Mercedes-Benz Trucks has entered a new phase of its Truck-ID and Truck Wallet project with the latest tests in digitising its vehicles, enabling Mercedes-Benz Actros trucks to pay automatically for fuel at Shell service stations in Stuttgart, Germany.
The trucks used in the tests are regular series-production vehicles whose software has been supplemented to include the payment service authorisation functions.
The first pilot tests in 2019 took place under a sort of laboratory conditions and now the company has demonstrated in real life that trucks can electronically interact with the filling-station system directly on site and can carry out the authorisation of payment processes by signing fuel data using its digital signatures.
The experts at Mercedes-Benz Trucks and Shell installed a new prototype of Mercedes-Benz Trucks’ previously presented digital Truck-ID to the truck dashboard combined with a digital fuel card prototype enabled by Shell SmartPay API technology. The Truck-ID works like an integrated ID card, so the transactions are uniquely assigned to the vehicle and automatically signed by the vehicle itself.
Shell SmartPay API (Application Programming Interface) functions as a data transmitter and allows for the digitalisation of fuel cards and payments for fuel on Shell sites through truck board computer systems.
To achieve this, Mercedes-Benz Trucks also connected its existing prototype of its Truck Wallet, a platform technology and central user programme for all applications that can access the Truck-ID for various purposes digital fuel card.
The experts at Mercedes-Benz Trucks and Shell have collaborated to develop a digitalised fuel card solution accessible from the Truck Wallet. As part of the tests, this digital fuel card accessed the functionality of the Truck-ID via the Truck Wallet and authenticated and authorised the truck to the central filling-station system during the online payment process. Once the vehicle had securely identified itself towards Shell’s system with its Truck-ID, the transaction was authorised by Shell SmartPay API.
The essential part of the security checks was matching the GPS location of the truck and the fueling station. Only if both were successfully matched, the pump was activated.
Dr Helge Königs, Head, Truck-ID & Truck Wallet Project, Daimler Trucks, said, “By integrating Shell SmartPay API, we have jointly developed a digital fuel card which is an excellent electronic alternative that has proven to be extremely practical and advantageous. After completing further tests, we will concentrate on transferring the technology to series production. Our goal is to establish the Truck Wallet including the Truck-ID as the basis for a wide range of a digital services portfolio in machine-to-machine interactions.”
Rainer Klöpfer, Managing Director, euroShell Deutschland GmbH & Co. KG, said, “Our partnership with Mercedes-Benz Trucks to create a more efficient, convenient and secure in-truck payment authorisation solution powered by Shell SmartPay API and Mercedes-Benz Truck’s Truck-ID for customers is a perfect example. We look forward to our continued partnership with Mercedes-Benz Trucks in further exploring the development and integration of this innovative solution into our wider Shell Fleet Solutions offering as part of a fully connected eco-system for our customers.”