£285,000 for unique EV driver app
R&D funding boost will help algorithm specialist Route Monkey accelerate development of game-changing solution for electric vehicle users
Scottish Enterprise is supporting the research and development of a ground-breaking app that aims to improve life for the fast-growing number of electric vehicle (EV) users.
Livingston-based Route Monkey is creating an online portal that aims to help EV drivers get the best out of their battery-powered cars, vans and trucks. The software will combine the ability to plan the best routes for an EV, give turn-by-turn directions via a smartphone navigation app, and identify charging points en route.
In a world first, Route Monkey will use Trakm8’s market-leading T10 Micro telematics technology to give EV drivers a raft of real time journey and battery data, straight to their smartphone. This will enable Route Monkey to accurately recalculate routes and plan in extra recharging time depending on journey conditions.
Leading motoring commentator and electric vehicle advocate Quentin Willson said: “Route Monkey’s game-changing journey planning software will give more drivers the confidence to choose electric vehicles over their conventionally-powered counterparts and help banish the ‘range anxiety’ monster for good. Route Monkey’s app is what all EV drivers have been waiting for and will change the electric car landscape for the better.”
Route Monkey’s solution will be designed to encourage the uptake of EVs for consumers and smaller fleets in the public and private sectors. It builds on the success of the company’s EVOS solution for larger fleets, which has won accolades including the Business Innovation category at the 2015 Scottish Business Awards.
EVs have finite battery capacity (range) and defined recharge rates, which can challenge their productivity. EVOS uses complex advanced algorithms to calculate the impact of a wide range of factors on an EV’s range capabilities. These include payload, average speed, route topography, weather conditions and driver style.
Scottish Enterprise has awarded Route Monkey an R&D grant of £285,451 which contributes to the overall project cost of £749,931. This grant will accelerate the company’s R&D programme, enabling it to deliver this unique software as a service (SAAS) offering to the market as quickly as possible.
Welcoming the news, Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Jobs and Fair Work, Keith Brown said: “Encouraging and nurturing innovation is a key element of our plan for Scotland’s economy. It helps businesses grow and access new markets and new customers, protecting and creating jobs.
“Route Monkey is a great example of a digital business that is innovating and this project is a world leader – which will also help owners and developers of electric vehicles. It is great news Scottish Enterprise has been able to support its product development through this R&D funding.
“Today I’ll also be chairing the Scotland CAN DO innovation Forum for the first time, as we look to develop and spark innovation in business across Scotland. Digital business is one of three pilot projects that the Forum is focussing on and I hope we’ll see lots more cutting edge projects like Route Monkey coming through across all areas of our economy.”
Jim Watson, Director of Innovation and Enterprise Services at Scottish Enterprise said: "This is an exciting idea that could accelerate take-up of EVs, by making them more cost-effective and even easier to use.
“Scotland is leading the way in encouraging the take up of EVs. After London, ChargePlace Scotland is the largest EV charging network in the UK; while Dundee is also home to the largest local authority EV fleet, as well as an all-electric taxi fleet.
“Innovative companies like Route Monkey play a key role in enabling Scotland to spearhead the switch to lower carbon transport - and in developing leading-edge technologies that we can export to the world."
Developing a consumer-focused solution with added navigation and data logging capabilities will significantly enhance Route Monkey’s technical portfolio and skills, while also creating four new permanent high quality jobs. Work will commence immediately, with the goal of launching the solution in Q2 of 2017.
Media Contacts
Route Monkey: Dan Jenkins, PR Manager
T: 07536 092682 E: dan.jenkins@routemonkey.com
Quentin Willson is available for further comment and interviews via will@max-media.uk
About Route Monkey
Route Monkey is an award-winning leader in the development and provision of complex, multi-criterion algorithms. It provides solutions for scheduling, modelling and optimisation of assets including people, goods, energy, infrastructure and vehicles. Route Monkey is also a pioneer in the optimisation of ultra-low emission vehicles (ULEVs), energy management solutions and Intelligent Mobility.
The high quality and growing customer base for its route optimisation and scheduling algorithms includes household names such as Iceland. Route Monkey also works with, or has delivered projects for, UK government agencies and NGOs including Energy Savings Trust, Innovate UK, Scottish Enterprise, Transport for London and Transport Scotland.
Route Monkey is a Trakm8 company. Trakm8 Holdings PLC is an AIM listed company providing market-leading insurance and fleet management solutions, using big data analytics, to organisations worldwide.