Shell has teamed-up with a European carmaker consortium, dubbed Ionity, involving Daimler, Volkswagen, BMW, Ford, Porsche, and Audi to build a network of EV fast-charging stations across Europe, reaching 400 locations by 2020.
The partnership is part of Shell’s switch to new revenue sources and follows its acquisition of Europe’s largest EV charging network NewMotion, which has more than 30,000 private home charging points and 50,000 public charging sites.
To begin with, Shell will install the charging stations at 80 of its highway sites. Beginning in 2019, drivers of latest-generation electric cars will be able to charge in as low as five to ten minutes.
This year, Ionity will build 20 charging sites with a capacity of up to 350 kW ensuring the fast charging times, and compatible with “current and future generations of electric vehicles,” thanks to its Combined Charging System.
Read more of the original article at Oil Price.com.
A pilot program by Daimler AG could yield one of the most significant breakthroughs for jointly commercializing both drones and autonomous vehicles.
With driverless delivery vehicles there’s what is known as the “last 100 feet challenge.” It’s one thing to pull up in front of a home or business, but that doesn’t actually get goods directly into the hands of a customer.
By adding drones to a driverless vehicle, Daimler and its partners believe they can solve the 100-foot challenge, at least by getting packages right up to a home or business’s front door.
“We are convinced that the project will evolve rapidly,” said Stefan Maurer, head of Future Transportation at Mercedes-Benz Vans. “We see great potential for our solution and intend to expand it to include further areas of application.”
Read more of the original article at The Detroit Bureau.
Michele Cunningham, Senior VP Products and Services at Element Fleet Management, cautions us to ‘Think Outside the Fleet’ in her column. She says, “ Entire organizations can benefit from a smart, modern mobility strategy by getting ahead of competitors and solving the pain points that can come from antiquated practices.”
In his Fleet Marketing column, Ed Pierce points us to the efficacy of measuring products and services by value, not just cost. He says, “Savings is just too limited a means of determining the potential benefit."
Mark Boada, in Globally Speaking, makes a compelling case for why European fleets would be well advised to start acquiring EVs now. As a leading indicator, he points to the pilot program that LeasePlan N.V. has launched for large fleets in 10 countries.
NAFA opens registration today for the 2018 Institute & Expo -- April 24-27, Anaheim, CA -- with early-bird discounts through January 31st. An outstanding educational agenda and lots of networking events makes this a must-attend conference for fleet professionals.
Janice Sutton
Editor in Chief
From webinars to regional forums to white papers and more, AFLA offers great educational opportunities for fleet professionals all year long.
Take part in this two-day lunchtime webinar December 6 and 7 between 12:00-1:00 PM ET, to join NAFA procurement experts David Hayward, Kate Vigneau, CAFM®, Dianne Siebert, and Julia Pedelini, who share their experiences first hand and discover how a little procurement knowledge goes a long way.
This webinar will help you ensure your success by understanding these best practices about sourcing and how to effectively interact with your procurement departments. Connect with the discussion on how to best operate in these waters!