As Fleet Technology Enthusiasm Tempers, New Behavioral Science Study Reveals Path to Reactivate Adoption
Escalent’s Fleet Technology Index (FTI) score drops for the first time since 2022, pointing to diminished market readiness for core and emerging technologies
LIVONIA, Mich., July 15, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- New findings from Escalent’s Fleet Advisory Hub™ insights program reveal fleets are pulling back on new technologies in their businesses as they face continued market uncertainty. This shift is reflected in the firm’s Fleet Technology Index (FTI) score—a relative measure and indication of market readiness for commercial fleet technologies—which saw a 13% decline in 2026 following consistent year-over-year gains since 2022.
Developed in 2019 by Escalent, Fleet Advisory Hub offers an annual snapshot of the state of various forward-looking technologies among commercial vehicle and fleet businesses through the firm’s flagship FTI syndicated report. For each technology, the FTI score provides an analytical-based sense of market readiness and expectation for technology adoption that reflects a point in time, taking into consideration the perceptions of the current business environment and several predictive factors. Scaled from 0 to 100, an FTI score of 100 indicates full adoption and the most positive ratings for a technology. A score of 50 is considered the critical halfway point, marking a technology’s entry into the mainstream mindshare among fleet decision-makers.
The latest report highlights decreased enthusiasm for both core and emerging technologies. The FTI score for core technologies—battery electric vehicles, telematics, autonomous vehicles and data analytics—declined by 11% in 2026, with fleets indicating they are less likely to invest in these technologies within the next six months. Fleet companies also demonstrated an even more cautious approach toward emerging technologies—mobility services/shared assets, blockchain, artificial intelligence and drones—as the FTI score declined 16% year-over-year. Artificial intelligence, however, was a minor outlier, achieving the highest FTI score and lowest overall decrease across all technologies.
“What we are seeing play out is less about a rejection of technology itself and much more about timing, confidence and shifting priorities. Navigating policy changes, economic uncertainty and significant market disruption, fleet companies are prioritizing what matters most in today’s business landscape,” said Lucas Lowden, an insights consultant in Escalent’s Automotive & Mobility group. “With a greater focus on operational stability, investment in new technologies takes a back seat. Our data tell us fleets aren’t entirely abandoning new technology adoption but pushing pause on near-term spending—echoing the downturn we witnessed in 2021 and 2022 on the heels of the global pandemic.”
While readiness to adopt in the near term has diminished, the study found fleets are still shopping around. Anticipating to introduce core technologies within two to three years, fleet professionals are actively engaged in learning about the benefits and the value they offer. For example, data analytics shoppers—defined as those who have gathered information or completed a cost analysis—in particular, have increased by 9%.
To understand what can bring fleet businesses closer to adoption and identify action-oriented interventions that technology providers may implement to encourage adoption, Escalent analyzed survey open-ends applying BeSci x AI™, a proprietary AI-powered insights model that helps explain why people act and what it takes to nudge people toward better outcomes. As a result, the study found fleets are more likely to embrace new technologies when they see concrete use cases and evidence that those technologies can work in the fleets’ own specific operating environments.
“We know that tangible, real-world use cases directly address the behavioral barriers to technology adoption because the real resistance to new technology lies in the business and regulatory environment fleet businesses are operating in today,” said Aimee Jamison, an insights and behavioral science consultant with Escalent. “According to the science, the most effective way to move adoption forward is for technology providers to help fleet decision-makers confidently connect technology investments to real business outcomes through concrete proof that their solutions make a tangible difference to the business.”
For more information about Escalent’s Fleet Advisory Hub insights program, visit escalent.co.
About Fleet Advisory Hub™
The results reported come from Escalent’s Fleet Advisory Hub 2026 Fleet Technology Index report. These results comprise a subset of commercial vehicle and fleet decision-makers drawn from the Fleet Advisory Hub audience. Participants were recruited from an opt-in online panel of fleet business decision-makers and interviewed online. Escalent will supply the exact wording of any survey question upon request.
About Escalent
Escalent is an AI-enabled market research and advisory partner with unmatched industry expertise. For 50 years, we have been catalysts of progress—turning a deep understanding of our clients’ worlds into smarter strategies and transforming human and market insight into decisive action that helps brands outthink disruption and accelerate growth. Following the acquisition of C Space and Hall & Partners in 2023, our 1,600-strong global team now offers a true one-stop shop for industry intelligence, customer insight and brand strategy. Headquartered in Livonia, Michigan, Escalent operates across the US and in Australia, Canada, China, India, Ireland, the Philippines, Singapore, South Africa, the UAE and the UK. Visit escalent.co to see how we are helping shape the brands that are reshaping the world.
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Aimee Jamison
Aimee Jamison, an insights and behavioral science consultant with Escalent.
Fleet Technology Index Trend
Escalent’s Fleet Technology Index (FTI) score drops for the first time since 2022, pointing to diminished market readiness for core and emerging technologies.
A fleet driver interacting with a smartphone displaying fleet charging status
New findings from Escalent’s Fleet Advisory Hub™ insights program reveal fleets are pulling back on new technologies in their businesses as they face continued market uncertainty.
Lucas Lowden
Lucas Lowden, an Automotive & Mobility insights consultant at Escalent.
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