OBD-II Telematics (On-Board Diagnostics)

OBD-II telematics refers to devices that plug into a vehicle's standardised On-Board Diagnostics port (OBD-II). They read vehicle data such as odometer, fuel or charge level, diagnostic trouble codes and engine runtime, and send it wirelessly to a cloud platform.

Technical Background

OBD-II has been mandatory for all cars and light trucks sold in the United States since model year 1996. In the European Union, EOBD has been mandatory for petrol vehicles since 2001 and for diesel vehicles since 2004. Originally designed for emissions testing and service diagnostics, the standardised 16-pin connector is now also used to fit telematics hardware.

Data Captured via OBD-II

A connected OBD-II dongle can monitor, among other things:

• Odometer and mileage: No more writing down the odometer at return.
• Fuel and state of charge (SoC): Refuel or recharge amounts can be calculated automatically at check-out and check-in.
• Diagnostic trouble codes (DTCs): Fleet teams are alerted when a warning light comes on during a rental.
• Driving behaviour: Built-in accelerometers record harsh braking, hard acceleration and impacts.

OBD-II vs. Hardwired CAN-Bus Telematics

A plug-in OBD dongle can be fitted without a workshop. Fleets that also need to open doors or control the immobiliser usually wire telematics into the CAN bus or use the manufacturer's connected-car interface.

Related Terms

• CAN Bus
• Fleet Telematics
• Phone-as-a-Key
• TCO (Total Cost of Ownership)

Sources

Retrieved on 14 September 2026.

• Wikipedia: CAN bus, "The OBD-II standard has been mandatory for all cars and light trucks sold in the United States since model year 1996. The EOBD standard has been mandatory for all petrol vehicles sold in the European Union since 2001 and all diesel vehicles since 2004."
• Wikipedia: On-board diagnostics, "The OBD-II specification provides for a standardized hardware interface [...] the female 16-pin (2x8) J1962 connector"