Clarios Brings AI to Idle Management for Heavy Trucks

The company says its IdleLess battery monitoring system drastically reduces the time spent idling during driver breaks, saving operators thousands in fuel costs.

April 28, 2025

Chris Clonts

The hardware of the IdleLess system: The sensor, left, which receives voltage and current information, and the gateway that communicates to the Clarios cloud. (Chris Clonts)

The predominant low-voltage battery maker Clarios today announced that IdleLess, a sensor-and-AI-driven system for heavy-duty trucks that it says can save up to $3,300 per year per truck and reduce CO2 emissions by up to 8.6 metric tons per year, is commercially available in the United States and Canada.

There are three operations to the system: Data collection, analysis and recommendations. (Clarios)

Long-haul Class 8 trucks spend an enormous amount of time idling. Much of this time occurs when a driver is on rest at a truck stop or during loading/unloading at warehouses. Operators keep the truck running to power the air-conditioning and other systems without draining the four or more 12V batteries too much, which would prevent them from being able to start their diesel engines. IdleLess addresses that and is not the type of automatic start-stop system that has drawn the ire of truck operators and passenger-vehicle drivers, who routinely disable such systems.

Cagatay Topcu, vice president of Clarios Connected Services (CCS), said the system would be revolutionary for fleet operations. “With real-time battery monitoring, advanced algorithms and instant communication, drivers can confidently embrace idling reduction,” he said. “This dynamic approach ensures that batteries are used to their fullest potential, drastically reducing unnecessary idling and boosting overall efficiency.”

Executives from CCS, a growing division in the company, briefed SAE Media on the eve of the Advanced Clean Transportation (ACT) Expo in Anaheim, California.

Junior Barrett, CCS’ global business development director, said that the system starts with sensors, attached to the terminals of each 12V battery, that monitor state-of-charge and state-of-health info. An onboard gateway then relays the data to the cloud, where artificial intelligence and machine learning determine whether the idling engine can be shut off or a shut-off engine should be restarted. Currently, information is shared to the cloud once every minute. The data is protected with end-to-end encryption.

If a change would be helpful, the driver receives a notification suggesting action. The system can also alert fleet managers for driver accountability to the system. Christina Yarnold, director of product management, said the development roadmap calls for the system to be able to intervene automatically without alerting a sleeping driver. Barrett said that a key to that functionality would be exploring ways to restart an engine without disturbing that driver.

Barrett said the average driver is far too conservative, idling the truck for far longer than is necessary to maintain batteries’ charge.

Clarios is introducing the model as a subscription service with an initial $500 activation fee (that includes installation) and a monthly per-truck cost of $43.

The value to owners stated by Clarios does not include reduced wear and tear on engine components and extended battery life. (Clarios)

The system does take ambient temperature into account and will not, for instance, suggest turning off an idling engine when it’s so cold that some diesels might not be able to restart, a problem faced by operators in extreme northern climates. It is primarily meant for absorbed glass mat (AGM) batteries, since they can be discharged to 20% safely. Starting, lighting and ignition (SLI) batteries can only be discharged to around 50%. “That is the fuel savings, in the depth of that [discharge], and that’s the big difference,” Barrett said.

The sensor and AI technology behind IdleLess could be used in the future for passenger cars to detect a battery that needs to be replaced before drivers experience slow- or no-start incidents. The system could even recommend specifics on cold-cranking amps to replace a battery based on usage patterns and environmental conditions for an owner’s car.

A technician installs the IdleLess sytem’s small sensor on a terminal of a 12V battery. (Clarios)

It's not just reductions in fuel costs and CO2 emissions that could interest operators. Yarnold said the $3,300 saved annually only considers the fuel costs, calculated with an assumption of 1,800 hours of idling per year per truck, at $3.90 per gallon of fuel, and a 60-percent reduction in idling time. So reduced maintenance costs resulting from reduced wear on engine components would be above that $3,300 savings estimate.

The system hardware is built to last at least five years in all conditions. The current IdleLess system did not face U.S. Department of Transportation regulations or approvals because it does not interact with any vehicle systems. That would change when the system includes automatic intervention, Topcu said.

While Clarios’ institutional knowledge is primarily around low-voltage batteries, Barrett said the company was working to eventually supply battery intelligence systems for the high-voltage EV battery market.