No other organization is developing open interoperability standards for the operational data modern vehicles generate every day. The Foundation brings manufacturers, regulators, and stakeholders together to define how vehicle performance data can move freely — in service of drivers, public safety, and informed policy.
The Challenge
Federal Part 563 established requirements for Event Data Recorders — the vehicle’s “black box.” That was an important step. But EDRs capture only a narrow pre-crash snapshot. The broader operational data vehicles generate every day remains fragmented, inaccessible, and without a shared standard.
Event Data Recorders are the closest thing we have to standardized crash data today — but they record a limited window around an impact. They don't capture the full vehicle performance and operational picture needed to understand accidents, defects, and broader safety trends.
Vehicle Performance Data — the operational telemetry a vehicle generates during normal use — is what investigators, regulators, and safety researchers need. Today it lives in proprietary formats, defined differently by every manufacturer.
Under existing EDR frameworks, crash data is recognized as belonging to the vehicle owner. Yet broader vehicle performance data is often held by manufacturers and not readily shared with drivers. FMDS works to align practice with that principle — through standards, consensus, and collaboration.
Unlike healthcare, education, or telecommunications, no other organization is building open, community-driven interoperability standards for vehicle-derived operational data. The Foundation exists to fill that gap.
The U.S. Department of Transportation and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration have laid important groundwork through regulations like Part 563. The Foundation brings stakeholders together — manufacturers, regulators, insurers, researchers, and drivers — to build the open standards that make vehicle performance data a shared resource for safety and informed public policy.
— Foundation for Mobility Data Standards
Our Mission
The Foundation is a non-profit organization dedicated to creating community-driven, open source data interoperability standards for vehicle performance data. Public policy is part of the picture — and so is bringing every stakeholder to the table to define a future where operational data serves drivers, safety, and society.
All specifications, schemas, and reference implementations for vehicle performance data are published openly. Governance is public, participatory, and accountable — no vendor lock-in, no hidden agendas.
Manufacturers, suppliers, insurers, NHTSA, researchers, and drivers come together as equal stakeholders — discussing the problem openly and shaping standards that reflect real-world needs, not any single company's agenda.
Standards are designed to evolve with technology — building on what exists today, including EDR requirements under Part 563, while accommodating the operational data vehicles will generate tomorrow.
Standards development works alongside public policy — complementing DOT and NHTSA frameworks with community consensus on data access, transparency, and the principle that vehicle data ultimately serves those who drive.
Every standard decision is evaluated through a safety lens — giving NHTSA, investigators, and regulators the operational data they need to detect defects, analyze crashes, and protect the public.
Common data models and exchange protocols for vehicle performance data ensure that operational records generated in one system are immediately usable in another — across brands, platforms, and borders.
Impact
When operational data speaks a common language — beyond what an EDR alone can provide — the benefits reach drivers, investigators, regulators, and communities alike.
Standardized vehicle performance data gives investigators and NHTSA a fuller post-crash picture than an Event Data Recorder snapshot alone — capturing the operational context that Part 563 was never designed to provide.
Aggregated operational data and diagnostic patterns across fleets surface systemic defects early — accelerating recalls and giving NHTSA the evidence it needs before injuries occur.
Just as EDR data belongs to the vehicle owner, broader vehicle performance data should be accessible to the people who generate it. Standardized formats make it practical for drivers to retrieve, understand, and use their own operational data.
Real-time standardized signals enable drivers, fleet managers, and regulators to receive timely warnings about emerging safety concerns on specific vehicle models or road segments.
Unified telemetry formats let fleet operators monitor vehicle health, optimize routes, and reduce downtime across mixed-brand fleets without custom integrations.
Standardized wear-and-tear data enables AI-driven maintenance scheduling that works across vehicle makes — reducing breakdowns and extending asset life.
Insurers access verified, standardized incident and driving behavior data to process claims faster, detect fraud, and offer usage-based policies with confidence.
Regulators receive consistent, auditable emissions and compliance data from manufacturers and fleets — simplifying enforcement and environmental accountability.
Municipalities integrate standardized vehicle flow and incident data into traffic systems, enabling smarter signal timing, congestion reduction, and emergency response routing.
Policymakers at DOT, NHTSA, and beyond gain access to consistent, comparable vehicle performance data — supporting thoughtful regulation that builds on existing frameworks like Part 563 rather than replacing them.
Shared data schemas accelerate validation, simulation, and real-world testing of advanced driver-assistance and autonomous systems across the industry.
First responders receive standardized automatic crash notification data — including location, severity, and occupant information — the moment an incident occurs.
Standardized fuel consumption, energy use, and idling data support corporate sustainability reporting and government climate policy with reliable, comparable metrics.
How It Works
Manufacturers, NHTSA, insurers, researchers, and drivers come together in working groups to discuss what's broken — from EDR limitations to data access — and define what vehicle performance data standards must address.
Community experts draft open data models and schemas for vehicle performance and operational data through a transparent, consensus-based process — building on existing policy where it makes sense.
Standards are released with reference implementations, conformance test suites, and documentation — free for anyone to adopt and implement.
The community continuously refines standards as vehicles, regulations, and public expectations evolve — ensuring long-term relevance without disrupting what's already working.
Whether you’re a manufacturer, a policy maker at DOT or NHTSA, an insurer, a researcher, or a driver who believes this data should be yours — The Foundation needs your voice. Help us build the standards no one else is creating.