User Guide

March 2026

CS-CZ - DA-DK - DE-DE - ES-ES - ES-LATAM - FI-FI - FR-CA - FR-FR - ID-ID - IT-IT - JA-JP - KO-KR - MS-MY - NB-NO - NL-NL - PL-PL - PT-BR - SK-SK - SV-SE - TH-TH - TR-TR - ZH-CN - ZH-TW

Introduction

The Sustainability Overview (formerly Sustainability Center) allows Fleet Administrators to monitor fuel efficiency and environmental performance across entire fleets or specific sub-groups. Using fuel and idling data, it surfaces opportunities to reduce consumption and emissions, helping teams make informed decisions that lower their fleet's environmental impact.

To access Sustainability Overview, from the main menu, navigate to Sustainability > Overview.

Key features

Monitor key performance metrics: Gain visibility into environmental and efficiency data across your fleet, including:

1. GHG Emissions Trends: Track Emissions Intensity, Tailpipe Emissions, and Tailpipe Emissions Avoided from EVs.
2. Fuel & Energy Trends: Monitor Fuel & EV Energy Economy and overall Fuel & EV Energy Usage.

Evaluate reduction opportunities: Identify actionable areas to save fuel and lower your carbon footprint, including:

1. Idling Reduction: Analyze the specific impact of idling on emissions and fuel consumption.
2. Transitioning to EVs: Assess light-duty electrification potential and recommended vehicle replacements.

Exportable insights [NEW]:

1. Downloadable Excel Report: You can now export the data displayed on the dashboard into a comprehensive Excel report. This allows for offline analysis, custom reporting, and easier data sharing across your organization.

Getting started

Security clearances and user types

Sustainability Overview is available to MyGeotab users with Administrator, Supervisor, and View Only security clearances. The following clearances must also be enabled:

1. “View Sustainability Overview”
2. “Fuel and EV energy usage report”

If either permission is disabled, Sustainability Overview will not appear in the navigation menu.

To view idling exception data, the “View exceptions” clearance must also be enabled. If disabled, the associated chart will not be visible in the Sustainability Overview page.

See our Security clearances help article to learn more about enabling security clearances.

✱ NOTE: The Sustainability Overview does not support FedRAMP devices/servers.

Filter dropdown menu

Use the filter dropdown to control what data is displayed:

1. Group: The company groups to which the assets belong
2. Powertrain type: Battery electric vehicle, internal combustion engine, or plug-in hybrid electric vehicle

✱ NOTE: If no powertrain is selected, data for all vehicles is displayed, equivalent to selecting All.

1. Date Range: Last three months, last quarter, last year, or this year

Powertrain group filtering

! IMPORTANT: Before using the powertrain group filter, please visit the Assets page to verify that each vehicle’s powertrain type is correctly classified as Internal Combustion Engine (ICE), Battery Electric Vehicle (BEV) Plug-In Hybrid Electric Vehicle (PHEV).

If a powertrain is unclassified or only labeled as "Manually Classified," the powertrain filter on the Sustainability Overview page automatically includes its data in the Internal Combustion Engine group. Reviewing these before using the feature ensures your reporting is accurate for every powertrain group.

Navigating the Sustainability Overview

The Sustainability Overview page is organized into three sections: metric summary cards, a trend graph, and opportunities for reduction (both idling and transitioning to EVs).

Metric summary cards

The metric summary cards provide a broad view of key metrics for the selected powertrain and date range. Switching the card selection updates both the trend graph and opportunities for reduction sections accordingly. Available metrics include:

1. Emissions Intensity
2. Tailpipe Emissions Avoided¹
3. Fuel and Energy Economy
4. Fuel Economy, Energy Economy

¹ Available in the default view only if the fleet includes BEVs or PHEVs. If the page is filtered to “Internal Combustion Engine” vehicles, this card will not display.

Trend graph

Selecting a metric card updates the trend graph to show how that metric has changed over time. Most metrics display two tabs: a per-unit-distance view (for example, Fuel Economy) and an absolute total view (for example, Fuel Use). Tailpipe Emissions Avoided displays one tab only.

The value above the graph and the percentage change pill reflect the selected date range. The graph itself displays the full year. Hover over any month to view that month's value.

Understanding the metrics

The metrics displayed on the page depend on the mix of powertrain types in the fleet. The table below summarizes each metric and its availability.

Opportunities for reduction

Idling Reduction

This section displays idling-related data and updates based on the selected metric card. When Emissions Intensity is selected, data is expressed in terms of emissions. When Fuel and Energy Economy or Fuel Economy is selected, data is expressed in terms of fuel. When Energy Economy is selected, only the bar chart is displayed.

Pie chart: Shows total emissions produced while idling or total fuel used while idling for the selected date range, along with the percentage change compared to the previous period. The chart is split into two sections:

1. Preventable: Includes idling events lasting between 10 and 60 minutes.
2. Other: Includes idling events outside the 10–60 minute "Preventable" window. This typically represents necessary operational idling, such as brief engine warm-ups (under 10 minutes) or extended power take-off (PTO) activity (over 60 minutes).

Data table: Shows the top 20 groups with the highest percentage of emissions produced or fuel used while idling, relative to that group's total. Selecting a group updates the page to display data for that group. If a group is already selected, the table displays subgroups within it.

Bar chart (Idling Exceptions): Shows the number of Idling and Idling Within Zone rule exceptions (based on MyGeotab stock rules) and their associated duration in hours, by month. Only exceptions for the selected powertrain are displayed. To view or modify the conditions of the fleet’s stock Idling rules, click the horizontal ellipses at the top right corner of the chart.

