The first e-scooter models with onboard geofencing are finally hitting the market. But what is it, what are the pros and cons and does your scooter-sharing company need it?
What is onboard geofencing?
Onboard geofencing, or instant geofencing, means that a fleet’s operational area, no ride zones, slow ride zones, and parking areas are all stored inside the IoT’s memory instead of the cloud.
What are the benefits of onboarding geofencing?
Storing GPS coordinates in the IoT device reduces the scooter’s geofence reaction to less than a second. This is because it doesn’t have to wait until the next time it communicates with the servers to obtain the geofence reaction command.
Another advantage is that the scooter enforces the geofence regardless of whether it has a mobile data connection. With a cloud-based geofence, your scooter can first enter a tunnel, for example, and lose its connectivity before recognizing that it entered a no-ride zone.
That won’t happen with an onboard one.
Are there any downsides to onboard geofencing?
Sound great, but which challenges come with buying an IoT device with onboard geofencing?
- It doesn’t guarantee that your GPS is precise. You thus need an ultra-precise GPS module that ensures that your scooter really reacts at the right location
- You need a solution in your fleet management software to update your entire fleet’s onboard geofence via an OTA (Joyride has you covered there!)
- Updating your onboard geofences may raise your mobile data expenses
- The high-end GPS module and the additional onboard memory cost more than conventional ones. Expect to pay ca. 20% more for an IoT with onboard geofence.
Is onboard geofencing worth the cost?
Are the benefits of onboard geofencing worth the investment?
The onboard geofence is designed for highly competitive and regulated markets where fleet managers must comply with tight regulations and outshine their competitors. If you don’t operate in such an area, you might as well go for conventional models and save your cash. After all, it’s a waste if your scooter has an onboard memory that’s not in use because the rest of your fleet is still using a cloud-based geofence.
Interested in purchasing e-scooters with onboard geofencing? Shop the best in shared fleet hardware here.
