Samsara joins California fleet smog test pilot

The pilot program is trying to make fleet smog tests in California more efficient.

Dec. 18, 2023

2 min read

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Telematics provider Samsara recently joined the California Bureau of Automotive Repair's continuous testing program pilot. The program aims to alleviate in-person smog testing for public sector fleets. As part of this program, emissions and diagnostic data from Samsara can be integrated with the California BAR to automate the smog reporting process at scale, reduce downtime, and manage compliance.

"Samsara's inclusion in California's stringent BAR CTP pilot is a testament to how our platform is helping pave the way to a cleaner tomorrow," said Rhonda Eiffe, AVP of public sector at Samsara. "Smog tests are incredibly important to reduce carbon emissions and advance toward California's ambitious climate goals. With this integration, we are excited to streamline the smog testing and reporting process for public sector fleets across the state and enable them to operate more efficiently."

Government agencies that own or operate vehicles in California are subject to strict smog check program requirements. These smog tests can lead to downtime and disrupt productivity. California's BAR can now automate this process and obtain the information needed to grant eligible government vehicles a passing score on their smog check without an in-person inspection.

The city of Ventura, a Samsara customer, is participating in the California BAR CTP pilot. Ventura's public works department is responsible for acquiring, maintaining, and repairing hundreds of city-owned vehicles and equipment. They also ensure the city promotes environmentally friendly practices and complies with federal and state emissions regulations.

"We run in-house smog testing that requires 50% of our vehicles to be brought in, inspected, and pass smog in a calendar year," said Jaime Aguayo, fleet supervisor for Ventura. "Now that information from Samsara will be shared directly with the BAR, we can reduce this downtime and run tests more effectively. With Samsara, there's an ongoing feedback loop and constant evolution of how their technology can meet our needs—I look forward to seeing what we can achieve together."