Newark-based software company 4.0 Analytics has developed a wireless compliance and reporting technology for cars and trucks that alerts owners in real time—on their smart phone or computer—to engine and emission-system malfunctions that can lead to excessive tailpipe releases and poor performance.

By catching these problems early on, drivers should be able to substantially reduce emissions of pollutants, while spending less on repairs, getting better mileage and prolonging the lives of their vehicles, the company says.

Analytics 4.0 says its device should allow vehicle owners to detect engine and emissions problems early on. Image credit: Pixabay.The technology is a small device that fits under the vehicle dashboard. It captures raw data from the vehicle’s engine and emissions systems and transmits it in real time to cloud servers via secure cellular networks, where it is processed into actionable information using a proprietary software algorithm. Vehicle owners and fleet managers can review results from their accounts on the company's web-based platforms.

“It’s almost impossible to manage something if you can’t measure it,” notes Analytics 4.0 CEO Mark Scotland. “Bringing transparency to the heart of the vehicle—its engine and emissions system—and understanding its behavior are the keys to preserving the life of a very expensive asset."

The company contends its technology would measure performance more accurately than is available from garage-based analytics by providing owners with information obtained while the vehicle is in actual operation.

"The complexities of the vehicle’s on-board diagnostic system make it difficult to assess problems while it is in the repair bay and not on the road," Scotland says. "Having access to historical data while the vehicle is operating on the road can more precisely determine problems for a technician.”

Ultimately, the company plans to present New Jersey state officials with a far-reaching proposal: phasing out manual emissions testing. The plan would allow motorists to submit their electronic testing results each year from their mobile device, skipping a trip to the inspection facility.