Hypermile: up to 11% fuel savings thanks to artificial intelligence

As fuel represents nearly a quarter of a transport operator’s operating costs, solutions capable of sustainably reducing consumption are more sought after than ever. It is on this ground that Hypermile positions itself, a technology developed by the French company Konboi AI, which intends to transform the traditional cruise control into a true intelligent driving assistant.

Unlike the adaptive cruise controls (ACC) or predictive cruise controls (PCC) currently offered by manufacturers, Hypermile relies on embedded artificial intelligence capable of simultaneously analysing topography, surrounding traffic and vehicle behaviour in order to continuously optimise speed and engine torque. The objective is simple: eliminate unnecessary acceleration and braking, favour coasting phases and automatically adopt the best eco-driving strategies.

A retrofit installation

One of the arguments put forward by Konboi AI is the ease of deployment. The system is installed as a retrofit on tractors already in operation, without major modification to the vehicle. According to the manufacturer, two hours are enough to install the kit in a workshop, making it possible to progressively equip an existing fleet without waiting for fleet renewal.

The user interface deliberately remains close to that of a conventional cruise control in order to limit driver training time.

Reducing the impact of the human factor

Konboi AI starts from a well-known observation among operators: with an identical vehicle, differences in fuel consumption between two drivers can reach 30%. Eco-driving training produces results, but these often tend to decrease over time.

Hypermile’s ambition is therefore to automate good driving practices on motorways and national roads in order to eliminate this human variability. The artificial intelligence remains permanently attentive and applies the most efficient driving strategies, regardless of the driver’s fatigue or experience.

Up to 11% fuel savings

According to the figures put forward by Konboi AI, using Hypermile could achieve up to 11% fuel savings, while reducing CO₂ emissions by nearly 22 tonnes per truck per year.

The company also highlights indirect benefits: reduced tyre and brake wear thanks to smoother driving, which could represent up to €2,000 in annual maintenance savings per vehicle. Steps are also underway to make the system eligible for Energy Savings Certificates (CEE), which would further improve the return on investment.

A performance monitoring platform

Beyond the onboard system, Hypermile comes with a web platform allowing operators to monitor fuel consumption, CO₂ emissions, system usage and driver performance.

The manufacturer also wants to encourage adoption of the solution through gamification features: badges, rankings and challenges between drivers or between companies are intended to maintain engagement over time.

Trials already underway

Konboi AI indicates that its solution is already deployed with several European transport operators and offers a progressive deployment: installation of a few kits, measurement of the actual gains in the field, then rollout across the entire fleet if the results are confirmed.

On paper, the promise is appealing. It now remains to be verified, under real operating conditions and over time, whether the announced savings can be reproduced across a broad range of transport operators. If this is the case, artificial intelligence could well become a new tool for optimising operating costs, alongside telematics or predictive fleet management. At TruckStop, we will soon test the system in the field to see how all of this works. To be continued…