Probe Data

Probe Data, also known as Floating Car Data, is an anonymized, timestamped trajectory-level vehicle location dataset sourced by Mobito from millions of vehicles globally.

Reviewed by 7wData

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Publisher review

Probe Data, also known as Floating Car Data, is an anonymized, timestamped trajectory-level vehicle location dataset sourced by Mobito from millions of vehicles globally. It is designed for traffic management, transportation analytics, site selection, event planning, route planning, and emission analysis. The data is delivered at various geographical levels—country, state/province, city, or custom polygon area—and is available in both historical batches and real-time streaming. It serves traffic consultants, road operators, municipalities, SaaS analytics platforms, fleet managers, and event organizers who need granular vehicle movement insights without compromising individual privacy.

Mobito's probe data captures vehicle positions every 3 to 10 seconds (configurable from 3 seconds to 1 minute depending on the source). Each record includes a hashed unique_id (rotating every few minutes up to 24 hours), timestamp (UTC, ISO 8601), latitude/longitude (±10m accuracy), speed (km/h), heading (0-359 degrees), and vehicle_type (passenger, light commercial, truck, bus, etc.). Optional enriched attributes—such as acceleration, fuel level, wiper state, ESP activation, vehicle make & model, and road speed limits—are available where supported by the vehicle's telematics. The data is sourced from automotive OEMs with embedded connectivity and fleets with aftermarket telematics devices, covering passenger cars, vans, trucks, and buses.

Mobito's probe data competes with other vehicle data providers like Swarajya, Pritish Nandy Communications, Mediapart, Pebble, GlobalPost, and Smaarket—though many of these are media or content companies rather than direct mobility data competitors. Mobito differentiates through its multi-source approach (OEM + aftermarket telematics), high-frequency capture (3-10 seconds), and deep contextual attributes (e.g., wiper state, ESP activation). The data is fully anonymized to prevent individual tracking, making it regulation-ready for privacy-sensitive applications. It supports models for retail site selection and EV charging station placement based on footfall and cannibalization estimates.

However, the product has honest trade-offs. Some users report connectivity issues and limited range, particularly in areas with poor cellular coverage. Historical data availability varies significantly by country—some regions have deep archives while others are sparse. On long-distance uninterrupted highway travel, the capturing frequency may drop below the typical 3-10 second interval. Additionally, the enriched attributes (like wiper state or ESP activation) are only available where the vehicle's hardware and telematics support them, which is not universal across all sources or regions.

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How it works

  1. High-frequency trajectory capture

    Captures vehicle positions every 3 to 10 seconds, configurable from 3 seconds to 1 minute, enabling granular trajectory analysis.

  2. Multi-source global coverage

    Sourced from millions of vehicles globally via automotive OEMs and fleets with aftermarket telematics devices, covering passenger cars, vans, trucks, and buses.

  3. Anonymized data delivery

    All records are anonymized with hashed IDs that rotate every few minutes up to 24 hours, preventing individual tracking while enabling trip-level analysis.

  4. Flexible geographical granularity

    Data can be delivered at country, state/province, city, or custom polygon area level, supporting both broad and hyperlocal analyses.

  5. Enriched contextual attributes

    Optional attributes include acceleration, fuel level, wiper state, ESP activation, vehicle make & model, and road speed limits where supported.

  6. Historical and real-time availability

    Data is available in historical batches and/or real-time streaming, allowing both retrospective analysis and live operational use.

  7. Driving events data

    Captures the time and location of harsh driving events (e.g., hard braking, sharp turns) for safety and behavior analysis.

Strengths and trade-offs

Strengths

  • Captures vehicle positions every 3 to 10 seconds, providing high-frequency trajectory data for granular traffic and mobility analysis.
  • Sourced from millions of vehicles globally via OEMs and fleets, covering passenger cars, vans, trucks, and buses across multiple regions.
  • Offers enriched attributes like wiper state, ESP activation, and fuel level where supported, enabling deeper contextual analysis beyond GPS.
  • Data is fully anonymized with rotating hashed IDs, making it privacy-compliant and suitable for regulation-sensitive applications.

