Glossary

Connected vehicle terms, in plain English

The vocabulary of telematics, vehicle data, and usage-based insurance: each term defined the way we would explain it in a meeting.

Telematics: The combination of telecommunications and vehicle data: collecting location, diagnostics, and driving information from a vehicle and transmitting it for analysis. Traditionally done with aftermarket boxes; increasingly done through the connectivity car manufacturers build in at the factory.
OEM embedded connectivity: The SIM and telematics control unit that vehicle manufacturers (OEMs) install on the production line. It streams the same data an aftermarket tracker would capture, without any retrofit, installation cost, or downtime. See what this data is used for
TCU (Telematics Control Unit): The onboard computer that gathers vehicle data (position, speed, diagnostics) and transmits it over the cellular network. In connected cars, the TCU is factory-fitted.
VIN (Vehicle Identification Number): The unique 17-character code assigned to every vehicle at manufacture. It encodes manufacturer, model, plant, and serial number, and is the primary key for identifying a vehicle across systems.
VIN decoding: Translating a VIN into structured vehicle attributes: make, model, year, engine, fuel type, equipment. Fleets and insurers use it to validate vehicle identity and enrich their records.
CAN bus (Controller Area Network): The internal network that lets a vehicle's electronic control units talk to each other. Signals like fuel level, odometer, and RPM originate here. Embedded telematics reads these values at the source instead of tapping the bus with aftermarket hardware.
OBD-II (On-Board Diagnostics): The standardized diagnostics port and protocol found in cars since the late 1990s. Plug-in boxes read data through it, but they occupy the port, can be unplugged, and see less than the manufacturer's own systems.
Connected car API: A programmatic interface exposing vehicle data (location, mileage, battery state, diagnostics) over the web. A good API normalizes differences between car brands so one integration covers a mixed fleet.
Data normalization: Converting each manufacturer's proprietary data formats, units, and update cadences into one consistent schema. Without it, a mixed fleet means one integration per brand.
Fleet management system (FMS): Software that centralizes vehicle tracking, utilization, maintenance, and compliance for a fleet operator. Linkbycar Fleet Management
Predictive maintenance: Using live diagnostic data and usage patterns to service vehicles before failures happen, instead of on fixed schedules or after breakdowns. Cuts downtime and avoids cascading repairs. Linkbycar Predictive Maintenance
UBI (Usage-Based Insurance): Insurance pricing based on how a vehicle is actually used rather than proxies like age and postcode. Includes pay-as-you-drive (distance-based) and pay-how-you-drive (behaviour-based) models. Linkbycar Pay-As-You-Drive
PAYD / PHYD: Pay-As-You-Drive prices premiums on distance driven; Pay-How-You-Drive also factors in behaviour such as speeding, harsh braking, and time of day. Both need trustworthy odometer and trip data.
FNOL (First Notification of Loss): The moment an insurer first learns about an incident. Connected vehicle data can trigger FNOL automatically with crash context (time, location, severity), shortening claim cycles. Linkbycar Claim Management
State of Charge (SoC): How full an EV battery currently is, expressed as a percentage. The EV equivalent of a fuel gauge, essential for routing and charging decisions.
State of Health (SoH): How much of its original capacity an EV battery retains. SoH drives residual value: two identical EVs with different charging histories can be worth very different amounts. Linkbycar Battery Care Score
Geofencing: Defining virtual geographic boundaries and reacting when a vehicle enters or leaves them: theft alerts, zone compliance, automated mileage logs per site. Linkbycar Find My Car
eCall: The EU-mandated emergency call system fitted in new cars since 2018. It is one reason recent vehicles leave the factory with connectivity built in.

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Connected vehicle terms, in plain English

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