Idle cutoff with Workflows: −53.9% in events and measured fuel savings
A vehicle in an in-plant fleet activated an idle engine-cutoff Workflow. Over 29 days of measurement: 53.9% fewer idle events and ~45 L of fuel saved per month.
Results
- −53.9% in idle events per day (18.0 → 8.3)
- −82.2% in the longest idle session's duration (61 → 10.8 min)
- Zero idle sessions over 10 minutes (previously, several per day)
- ~45 L of fuel saved per month, per vehicle (−11.7% daily consumption)
- Projected to a 10-vehicle fleet: ~450 L/month and ~5,400 L/year
From 18 to 8.3 idle events per day. Measured with real CAN bus, GPS and voltage data — not estimated.
The challenge
In an operating fleet that works inside a plant, vehicle engines spent long stretches idling: running, not moving, producing no work at all. Every minute like that burns fuel without generating any value, and with no visibility or automatic control, avoiding it depended entirely on driver discipline.
The MyKeego solution
A custom Workflow was designed on top of the MyKeego connector, combining several vehicle signals with a simple rule:
- Sensors: GPS (speed), CAN bus (engine, fuel) and alternator voltage (to tell engine-on apart from key-removed).
- Trigger: engine on with speed at 0 sustained for several minutes.
- Action: automatic engine cutoff — but the driver can override it. The Workflow doesn't rigidly lock the vehicle: it respects the driver's intent, and still shifts the default behavior.
Measurement ran in three stages:
- Baseline: 31 days of normal operation, no intervention, just measuring.
- Activation: the automatic idle cutoff is turned on.
- Post-activation measurement: 29 additional days, compared against the baseline.
Measured results
| Metric | Before (31 days) | After (29 days) | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total idle events | 558 | 242 | −56.6% |
| Idle events per day | 18.0 | 8.3 | −53.9% |
| Longest idle session | 61.0 min | 10.8 min | −82.2% |
| Idle sessions >10 min | Several per day | Zero | −100% |
| Fuel per day | 13.02 L/day | 11.50 L/day | −11.7% |
| Distance per day | 65.8 km/day | 65.2 km/day | −0.9% |
| Efficiency | 19.79 L/100km | 17.64 L/100km | −10.9% |
Daily distance stayed practically constant between both periods: the fuel savings aren't explained by less vehicle use, but by less time with the engine running without producing work.
Savings, at fleet scale
With a single vehicle, the Workflow generated a saving of ~45 liters of fuel per month (~540 L per year). The same behavior, replicated across a fleet of 10 similar vehicles, projects to:
| Metric | Per vehicle | 10-vehicle fleet |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly savings | ~45 L | ~450 L |
| Annual savings | ~540 L | ~5,400 L |
| Idle reduction | −53.9% | −53.9% |
This is a single Workflow, on a single vehicle. With MyKeego, they're designed to fit each operation — combining the sensors your vehicle already has with the rules your fleet needs.