
Use real GPS driving data to reveal fleet overcapacity and lease only the vehicles needed, keeping service patterns while cutting cost and CO2.

Aarhus used GPS data and FleetOptimiser AI to right-size home-care vehicles before new leases, cutting cars, costs and CO2.

Use real GPS driving data to reveal fleet overcapacity and lease only the vehicles needed, keeping service patterns while cutting cost and CO2.

Aarhus Municipality aims for a fossil-free vehicle fleet by 2025, requiring ongoing replacement and new leasing agreements. In spring 2022, the home-care service had to renew contracts for part of a 200-car fleet and estimated a need for 43 leased cars. The challenge was to avoid locking in unnecessary vehicles, costs and emissions while preserving the same service-driving patterns.
The plan was to base fleet decisions on observed driving behaviour rather than departmental estimates. FleetOptimiser used GPS data to calculate actual capacity needs and propose a smaller vehicle fleet that could still support the same transport patterns.
Step 1
Aarhus joined other municipalities and regions to develop FleetOptimiser, an AI tool for assessing real fleet needs.
Step 2
The home-care fleet was selected as a practical test area because new leasing agreements were due.
Step 3
GPS driving data was loaded and used to map current routes and vehicle use.
Step 4
FleetOptimiser analysed patterns to identify overcapacity and test whether routes could still be served with fewer cars.
Step 5
The municipality planned to lease 30 cars rather than 43 and explore broader fleet sharing and modal mix optimisation.
30%
Reduction in the home-care fleet.
49.4 tons CO2
Emissions avoided from 13 cars over five years.
25%
Cost saving for leasing and operation.
DKK 3m
Savings from leasing 13 fewer cars over five years.
The analysis found that the home-care service could lease 30 cars instead of 43 while maintaining existing driving patterns. Avoiding 13 cars reduced both fleet expenses and climate impact over a five-year period.
Real driving data can expose unused capacity before new leasing contracts lock in costs and emissions. The case also shows that organisational buy-in matters, because changing fleet ownership can meet resistance even when service levels are maintained.
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