u-blox fleet management technology helps to reduce CO2 emissions by a factor of 10x6

u-blox fleet management systems significantly reduce CO₂ footprints through optimized routing, traffic prediction, speeding or harsh braking reduction, and preventative maintenance.

“Whereas the manufacturing process of a u-blox 8 chip produces slightly more than 50 grams of CO₂, effective fleet management of a 40-tonnes truck supported by u-blox technology reduces CO₂ emissions by 50 tonnes per year, a savings factor of one million.”

 

R&D for a more sustainable world

In addition to producing solutions that are beneficial, we are committed to ensuring our products are produced responsibly. Long before our products are shipped to market, the u-blox R&D team has invested significant IP and sustainability considerations into the value chain with product design, the right balance of capability, form factor, energy consumption, and component longevity, further reducing CO₂ emissions.

 

Designed and manufactured to last

At u-blox, we believe that component longevity makes sense. As a result, many of our customers’ products are manufactured to last and remain reliably in use for more than a decade. Components, therefore, need to be robust, highly reliable, easy to maintain, and, where required, continue to evolve with Firmware Over The Air (FOTA) after they leave the factory. Sustainability is good for our customers, good for their customers, and better for our planet.

 

“At u-blox, we believe that component longevity makes sense. As a result, many of our customers’ products are manufactured to last and remain reliably in use for more than a decade.”

 

Designing a research and development process for a more sustainable world

u-blox engineers continuously collaborate with our suppliers to find innovative ways to improve and adopt new manufacturing technologies to optimize energy, water, and materials used while minimizing waste to protect the environment as much as possible during production.

 

Chip design:

The u-blox chip team designs for zero defect, robust life span, optimal form factor, and minimum energy consumption.

 

Wafer optimization

Through an extensive miniaturization project in 2021, we have extended the number of chips produced on one wafer by a factor of 2. We now produce 2 times as many components with the same amount of silicon, precious metals, and energy, effectively saving 50% on energy and materials. We have also designed our manufacturing process to use the minimum layer of metallization and implant options.

 

Wafer testing:

We test both hot and cold to screen any potentially defective parts as soon as possible. We save considerable energy by removing defective parts from the production flow as early in the manufacturing process as possible.

 

Assembly:

The u-blox chip team has designed our robust products to rely on simple package technology, i.e., quad flat no-lead package (QFN), which does not require a substrate. We have also moved from gold wire bonding to copper to optimize environmental impact further.

 

Transportation:

We minimize transport from wafer-tester-stock throughout the manufacturing process and perform the final test precisely at the location where we have our stock to avoid the environmental impact of additional transportation.