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September 4, 2022 – The $7,500 tax credit from the Inflation Reduction Act excludes foreign automakers. The move has prompted many automakers to start moving quickly. In a matter of weeks, several massive announcements have come from various automakers, each pertaining to battery production within North America.
Even larger OEMs like Hyundai and Kia are hopping mad they are excluded and are ready to put up a fight before the proposed Georgia EV battery plant comes online.
Other large automakers like Toyota and Honda are all making big, expensive moves amounting to billions of dollars worth of investment. Toyota just dropped an investment of another $2.5 billion into a future EV battery plant in North Carolina. Panasonic has started to make moves to dominate the US EV battery plant landscape with partner Tesla.
via CarBuzz
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September 3, 2022 – Unlike purchasing a vehicle with an internal combustion engine, buying an EV involves some forethought and planning. Particularly when it comes to keeping it running.
One of the best decisions you can make before purchasing an EV is to have a charger installed where you live. That’s certainly easier if you own your home, but there are plenty of hoops to jump through to make it happen (permits, contractors, fees).
To simplify the process, some automakers incentivize this process, as do a number of state and local governments. If you happen to rent the place you call home, then it never hurts to ask your landlord about the possibility of installing an electric car charger.
via MSN
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September 6, 2022 – State Sen. Brad Hoylman, D-New York City, has proposed legislation that would require several safety features in vehicles weighing more than 3,000 pounds.
A study released earlier this year by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety pointed to vehicles getting bigger as reasons for rising pedestrian deaths on U.S. roads.
Hoylman wants to see those vehicles, and anything bigger, to be sold with active intelligent speed assist, advanced emergency braking, emergency lane keeping systems, blind spot information systems, drowsiness and distraction recognition technology, rear view camera sensor systems and event data recorders. The proposal would require blind spot information systems to also include cyclist and pedestrian detection technology.
via The Post-Journal
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September 2, 2022 – On August 24th, Governor Gavin Newsom revealed a proposal to ban the sale of new fossil fueled cars in the state by 2035 with the ramp-up beginning as soon as 2026. Just a week later, a heat wave hit the state resulting in Governor Newsom declaring a state of emergency.
There is a plan to increase power availability by 68 percent in California by “2045 or sooner” which works out to an average growth of about 3 percent per year between 2023 and 2045.
For now, all Californian EV owners can do to help is to charge their vehicles during the day – before about 4:00 pm or wait until after 9:00 pm to reduce the strain on the power grid. Only time will tell if Newsom’s plan will really be enough to support the lofty goal of 100 percent new EV sales in a few decades.
via MotorTrend
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Transitioning to Green Fleets
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Corporate fleets are placing record-setting orders for EVs. It’s one thing to want to showcase all-electric transportation for clean energy-conscious clients. It’s another to execute it easily.
Here are two important issues that arise when discussing the transition to green vehicle fleets.
Accessible charging infrastructure: Companies profess fear that their fleets won’t find charging opportunities as needed. Yet EV fleets represent a particularly promising segment of the potential market for charging services, which can help fleet operators reduce their costs by procuring and managing energy in efficient ways.
A variety of EVs to match function and aesthetics: Due to chip shortages, supply chain issues, inconsistent inflation, spooky gas prices, awareness of the climate crisis, the war in Ukraine, and continual consumer demand, EVs can’t meet demand right now from individual consumers or fleets. Waits will continue until supply catches up with fleet demand.
via CleanTechnica
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By Ed Pierce, Fleet Management Weekly Contributing Editor
Almost two years ago, RTA recruited fleet industry veteran Steve Saltzgiver to join its staff as the Director of Strategic Innovation.
In his time with RTA, Saltzgiver’s role with the company has evolved to his current title of Fleet Success Ambassador. As Fleet Success Ambassador, Saltzgiver is instrumental in working with clients, improving RTA’s brand, and marketing their Fleet Success solutions.
From their four-pillared Fleet Success Scorecard to the leadership training at their Fleet Success Summit, RTA is pushing the limits of how fleet managers can succeed.
“We are a fleet management information system, but we’re changing to be more than a fleet information systems company now,” says Saltzgiver. “We are jumping to that next level to produce products and things that will help the fleet managers actually manage their system without having to have training.
They’ll be able to have machine language and AI data in front of them that, when they open up their computer, it actually tells them what they need to do for that day.”
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Fighting Distracted Driving
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By Bill Brower, Vice President of Industry Relations, Solera
Any driver can fall victim to distracted driving, including truck drivers who are under pressure to complete deliveries quickly and make frequent long-haul and overnight journeys.
When a driver spends so much time on the road, it’s easy to think they have complete control over their vehicle and don’t need to remain as vigilant during their journeys. This is a crucial and often fatal mistake.
It’s essential for fleet managers and drivers to work together to develop safe driving habits through preparation, modern technology, awareness about the dangers of distracted driving, and coaching to correct bad habits.
Distracted driving is an ongoing problem, but preparation and commitment can vastly improve the safety of fleets and fellow drivers.
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