Fleet Chromosomes: Data Pattern Finder

NLR's Fleet Chromosomes is a data science tool that identifies innate patterns in high-dimensional datasets and characterizes the unique attributes of the resulting clusters.

Leveraging machine learning and a novel NLR-developed statistical naming system, the Fleet Chromosomes tool finds innate patterns in 2D representations of high-dimensional data to reveal patterns that may otherwise go unnoticed. When multiple clusters emerge, the tool illuminates each cluster's unique signature by quantifying how it statistically differs from the other clusters. This approach can uncover previously unknown patterns and overarching trends in any quantitative dataset.

This visualization shows a 2D representation of more than 20 drive-cycle statistics, where each point corresponds to a vehicle driving segment. Clusters are not imposed on the data; instead, they emerge naturally based on relationships across the 20 input characteristics. Tailored to Fleet DNA, this naming system assigns a letter across four behavior categories: S (speed), T (transient), P (power), and I (idle). Values for each category range from -10 to +10, where +10 indicates complete separation along a trait, and a value of zero (with the letter excluded) indicates no statistically significant difference from the rest of the data. The top of the map contains a couple of high-speed, low-transient long-haul clusters. Around the center, several large conglomerate clusters represent a range of vocations.

Application in Commercial Driving Datasets

To address the siloed nature of private fleet data, NLR has spent years compiling real-world fleet vehicle operations data into the Fleet DNA repository. This national resource improves understanding of the broad operational range of commercial vehicles across different vocations and weight classes.

When applied to Fleet DNA, Fleet Chromosomes illuminated commercial vehicle operational patterns that challenge traditional assumptions about vocational behavior, showing that vocations do not neatly define operations. The analysis also showed that regulatory drive cycles fail to capture the full diversity of on-road driving observed in Fleet DNA data, enabling NLR to identify duty cycles that more accurately represent in-use vehicle activity.

By identifying and characterizing these previously unrecognized operational patterns, researchers and practitioners can better align vehicle component design with end-use applications.

Apply Fleet Chromosomes to Your Data

Data owners can discover insights by comparing their operational data to others through Fleet Chromosomes. Partner with NLR to:

• Leverage insights into the overlapping behavior across different vocations to allow for economies of scale
• Align component design with real-world vehicle activity to right-size vehicle components
• Share anonymized drive-cycle statistics among fleet managers to overcome limitations of private fleet data and increase fleet performance.

The Fleet Chromosomes tool can also be applied beyond fleet data. The methodology is suitable for any organized numeric dataset and is capable of handling high-dimensional datasets. For non-fleet data and new objectives, the naming system can be tailored to display the input characteristics that are most distinct to each cluster. For example, consider energy use data from data centers, including characteristics related to thermal management and building design. Clustering may reveal groups of data centers that perform better in terms of uptime, efficiency, or other operational metrics. Out of potentially hundreds of variables, the naming system emphasizes the features that most clearly differentiate the high-performing centers.

Publications

Fleet Chromosomes: Novel Methodology to Uncover Patterns in Real-World Commercial Driving, SSRN Preprint (2025)

Data and Tools

The Fleet Chromosomes tool can work with any quantitative dataset, such as these data resources from NLR and the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE).

Fleet DNA: Commercial Fleet Vehicle Operating Data

FleetREDI: Fleet Research, Energy Data, and Insights

Livewire Data Platform: Transportation and Mobility Project Data (DOE)

Contact

Contact us to explore partnership opportunities or discover how the Fleet Chromosomes tool can be customized to generate insights from your data.