Transitioning to EVs

The Transitioning to EVs section outlines how much of your light-duty fleet can be replaced by electric vehicles (either Plug-in Hybrid or Battery Electric Vehicles). It also shows the amount of emissions your fleet could potentially prevent by switching over to an electric vehicle. For a more in-depth assessment of your fleet’s electrification potential, run a complete EV Suitability Assessment.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

How frequently is new data populated in the Sustainability Overview?

New data in the Sustainability Overview is populated monthly. For example, data for the month of January will become available on the Overview page in early February (typically within the first few days of the month).

Why is there an empty data message appearing for the selected groups and/or date range?

This typically occurs when the required data has not been processed and added to the MyGeotab database. Please try again with another date range.

Why is there inaccurate or missing data when a specific powertrain group is selected?

This may occur when devices are not assigned to the correct powertrain group. Only the following built-in groups are used by the Sustainability Overview when determining device powertrain type:

1. Battery Electric Vehicle
2. Internal Combustion Engine
3. Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle

Devices are assigned to different powertrain groups automatically, but it’s possible for a device to be assigned to an incorrect powertrain group or not assigned to any group.

How can I verify which vehicles are in a powertrain group?

The powertrain groups listed on the page are built-in groups that can be selected on any page using the Groups filter.

To verify which vehicles are in a powertrain group, navigate to the Assets page and filter any of the powertrain groups within the Groups filter.

Why does the displayed data differ from the Fuel & EV Energy Usage page and/or report?

The Sustainability Overview uses the same underlying data, but differences may occur due to:

1. Data availability timing: Data is processed differently for each page and does not appear in the Sustainability Overview until the start of the following month.
2. Archived vehicles: The Sustainability Overview includes archived vehicles by default. To ensure your data matches, make sure archived vehicles are included in the Fuel & EV Energy Usage report.
3. Trip timing logic: The Sustainability Overview uses trip start to attribute fuel data, while the report uses trip stop. This can result in slight discrepancies. Most Geotab products use trip start, and the Sustainability Overview aligns with that standard.

Why am I seeing unusually high percentage changes (shown in the colored pills) for certain metrics?

If vehicles are being added to the fleet over time, the current period may show higher metric values (for example, fuel use or emissions) simply because more assets are being tracked. This is common for newer fleets or those that have recently added many vehicles to MyGeotab.

Why are there missing or no recommended replacements in the Transitioning to EVs section?

Only vehicles considered “light-duty” are included in the analysis for potential replacement. If your fleet has no light-duty vehicles, you won’t see recommendations in the Transitioning to EVs section.

Is data from OEM subscriptions included in the Sustainability Overview page?

Yes, but with limitations. The Sustainability Overview page aggregates insights on fuel and energy usage, CO2e emissions, and idling, and the inclusion of OEM data depends on the specific signals provided by each manufacturer.

Because data availability varies by OEM, certain metrics may not be fully populated for all vehicles. For a detailed breakdown of what is supported, please refer to the Sustainability Overview - OEM Data Availability guide. This table represents our best estimate of coverage based on the specific requirements for each metric.

Can I view data for time periods that are not within the date picker options (for example, one month)?

Not at this time. The ability to choose a custom date range is under consideration for future development.

What is the methodology for calculating fuel-equivalent values (L-e, L-e/100km, G-e, and MPG-e) from electric energy (kWh)?

Fuel-equivalent values are designed to compare the energy consumption of an electric vehicle (measured in kWh) to that of a gasoline vehicle. The calculations are based on the US EPA energy equivalent standard, which states that 1 gallon of gasoline is equivalent to 33.7 kWh. This standard is used to convert electric energy used for a trip (in kWh) into an equivalent volume of gasoline (in liters or gallons).

The formula for calculating fuel-equivalent values are as follows:

L-e

L-e/100 km

G-e

MPG-e =

Constants:

1. EPA Energy Standard: 33.7 kWh (energy in one gallon of gasoline)
2. Liters per gallon: 3.785411784 (the conversion factor from gallons to liters)

What is the methodology for calculating Tailpipe Emissions in the Sustainability Overview?

Tailpipe Emissions represent the total greenhouse gas (GHG) impact expressed in carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e). This figure accounts for the combined Global Warming Potential (GWP) of carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), and nitrous oxide (N2O).

Tailpipe Emissions (metric tons of CO2e) are calculated using the following formula:

Where:

1. Emissions Conversion Factor: The specific carbon intensity of the fuel type based on regional standards.
2. The final value is divided by 1,000 to convert emissions from kilograms (kg) to metric tons (t).

Regional Conversion Factors

Conversion factors are automatically assigned based on your MyGeotab database registration region:

1. US EPA: Applied to databases in the US and Canada.
2. UK DEFRA: Applied to all other regions, including Europe, Brazil, and Australia.

Note: If fuel consumption data is available but fuel type is unknown, the system defaults to gasoline or petrol factors. For US EPA factors, the factor is derived by multiplying each GHG constituent by its specific GWP.

What is the methodology for calculating Tailpipe Emissions Avoided from EVs in the Sustainability Overview?

We estimate tailpipe emissions avoided by battery electric vehicles (BEVs) and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) by looking at how much energy they use. For every kilowatt-hour (kWh) of electricity used, we assume about 0.4 litres of fuel are saved compared to driving a similar internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicle. This efficiency factor is based on a review of several EV models and their ICE equivalents, which showed that, on average, an ICE vehicle would need about 0.4 litres of fuel to travel the same distance an EV can with 1 kWh of electricity.

Therefore, Tailpipe Emissions Avoided (metric tons CO₂) are calculated using the following formula:

Where:

1. Efficiency Factor = 0.4 L fuel saved/kWh energy out of the battery
2. Emissions Conversion Factor: refer to table above for gasoline or petrol depending on region
3. The final value is divided by 1,000 to convert emissions from kilograms (kg) to metric tons (t).