to react and adapt. Keyword: adaptation!
Propulsion Québec wishes to thank all partners for their involvement in the success of this major event for the electric and smart transport ecosystem in Quebec: the Government of Quebec, Québecor, AttriX, Geotab integrated partner, Hydro-Québec, Effenco, ABB Canada, FLO, La Compagnie Électrique Lion, Boivin Evolution, and our partner cities: the City of Montreal, the City of New York – Department of Citywide Administrative Services (NYC DCAS), the City of Chicago and the City of Philadelphia.
Cover image:Raphaël Thibodeau
