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When compared with hybrid and gas-powered cars and trucks, electric vehicles powered entirely by batteries were the worst-performing segment, aside from traditional full-size pickup trucks, according to Consumer Reports.
“The automakers are using EVs as a technological testbed for whatever new technology they want to try out,” Jake Fisher, senior director of auto testing at Consumer Reports told CNBC. “By having all this new technology, there’s a lot of potential problems with them.”
Unlike all-electric vehicles, hybrid cars and trucks were among the most reliable in the study. That’s largely because many hybrids, such as the Toyota Prius, have been on the market for years, so automakers have been able to work out problems they’ve encountered.
-via CNBC
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General Motors is looking to accelerate the adoption of vehicle-to-grid (V2G) capabilities in EVs. A new partnership with San Diego Gas & Electric will investigate integrating bidirectional charging into the grid to improve energy distribution.
In October, GM introduced a new business unit called GM Energy, which aims to “reimagine” our energy system with a host of new products, dedicated backup home power, and a network of charging stations.
GM and SDG&E will take a holistic approach, studying solutions needed to accelerate vehicle-to-grid adoption, which includes creating systems to help utility providers and automakers tap into cloud-based energy management platforms and distributed energy resources (EVs with V2G) to create Virtual Power Plants.
via Electrek
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Winston-Salem is set to take the first step toward a cleaner-burning fleet with the proposed purchase of eight hybrids and is scaling back a plan to buy dozens of all-gasoline pickup trucks while it explores alternatives.
City council’s finance committee on Nov. 7 unanimously endorsed a nearly $335,000 request for five Ford Interceptor hybrid police pursuit vehicles at $40,441 each, and three Ford F-150 hybrid pickups costing $44,226 apiece.
The hybrid shift comes two weeks after climate-conscious residents, including a citizens panel that advises the city on its sustainability efforts, criticized the city for its purchase of the police vehicles.
via Winston-Selem Journal
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The investment cases for America’s largest automakers are increasingly diverging as the companies — separated by just $1 billion in market value — have taken different tacks around electric and autonomous vehicles.
GM has been diversifying as much as possible around its emerging battery and self-driving vehicle businesses alongside a plan to exclusively offer electric vehicles by 2035. Ford is moving into EVs, too, but keeping up investments in its traditional businesses at the same time.
Last month Ford announced it would disband its Argo AI autonomous vehicle unit saying it didn’t have faith in the business or its potential for monetization in the foreseeable future. Meanwhile, GM’s Cruise said it was expanding its robotaxi service to cover most of San Francisco.
via CNBC
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The best dash cam for safety, security or just recording curiosities that happen on the road will depend on a few key features.
It’s hard to choose since there are so many dash cams on the market, most from brands you don’t know.
All dash cams have the same core purpose that makes them unique among digital cameras: They record live (not time lapse) video as you drive, running in a continuous loop, the “length” of which varies by the amount of storage in the cam. Every feature beyond that is optional and, often, superfluous.
First, think about your budget: You can spend tens to hundreds of dollars on a dash cam, but start with a rough idea of what your reason for having one is worth. If you want to record evidence of a crash you’re involved in, that’s easily worth hundreds of dollars; If you just want to capture the occasional YouTube moment, that might warrant spending less than $100.
via CNET
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By Art Liggio, Chairman, Driving Dynamics
As fleet operators modernize their inventory, most vehicles are ordered with the latest Advanced Driver Assistance System (ADAS) features.
While automation is predominantly touted in all of the advertising related to ADAS, critical functions of many these systems still heavily rely on the successful and correct use by the driver.
A common feature now installed in new vehicles is Lane Keeping Assist (LKA), which is designed to detect if a vehicle is wandering out of its lane. LKA will automatically make steering corrections to return the vehicle back to its proper position within the lane.
There is a very useful feature, however, in everyday driving situations that fundamentally relies on the driver to use a safety system that’s been installed in vehicles for more than 80 years…
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By FMW Editorial Staff
No area of fleet management is immune to the advancement of technology. From updated EVs to evolving charging technology, fleets are able to take advantage of technology to streamline every part of the management process.
One of these areas is maintenance, a major factor in the health and safety of vehicles and drivers alike. Using their Mobile IoT-driven suite, Connixt is seeking to digitize and automate maintenance, giving mechanics and technicians the ability to modernize the process and save time and money.
We sat down with Connixt CEO and Co-founder G. Satish to hear more about how Connixt is revolutionizing the maintenance industry with a user-friendly new application
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