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MotorTrend The 2021 Ford F-150 promises to outperform its competition when it comes to max towing, payload, and horsepower and now has given its best-selling model a more inviting interior with company’s latest Sync 4 infotainment system. The fancy Ford unit comes standard with an 8.0-inch touchscreen, which was previously optional. A new fully digital instrument cluster gives the F-150 a much more modern look. Buyers can upgrade to a 12.0-inch screen which features a landscape design. Its split-screen functionality lets you control navigation on the left of the screen and music on the right, for example, and displays key information such as speed, gear selection, and even off-roading data. Read the article at MotorTrend. |
The Verge California’s Air Resources Board (CARB) has passed a new rule that says all commercial trucks and vans sold in the state in 2045 must be zero-emission, in a bid to move the industry away from the dirty and harmful diesel engines that currently power most of these vehicles. It’s a bold move that should help curb one of the worst-polluting sectors of the transportation industry. Despite only making up 7 percent of vehicles on the road in California, diesel trucks account for 70 percent of the state’s smog-causing pollution and 80 percent of diesel soot emitted, according to CARB. California’s new rule could have much broader consequences, too, thanks to its role as a standard bearer for clean air regulations. To date, 14 other states have adopted its progressive ZEV program for passenger vehicles and seven more states and the District of Columbia may adopt the new zero-emission trucking rule. Read the article at The Verge. |
IIHS Convertibles may not look as safe as other vehicles when they’re cruising down the highway with the top down, but crash statistics tell a different story, a new IIHS study shows. Crash rates and driver death rates were lower for convertibles than for nonconvertible versions of the same cars. However, the differences in driver death rates weren’t statistically significant. “Based on this study, convertibles don’t appear to pose a particular safety risk,” Eric Teoh, IIHS director of statistical services said. “If you’re shopping for a convertible, you should consider crash test ratings and safety features, just as you would if you were shopping for any other car.” Read the article at IIHS. |
Business Insider Israeli startup Electreon Wireless is developing a solution to electric vehicle owner’s range anxiety, creating roads that can charge as they drive. Electreon markets its system primarily to governments, cities, and fleet operators, with a proposal to increase efficiency by lowering battery size, cost, and weight. Electric coils installed under roads can transmit energy to electric vehicles on them, charging them as they go. The company intentionally chose to start working first on public transportation, like shuttles between train stations and airports. Electreon chose this point of entry because of the large population served by urban public transportation, and its role as a large polluter. Eventually, it hopes to expand to ridesharing, trains, and autonomous vehicles. Read the article at Business Insider. |
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A Big Turnaround for Dodge
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The Detroit Bureau Dodge is the first domestic brand to rank first in the 34-year-history of the the 2020 J.D. Power Initial Quality Survey. Kia, tied with a score of 136 problems per 100, has been the highest-ranked mainstream brand for six consecutive years. Genesis, which was the top-ranked brand overall in 2019 fell to third this time – but remained the top-ranked luxury brand. Tesla lands last, confirming EV maker’s ongoing quality headaches. The real issue with current models is with technologies that, Dave Sargent, Power’s vice president of automotive quality explained in a statement, “are difficult to use, hard to understand or don’t work the way owners want.” The 2020 study found infotainment systems alone were responsible for a quarter of owner complaints, especially when it came to things like voice recognition, touchscreen operation and Bluetooth connectivity; Read the article at The Detroit Bureau. |
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An Ingrained Safety Culture
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By Trent Dressen, Director of Sales, SuperVision It is the top priority of most businesses that rely on drivers, whether they employ professional drivers, a few salespeople, or a large crew of workers that drive as a function of their job. Developing an ingrained safety culture and a comprehensive safety program delivers a positive impact on any company’s bottom line. Comprehensive safety programs come in many shapes and sizes from self-reporting policies to keep the driver manager aware of any possible issues, point systems to identify when actions should be taken, to driver training programs to address high-risk behavior and keep safety top of mind. Fleets are constantly in search of ways to offset risk with new technologies and safety programs. Before a true safety culture can be effective, driver and fleet managers must understand the level of risk an irresponsible driver poses to their organization. Entrusting a driver with a company vehicle or entrusting them to drive their own vehicle on company time, is a big risk. If the driver is not prepared to adhere to safety regulations, they are a risk that is not worth taking. READ MORE |
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Forbes The Covid-19 pandemic has certainly provided a lens into how the loss of vehicle related revenue wreaks havoc on the budgets of towns, cities and states. No matter how much of an improvement autonomous vehicles may bring, there will be economic consequences that in turn will have political implications – elected officials will need at act quickly and in a way that least impacts the everyday driver and the public at large. Autonomous vehicles are programmed to obey traffic laws and comply with regulations of operating on the roadways. The loss of millions of dollars of vehicle infraction violations, drivers license, meter and garage parking fees that many cities use to plug the holes in their budgets, could be eliminated. Read the article at Forbes. |
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