|
|
MotorTrend
Truck owners: How often have you “done the math” to verify payload weight before the front-end loader dumps a bucket of mulch into your half-ton pickup? Now, your 2021 Ford F-150 will take the guesswork out of this, with the truck’s new Onboard Scale w/Smart Hitch option.
Load-leveling sensors used by other systems measure the suspension’s deflection at each corner. VIN-specific predetermined payload capacity is programmed at the factory and all loads are expressed as estimated amounts under or over that amount.
The Smart Hitch feature utilizes the same sensors as the scales feature, but it helps ensure the trailer hitch’s tongue weight remains in spec. This is trickier because (at least for now) the user must somehow determine and program in the overall weight of the trailer.
Read the article at MotorTrend.
|
IIHS
The headlight ratings program developed by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety is reducing dangerous nighttime crashes in the real world, a recent study shows.
Nighttime crash rates per mile are nearly 20 percent lower for vehicles with headlights that earn a good rating in the IIHS evaluation, compared with those with poor-rated headlights, the study found. For vehicles with acceptable or marginal headlights, crash rates are 15 percent and 10 percent lower than for those with poor ratings.
“Driving at night is 3 times as risky as driving during the day,” says IIHS Senior Research Engineer Matthew Brumbelow, who conducted the study. “This is the first study to document how much headlights that provide better illumination can help.”
Read the article at IIHS.
|
NICB
For the second year in a row, the Ford full size pick-up was the model most targeted by thieves, followed by the Chevrolet full size pick-up, which supplanted the formerly second-place Honda Civic.
“Auto thefts saw a dramatic increase in 2020 versus 2019 in part due to the pandemic, an economic downturn, law enforcement realignment, depleted social and schooling programs, and, in still too many cases, owner complacency,” said David Glawe, president and CEO of the NICB. “For many people, a car is the second largest investment they will ever make behind a home. No matter what kind of vehicle you have, take steps to protect your investment – lock your car and take your keys.”
Thefts for all models in the top 10 were up in 2020 compared to 2019, but only Ford, Chevrolet, and GMC full size pick-ups and the Honda CR-V saw double digit theft increase percentages. In this year’s list, six of the top 10 most stolen vehicles were Japanese models.
Read the article at NICB.
|
InsideEVs
As for when you should have your electric vehicle serviced, well that comes down to each manufacturer. Some EV drivers have gone tens of thousands of miles without a service and with no known defects.
Many EVs are heavier than their combustion counterparts so can suffer a little more tire wear. Instead of friction brakes clamping down and expelling heat, that energy is used to slow the car and recharge the battery. It means that many EV owners go years without having to change a brake pad or disc!
The battery in an EV is one of the things that gets the most attention when it comes to talking about maintaining EVs. The battery will degrade over time, but it isn’t something that needs to be serviced in a manner that we’re accustomed to.
Read the article at InsideEVs.
|
|
|
|
AAA Newsroom
A new survey from AAA finds that 40 percent of Americans expect driver support systems, with names like Autopilot, ProPILOT or Pilot Assist, to have the ability to drive the car by itself, indicating a gap in consumer understanding of these technologies and reality.
AAA also tested these systems and found that they are in fact not designed to take over the task of driving and can be significantly challenged by every day, real-world conditions such as poor lane markings, unusual traffic patterns and stationary vehicles.
As this type of technology becomes more commonplace on the road, AAA cautions consumers not to take vehicle system names at face value and, although meant to assist in the driving task, should never be used as a replacement for driver engagement. In order to reduce the misuse of driver support vehicle systems, drivers are encouraged to educate themselves by requesting a demonstration at the dealership as well as thoroughly reading the vehicle owner’s manual.
Read the article at AAA Newsroom.
|
|
|
|
A New Record for Used Vehicle Prices
|
|
Consumer Affairs
Three-year-old vehicles – typically the cars and trucks that are most in-demand — increased in value by 4.6%. Throughout the entire month, buyers paid more than the Manheim Market Report (MMR) values. Despite there being higher prices, 65% of shoppers ended up buying a vehicle, compared to 52% in 2019.
Every type of vehicle saw price increases in September, but some increased more than others. The price of a van rose nearly 41% from September 2020. Pickup trucks, already among the most expensive used vehicles, rose by another 17.8%. Overall, prices were up 27.1%.
Dealers may have gotten top dollar for their inventory in September, but they sold fewer vehicles. Cox Automotive, the parent company of Manheim, reports that total used vehicle sales were down 13% year-over-year on a seasonally adjusted basis (SAAR). Consumers who are able to find a new vehicle to their liking, there may have never been a better time to trade in a used car or truck.
Read the article at Consumer Affairs.
|
|
|
Photo credit: La Cantera Resort & Spa
By Rich Mallek, Director of Business Development, FLD Remarketing
Like many of the attendees at last week’s annual Automotive Fleet Leasing Association (AFLA) conference, I was decidedly unsure how the event would turn out.
After more than 18 months of virtual meetings and halting interactions, I wondered whether my colleagues in fleet were ready for what usually turns out to be several days of face to face meetings, close contact with long-time friends, and commiserating with people we may not have met before.
Especially considering that the annual NAFA show held the previous month in Pittsburgh had a markedly smaller crowd than years past, and many notable participants in NAFA’s usually bustling conference floor missing in action.
As I boarded my flight to San Antonio, many unanswered questions swirled in my head.
READ MORE
|
|
|
|