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FleetManagementWeekly
January 25, 2022

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Editor’s Analysis & Top Industry News

Is Your Fleet ‘Future Ready’?

Andy Page from Sofico Services UK pens a timely piece on how “the Covid pandemic has underlined the need for businesses to be ‘future ready’ with an ability to adapt and reconfigure business processes in an agile and flexible way in the face of major, business-changing incidents.” Check it out here.

Are You Marketing to Fleet Professionals?

If the answer is yes, Fleet Management Weekly has effective and affordable options to help you reach fleet decisionmakers this year. Email me at [email protected] to ask for a proposal and/or set up a quick meeting to learn more.

Ted Roberts
President


VIDEO: A Big Differentiator: Taking the Risk Out of Remarketing

FLD offers two big differentiators when it comes to remarketing. First of all, they remove the risk because you know you’re going to be paid within a few weeks. Next, their technology is state-of-the-art.

VIDEO: EV Charging


  EV Charging Solutions Optimized for Fleets
 

The Blink Fleet Portal keeps your EV charging optimized, and that means more time on the road for your vehicles.


PODCAST with You Here?

  Request for Podcast Interviews
 

FMW is about to launch our new podcast series, and we’re looking to speak with a variety of industry experts (and we know that many of you are reading!).

Please feel free to suggest yourself, or someone you know. Any and all timely industry topics will be considered!

Email Ted Roberts to learn more: [email protected].


Spotlight

Holman and Electrada Team to Simplify Fleets’ Transition to EVs

The unique strategic partnership delivers a comprehensive, turnkey electrification solution simplifying the fleet operator’s transition to EVs

“Electric vehicles and the future of e-mobility remain top strategic priorities for Holman and ARI, and this partnership with Electrada is an exciting opportunity to strengthen our competencies in this rapidly evolving and increasingly impactful segment of the industry,” said Emily Graham, Holman’s Director of Sustainability.

This collaborative effort is designed to convert singular fleet sustainability initiatives into holistic, on-the-road strategies with tangible economic returns, fixed electricity pricing, and overall net savings for fleet operators across multiple vehicle classes and use cases.

READ MORE

Ford Stops Taking Maverick Orders Due to Overwhelming Demand

Ford has stopped accepting customer orders for the Maverick because demand for the compact pickup now exceeds Ford’s production capacity. 

Nationwide chip-shortages have made it hard for carmakers to sustain their usual rate of production, but that’s not exactly why Ford is struggling to fill the overwhelming orders. Rather, that has more to do with the Maverick’s price, which starts at about $20,000.

via Jalopnik

Roadside Protect and LeasePlan Announce Strategic Partnership

This partnership will allow Roadside Protect to apply its fleet management roadside solutions while also expanding its client base in North America.

Senior Vice President of LeasePlan, Tony Blezien said, “We have been looking for a roadside assistance partner that understands the need for superior service to align with our no driver left behind vision. We are excited to select Roadside Protect which has shown they can deliver. The early client feedback has been very positive”

Roadside Protect Chief Revenue Officer Vince Sommer added “We are excited to add LeasePlan as a partner. We continue to strengthen our presence in the Fleet and OEM marketplace as a premier roadside administration and claims servicing company. LeasePlan’s reputation in the industry of providing only top customer service fits well with our mission.”

READ MORE

WIFM Mentorship Program: Sign Up Now

The WIFM Mentorship Program pairs various levels of experienced professionals who are hoping to gain knowledge and perspective.

This engaging program pairs mentors and mentees based on identified areas of focus submitted in the sign-up process. All AFLA members are both welcomed and encouraged to participate.

The next pairing deadline is May 13, 2022. If you would like to be paired before the next deadline, click here

READ MORE

EVs and Lubricating Greases


By Gareth Fish

Although greenhouse gases have received most of the attention in recent decades, the truth is that concerns about problematic air have been around since at least the Middle Ages.

But as the fight against climate change has taken center stage, governments have found themselves pressed by their citizens to take even further action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions more rapidly. One of the fronts in this ongoing battle is a movement to remove internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles from the road and replace them with more hybrid electrical vehicles (HEVs) and electrical vehicles (EVs) throughout the transportation sector, including light-duty work trucks.

