Predicting the Maintenance Future: How Intangles is Keeping Bay Area Buses Rolling

Los Angeles Times

25-03-2025

Public transit systems face relentless demands, requiring buses to reliably operate under diverse and often challenging conditions every day. Vehicle breakdowns lead to significant disruptions for passengers, increased maintenance expenses and logistical headaches, posing persistent challenges for fleet operators such as County Connection, which serves communities throughout the San Francisco Bay Area.
Intangles, an innovative leader in predictive fleet analytics, recently announced a transformative partnership with County Connection to substantially improve the reliability, efficiency and operational effectiveness of their transit fleet. At the heart of this collaboration is Intangles' groundbreaking predictive maintenance system, which harnesses sophisticated, physics-based artificial intelligence to anticipate and address vehicle issues well before traditional warning systems alert drivers.
'Our predictive analytics technology raises alerts long before the vehicle's check engine light is activated,' explained Anup Patil, CEO and founder of Intangles. 'Fleet operators receive detailed, actionable insights into precisely which vehicle components are underperforming. This empowers maintenance teams to undertake timely, preventive actions, drastically minimizing vehicle downtime and operational disruptions.'
County Connection has experienced remarkable benefits from this proactive approach, demonstrating significant returns on investment. By adopting Intangles' predictive insights, the fleet has successfully optimized its maintenance scheduling, streamlined complex diagnostic processes and substantially cut down on costly emergency roadside breakdowns. Aman Singh, co-founder and analytics lead at Intangles, emphasized additional benefits such as fuel efficiency gains: 'Our platform detects operational inefficiencies such as excessive vehicle idling or compromised diesel exhaust fluid quality, enabling fleets to save thousands of gallons of fuel each year.'
An additional crucial advantage for fleets operating in California, particularly County Connection, is enhanced compliance with rigorous California Air Resources Board (CARB) regulations. Traditionally, fleets have faced the cumbersome task of manually performing biannual diagnostic data collection required by CARB, often leading to significant administrative and labor costs. Intangles automates this entire process, delivering seamless regulatory compliance and dramatically reducing manual workload.
Intangles' predictive technology is not limited to diesel-powered vehicles - it also adeptly addresses the unique challenges faced by electric and Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) buses. For electric buses, Intangles' AI-driven systems comprehensively monitor battery health, optimize charging and discharging cycles, and track real-time energy consumption, providing critical insights for transit agencies investing in sustainable mobility. In the case of CNG buses, Intangles' advanced models accurately detect and predict issues such as cylinder misfires, engine overheating, and potential tank leakages, enhancing safety and operational reliability.
'Our collaboration with County Connection underscores Intangles' commitment to fundamentally redefining fleet maintenance and operations through cutting-edge predictive artificial intelligence,' Patil added. 'We are thrilled about the prospects ahead as we continue expanding across North America. Our goal remains clear: delivering transformative efficiencies, unmatched reliability, and tangible cost savings to transit operators and commercial fleet managers.'
Looking to the future, Intangles is also actively developing innovative partnerships and expanding its technological capabilities. These include state-of-the-art video telematics that combine driver monitoring systems with predictive vehicle analytics, providing a comprehensive safety and performance solution. As Intangles accelerates its growth across the North American market, it is poised to continue raising the bar for predictive fleet analytics, ensuring smoother, safer journeys for millions of passengers throughout California and beyond.