Trade-offs

  • Some users report connectivity issues and limited range, particularly in areas with poor cellular coverage or remote locations.
  • Historical data availability varies per country, with some regions having deep archives while others have sparse or no historical records.
  • On long-distance uninterrupted highway travel, the capturing frequency may drop below the typical 3-10 second interval.
  • Enriched attributes like wiper state and ESP activation are only available where the vehicle's hardware and telematics support them, limiting universality.

Pricing context

Starting at ₹499.00 one time

Getting started with Probe Data

  1. Sign up for Probe Data

    Visit Mobito's website and create an account. Provide your organization details and accept the terms of service. After registration, verify your email to activate your account and access the data portal.

  2. Define your geographic area

    In the data portal, specify the geographic region for your analysis. Choose from country, state/province, city, or upload a custom polygon shapefile to define the exact area of interest.

  3. Configure data parameters

    Set the data capture frequency between 3 seconds and 1 minute. Select the time range for historical data or enable real-time streaming. Optionally enable enriched attributes like acceleration or wiper state if needed.

  4. Download or stream data

    Submit your configuration to generate the dataset. For historical batches, download the CSV or JSON file. For real-time use, set up a streaming endpoint to receive live vehicle position updates.

  5. Analyze vehicle movement patterns

    Load the downloaded data into your analytics platform. Use the timestamped coordinates, speed, and heading to compute traffic flows, identify congestion points, or assess route efficiency for your transportation or site selection project.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is probe data and how does it work?

Probe data, also called floating car data, is an anonymized timestamped dataset of vehicle positions captured every 3 to 10 seconds. It includes location, speed, heading, and vehicle type, sourced from millions of vehicles globally via OEMs and aftermarket telematics devices.

How accurate is probe data for traffic analysis?

Probe data offers latitude/longitude accuracy of ±10 meters and captures positions every 3 to 10 seconds, configurable up to 1 minute. This high-frequency trajectory data enables granular traffic and mobility analysis, though frequency may drop on long highway trips.

Is probe data anonymized and privacy-compliant?

Yes, all records are anonymized with hashed unique IDs that rotate every few minutes up to 24 hours, preventing individual tracking. This makes the data regulation-ready for privacy-sensitive applications like traffic management and site selection.

What are the main use cases for probe data?

Probe data supports traffic management, transportation analytics, site selection, event planning, route planning, and emission analysis. It serves traffic consultants, road operators, municipalities, fleet managers, and event organizers needing granular vehicle movement insights.

What vehicle types and sources does probe data cover?

Probe data covers passenger cars, vans, trucks, and buses sourced from automotive OEMs with embedded connectivity and fleets with aftermarket telematics devices. It includes millions of vehicles globally, offering multi-source coverage for diverse mobility analytics.

How much does probe data cost and how is it delivered?

Probe data starts at ₹499.00 one time. It is delivered at country, state/province, city, or custom polygon levels, available in historical batches and real-time streaming. Pricing varies by geographical granularity and data attributes selected.

Alternatives

How Probe Data compares

Direct head-to-head against 2 competitors. Picked by 7wData.

This tool

Probe Data

Pricing
Starting at ₹499.00 one time
Target
Probe Data, also known as Floating Car Data, is an anonymized, timestamped trajectory-level vehicle location dataset sourced by Mobito from millions of vehicles globally.
Strength
Captures vehicle positions every 3 to 10 seconds, providing high-frequency trajectory data for granular traffic and mobility analysis.
Watch for
Some users report connectivity issues and limited range, particularly in areas with poor cellular coverage or remote locations.

Coresignal

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Target
Teams needing LinkedIn-derived B2B data
Deployment
API
Strength
Granular LinkedIn profile extraction
Watch for
Requires significant pre-processing

Forager.ai

Pricing
Transparent scaling
Target
Recruiting/outreach teams
Deployment
API + People Search
Strength
Bi-weekly refreshed profiles
Watch for
Premium pricing for real-time data

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Sources

Reporting on this tool draws on these publicly available sources.

  1. support.mobito.io
  2. www.mobito.io
  3. www.cbinsights.com
  4. www.facebook.com
  5. marketplace.databricks.com