Though many grease applications will remain the same during this transition, some applications are becoming more important, and others are completely new because the technology has evolved. As a result, lubricant manufacturers are starting to reconsider the way they formulate the greases that are used in EVs.

READ MORE

 

Being ‘Future Ready’


The Covid pandemic has underlined the need for businesses to be ‘future ready’ with an ability to adapt and reconfigure business processes in an agile and flexible way in the face of major, business-changing incidents.

So says Andy Page, head of marketing at Sofico Services UK, who believes businesses need to foster a positive attitude to change, be open to innovative technology, able to communicate clear steps towards business transformation within a flexible strategy and ensure that they are securely connected to their customers so they can be proactive to market movements.

“The Covid pandemic has accentuated the need for businesses to have the ability to reinforce resilience in the face of disruption and be future ready for the next crisis to emerge. The use of the latest technology allows them to adapt quickly and flexibly to change – not be constrained by legacy systems that are one-dimensional and rigid in their approach,” he said.

READ MORE

 

The Corporate Vehicle Alliance


By Mike Sheldrick, Senior Editor

Cynics might call it greenwashing, but they would be wrong. It could be called a deep green drive.

Twenty-four major companies, truck users all, released a survey of their planned purchases of Zero-Emission Vehicles — ZEVS, from class 1 to class 8 — over the next five years.

The group, the Corporate Vehicle Alliance, includes Amazon, Best Buy, Hertz, T- Mobile. All told, their annual revenue is more than $1 trillion, They collectively own, lease or operate more than 1.3 million vehicles in the U.S. alone.

Many CVA members operate in the burgeoning last-mile space. Amazon itself has promised to purchase 100,000 EVs by 2030. While Amazon owns 20% of start-up EV Rivian, the company has indicated that it would buy from other manufacturers.

READ MORE


Trending

How Tires Can Affect Your EV’s Range and Performance

January 20, 2022 – Tires are easy to overlook on a car, in part because they’re so durable and low maintenance. Your electric car’s tires are even more important to its overall performance and range than they are to a conventionally powered vehicle.

Underinflated tires – even being low by a few PSI can make a meaningful difference in rolling resistance, and therefore efficiency. Tires that were originally equipped on your electric car were very likely developed for use on that car. The tire’s characteristics such as noise profile, longevity, grip, and rolling resistance are sometimes optimized to that specific vehicle’s traits.

It’s well worth the effort to make sure you not only choose the correct tire for your electric car (be they the car’s original set or a different tire entirely), but also to consistently maintain the tires themselves, too.

via Motor Trend

Getting Stuck in a Snowstorm in an Electric Car Isn’t the Catastrophe it Has Been Made Out to Be: Report

Janiuary 20, 2022 – That clog on I-95 in Virginia a few weeks ago had some worried about an electric future, but the fear is unwarranted. 

Former EPA higher-up Dan Kanninen, wrote that he was grateful to have been in an EV while stuck in the storm. “When the traffic nightmare finally ended, gas-powered vehicle drivers scrambled to wait in long lines at snowed-in and overwhelmed gas stations, but my EV’s navigation system directed me to a nearby open charger; these charging stations were conveniently installed every ten miles along the traffic corridor. Despite the extreme conditions my EV endured that day, I nevertheless made it to the charger with a fifty-mile range surplus.”

So, what would have happened if the I-95 snowstorm had been populated entirely by electric vehicles? Probably not much would have changed, but a whole lot fewer tons of carbon dioxide would have been emitted.

via Jalopnik

ADAS Tech in Cars Today Won’t Pass IIHS’ New Safety Rating

January 20, 2022Not a single advanced driver assistance system offered in today’s new vehicles would meet pending safety criteria being developed by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, according to the organization.

IIHS’ new rating program will evaluate the safeguards that vehicles with “partial automation” use to help drivers stay focused on the road.

The first set of ratings is expected to be issued in 2022, IIHS said, though it did not give a specific date because ongoing supply chain issues have made it more difficult to obtain vehicles for testing. via TechCrunch

The Simplest Way to Sell More Electric Cars in America

January 21, 2022Most Americans cannot buy a car directly from the automaker. In 17 states, laws forbid any automaker from opening a store and selling its vehicles directly to customers. Another 11 states allow only one automaker, Tesla, to open stores and sell directly to state residents. 

