By Trent Dressen, Director of Sales, SuperVision

When it comes to business administrative duties, time is always a scarce resource.

In the fleet industry, a large portion of administrative duties revolve around driver license monitoring. Tasks such as running motor vehicle reports, CDLIS reports and filing paperwork all take time, and that time can add up fast. What if there was a program out there that could lighten this workload and streamline processes?

Myth: Continuous License Monitoring creates more complicated processes and a higher administrative burden

Fact: Continuous license monitoring saves administrative time

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Reduce the cost of ownership through a well-written policy

By Mark Boada, Executive Editor

Fleets are under constant pressure find new ways to cut operating costs and increasingly looking for the latest in technological solutions to find them. But one in five fleets would do well to look first to much older technology: pen and paper.

That’s the view of Donlen Corporation, one of the largest fleet management companies, that points out that non-existent, poorly written or out of date fleet policies can cost a fleet tens of thousands dollars or more every year by leaving holes through which money leaks from a dizzying variety of driver behaviors. Updating your policy every year to reflect changes in the law, technology and new forms of driver behavior that contribute to higher expenses is essential to plugging those leaks and reducing the total cost of vehicle ownership.

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International fleetworld

Mobility as a Service is increasingly becoming part of corporate considerations but just how far is it shaping fleet management decision-making around the world? Curtis Hutchinson finds out.

The rate of change blowing through the global fleet sector is unprecedented. Internal combustion engines are on notice as legislative moves across different continents seek to ban them over the coming decades. Fleets are now faced with making electrification work as a practical alternative which also makes financial sense.

Against this backdrop the emergence of Mobility as a Service (MaaS) offerings, focused on the greater integration of flexible modes of public and private transportation, are moving out of left field and into the mainstream.

So how is the rollout of MaaS impacting the management of fleets in different international markets? We asked key fleet providers in North America and Europe to explain the current demand for MaaS and how they expect it to evolve in the coming years.

Read the article at International fleetworld

CNN

Auto journalists often joke about coming back from a big show with a sore throat and a cough, along with all those business cards, free pens and trinkets – now attendees risk catching something more serous than just a cold: the coronavirus.

Auto shows are expensive. It costs a lot of money to transport cars and to design, create and set up elaborate displays. That’s always been true, but now the shows are competing against the internet. Websites can be expensive to build, but at least you don’t have to move them around from place to place and fill them with actual cars.

The auto industry is fascinating, not just because of the machines, but because of the people. It’s people who make auto shows, and other industry events like them, worth going to.

Read the article at CNN.

Green Car Reports

Many EVs and plug-in hybrids are able enough to take on serious winter driving in Snow Belt states—where getting through the white stuff is an everyday thing, not just something you encounter on the last few miles to the ski slopes in California.

All-wheel drive and generous ground clearance are two must-haves that really help in getting through snow drifts and snow banks and navigating back roads with freshly fallen snow. A good set of winter tires is also a must.

Subaru knows that it appeals to outdoorsy types, and that even if shoppers choose the hybrid version they’re going to want the same level of go-anywhere capability. So it’s not surprising that the Crosstrek Hybrid really sacrifices nothing—all while adding an EPA-rated 17 miles of plug-in hybrid range and better mileage than the standard Crosstrek.

Read the article at Green Car Reports.

CleanTechnica

General Motors is working to simplify and improve the charging experience for its EV owners and has announced that it is adding several enhancements to myChevrolet mobile app’s Energy Assist feature, first available for Bolt EV customers in 2017.

The app is available on select Apple and Android devices and provides Bolt EV owners access to all Bolt-compatible charging station locations, regardless of the charge point operator. Bolt EV owners using the app can now view more than 40,000 charging stations in North America.

New enhancements of Energy Assist include: Real-Time Charging Station Availability, Payment, Owner Reviews and Ratings of Stations and Preference Settings.

Read the article at CleanTechnica.

NPR

AAA examined 34 vehicle brands for model year 2018 and found a confusing morass of terms for driver assistance systems.

One manufacturer’s “advanced blind spot monitoring” is another’s “lane change assistant.” Which should not be confused with “lane assist,” which, in another car, might be called “intelligent lane intervention.” One is a warning if someone is in the lane beside you; the other takes over your steering to keep you within the lines.

Consider collision mitigation or automatic emergency braking — a system that hits the brakes for you if you’re about to collide with something. There are 40 unique names for that kind of system, AAA found, including “City Safety,” “Smart Brake Support,” “Pedestrian Protection,” “BAS Plus with Cross-Traffic Assist” and “Forward Collision Warning & Autonomous Emergency Braking w/ Pedestrian Detection (Front Assist).”

Read the article at NPR.

Consumer Reports

Consumer Reports’ Top Picks represent the best of the best from hundreds of current models rated by CR and backed by survey data from their members.

These cars have some of the highest Overall Scores in their categories, factoring in road tests, predicted reliability, owner satisfaction, and safety. When selecting Top Picks, only CR-recommended models that come standard with forward collision warning (FCW) and automatic emergency braking (AEB) with pedestrian detection are considered.

The Top Picks are listed by price range. The Corolla is—hands down—the most new car for your money in the small-car segment. It’s roomy for a compact sedan, efficient (33 mpg overall in our testing), and comes with standard advanced safety tech.

Read the article at Consumer Reports.

What it means for BEV TCO

By Mark Boada, Executive Editor

One of the long-standing selling points of electric vehicles – both hybrids (HEVs) and battery-powered-only (BEVs) – is lower fuel costs, electricity being cheaper to buy than gasoline or diesel. Given that electric vehicles’ purchase prices are higher than comparable models powered by internal combustion engines (ICEs), that differential is supposed to make EV total cost of ownership competitive if not superior to the alternative, as long as you hold onto your EV long enough.

Now, this fuel cost advantage isn’t the only one EVs are supposed to deliver. Other operating costs are also lower, as fully electric cars and SUVs don’t have spark plugs, transmissions, radiators, oil and fuel filters, exhaust systems, and other gasoline-specific components that require routine maintenance. In addition, their brakes last longer, since their stopping power is supplemented by the inertia of the electric motor.

But for fleets looking to add BEVs to their inventory, there’s a fly in the ointment.

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Fleet Logistics UK

The current turbulence and uncertainty in the fleet market surrounding WLTP and the outlawing of fossil fuel and hybrid vehicles in just 12-15 years’ time makes this an ideal time for companies to review their fleet policies for the better. So says Fleet Logistics UK and Ireland.

The Birmingham-based fleet management specialist says companies now have an ideal opportunity to review their fleet policies and supply chains, and to engage and consult with driver populations to deliver robust strategies for the future.

In recent weeks, various issues have arisen to further muddy the already murky UK fleet landscape. The Government announced that from 2035 – possibly now 2032 – hybrids will be banned along with petrol and diesels cars, meaning only new electric and alternative fueled vehicles will be available for sale from that date.

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