By Matt Dyer, President, Wheels

It’s an exciting time in the fleet industry, as we’ve recently announced our decision to align our newly combined company, previously known as Wheels Donlen LeasePlan, under the brand name “Wheels.” I see this as an important milestone in our integration journey, as it unites our team—and our customers—under one name, one brand, one mission.

We’re moving forward with the Wheels name, but this is truly a new business we’re forming. This is The New Wheels, and I believe our name, logo, color palette, and tagline bring our new brand to life in a fresh, strong, and exciting way.

“Together Let’s Go Far.” We wanted this tagline to capture our mission—who we are, what we do and how we do it. Four simple words, but they carry a powerful message. This tagline is our commitment to help our clients succeed, and, as President of The New Wheels, I’m very excited for the road ahead.

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By Geotab

Regarding fleet management, industry standards have moved towards greater sustainability and efficiency over the last several years with the introduction of electric vehicle fleets, telematics for route optimization and efficiency, and alternative fuel options.

Practicing sustainability in fleet management is essential for becoming a leader in the industry and landing more clients searching for sustainable practices in their supply chain leaders.

This article will take a closer look at some of the sustainable practices becoming standard within the industry and the challenges facing transportation leaders in an increasingly green marketplace.

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By Brian Herron, President and CEO of Opus IVS

Based on actual insurance claims for small, non-luxury-brand cars with front-end damage that were still drivable, the average EV model cost $4,041 to fix.

This represents a 27% increase compared with the average gas-powered unit seeking similar collision repairs.

Regardless of whether it’s a gas-powered vehicle or an EV, today’s technicians must be properly trained to run diagnostic system and network checks on the technology now in vehicles, including ADAS systems.

With the right collision and repair technology from strategic partners, collision and repair shops can service each vehicle appropriately and help ensure each customer that the job was handled properly.

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Consistently ranked as one of the worst cities for traffic in the United States, Los Angeles’ roadway congestion has continued to climb back to pre-pandemic levels. Cloud-based software platform Lyt has employed artificial intelligence and machine learning technologies to help improve the flow of vehicles.

“There are so many different flavors of AI and machine learning, and this is the future,” said Bobby Lee, director of marketing at Lyt. “What is really exciting about what we’re doing here at Lyt is that we’re getting at the central nerve of what’s going to improve mobility, reduce congestion and get people where they want to go.”

via LA Downtown News

A new partnership between The Hertz Corp. and the City of Houston will bring 2,100 rental electric vehicles to Houston. Dubbed Hertz Electrifies Houston, the program aims to boost Houston’s EV rental fleet, as well add to the city’s charging infrastructure and EV education and training opportunities.

“Our goal is to convert all non-emergency, light-duty municipal vehicles to electric by 2030,” Mayor Sylvester Turner says in a statement. “This partnership with Hertz will provide an invaluable boost to achieve this goal and the goal of our Climate Action Plan for Houston to be a net-zero city by 2050.”

via Hertz Newsroom 

An exclusive agreement between Amazon and Rivian for 100,000 electric delivery vans is reportedly on its way to being scrapped. Rivian is negotiating its way out of the deal after Amazon asked for only 10,000 electric vans this year, below the electric carmaker’s expectations.

Ending the agreement would allow Rivian to shop its delivery vans to other buyers in a bid to shore up more business to stay afloat. Electric commercial vehicles are expected to boom by more than 30% this year, compared to last year, according to analysts. That would bode well for Rivian to supplement its retail market with commercial vehicles that aren’t tied to Amazon.

via The Drive

Industry experts predict that tire sensors will become smarter and offer more vital data for drivers as electric vehicles (EVs) continue to gain popularity. Since EVs are generally heavier than gasoline-powered cars and possess greater torque, the need for safe tire wear rates is higher.

Major tire manufacturers are developing advanced sensors and experimenting with products to help tires last longer, provide drivers with advance warning about when they need servicing or replacement, and ultimately reduce the risk of tire blowouts and increased braking distances. Continental, for example, has developed intelligent sensors that go beyond merely monitoring tire pressure by also gauging temperature and detecting punctures.

via AssumeTech

Vincentric, a leading provider of cost of ownership data, released an in-depth Electric Vehicle (EV) Cost of Ownership Analysis in which the company found that 14 of 27 EVs had lower total cost of ownership over five years than their gasoline counterparts.

The 34-page analysis studied twenty-seven Electric Vehicles from the most recent available model year and compared them to similar gasoline-powered vehicles to provide insight into the cost effectiveness of EVs.

“As today’s consumers consider buying an electric vehicle, understanding the financial consequences of this purchase is important given that EVs typically have a significantly higher purchase price,” said David Wurster, Vincentric President. “Our study found that just over half of the EVs analyzed will save buyers money over 5 years…”

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By Kingbee Rentals

Long-term rentals give you the freedom to return your vehicles when they are no longer needed. The right rental company can supplement your fleet by 10-20%, so you don’t miss out on revenue while you plan for a more long-term solution.

Flexible rental contracts keep your fleet running. Work-ready rentals give you the capacity to carry on business as usual while sidestepping the total cost of ownership with vans that are wrapped with your company’s branding and upfitted with shelves and racks.

When flexibility and speed are a priority, or when vehicles are simply not available, Kingbee provides a work-ready van rental solution. We upfit, wrap, and deliver work ready vans to any jobsite and we have hundreds available right now.

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Fleet Management Weekly recently had the opportunity to speak with Scot Wingo, CEO of Spiffy, the mobile auto service provider that offers a variety of hand car washing, advanced detailing, oil change, tire install and repair, brakes, and many other preventative maintenance services.

Spiffy is a modern automotive services company. We are applying the technology and convenience of e-commerce to car care. We come to you, so we’re mobile first. We’re digital, so we interact with our customers in a more digital way. Requests can be made through an app or a fleet portal.

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