The question of whether dealerships or EV automakers can more quickly sell EVs to America, the market is eminently qualified to decide. First-time EV shoppers have lots of questions – about battery range, long-term upkeep, even whether they need to do anything different at the DMV – and only full-time, EV-only salespeople can answer those questions well.

Car dealerships’ business model relies heavily enough on maintenance that they might quickly find that they can exist only in the economic niche created by internal-combustion engines.

via The Atlantic

EV Trucks in Demand


January 24, 2022 Companies like Amazon, Best Buy, DHL, Hertz, Schindler Elevator, T-Mobile, and UNFI — were asked what vehicles they wanted manufacturers to build. Those companies plan to buy more than 330,000 electric vehicles, including sedans, SUVs, pickups, and box trucks.

You might think that if electric delivery vehicles are so much in demand by fleet operators, the US Postal Service would be first in line to get them. Politicians have decreed that the next generation of USPS delivery vehicles will be manufactured by a major defense contractor and that 90% of them will be powered by good old fashioned gasoline engines.

One can only wonder why General Motors, Ford, Stellantis, or any of the other legacy automakers with big plans to manufacture electric delivery vehicles weren’t involved in the bidding process for what will be the largest single order for motor vehicles in history. Does anyone else think it’s odd that Tesla is nowhere in this conversation?

via CleanTechnica

 

Safety Goals


By Art Liggio

It’s that time of the year when many of us challenge ourselves to take stock of the past twelve months and set goals for the year ahead.

Most often these reflections and resolutions are of a personal nature, however, this is also a great opportunity to start off the new year with a commitment to achieve your company’s fleet safety goals and make a meaningful difference for your organization and drivers.

With three Ace’s in-hand: PACE, SPACE and GRACE you can help each driver in your fleet and everyone else in your organization realize their own personal resolutions for the year to be safer behind the wheel.

Are you ready to play the right cards?

READ MORE

 

Smart EV Charging


By Amy Dobrikova, Vice President of Fleet Solutions at Blink Charging

The electric vehicle (EV) industry is entering 2022 with unprecedented momentum.

Bolstered by increased investment from OEMs, many of which are expected to roll-out new electric models this year, crucial funding from the Biden Administration and heightened support from cities and states as they double down on their net zero goals, EVs are shifting from sustainable novelties to the future of transportation around the world.

As the electrified revolution ramps up — with more vehicles coming to the market and charging infrastructure expanding rapidly — there’s no better time to consider transitioning your fleet to EVs. While a sustainable alternative to gasoline-powered vehicles, EVs are also significantly cheaper to fuel and require far less maintenance, reducing some of the highest operating costs facing commercial fleet managers today.

As you contemplate how to make your fleet more efficient over the year to come, here are a few considerations on how to transition to EVs.

READ MORE





Fleet Management Resources

 

AFLA
The Automotive Fleet & Leasing Association. Advancing corporate fleet worldwide.

FLD
The fast, easy way to remarket without risk. Get an offer in hours, paid in a few days. Improve TCO. Save time, money and resources.

PARS
PARS’ mission is to provide you with high-quality service at competitive prices for all of your transportation needs.

Driving Dynamics
Driving Dynamics was established to help corporate fleet drivers develop expert, safe driving skills using proven, advanced driving techniques.

Fleet Street
Fleet Street has 30+ years of experience and knowledge using a spectrum of wholesale and retail channels to simplify your involvement in the remarketing process.

SuperVision
SuperVision is a fleet driver management solution for MVR & license monitoring, fleet management, fleet safety oversight and driver performance and retention.

eDriving
eDriving partners with its clients to engage with drivers and their managers to create a culture that supports lasting behavioral change to reduce collisions, injuries, license violations as well as a fleet’s total cost of ownership.

NAFA Fleet Management Association
NAFA is the association for the diverse vehicle fleet management profession regardless of organizational type, geographic location, or fleet composition.

Wheels, Inc.
First in fleet for 80 years. Wheels helps you build tomorrow’s fleet today.




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