By John Rickette, CTP, Vice President of Portfolio and Manager of the Transaction Management Team, Fleet Advantage

To help fleet executives maximize their asset management strategies, asset management firms are providing a full suite of data analytics to determine the best finance option for their operation.

These tools are needed to help fleets make better decisions, because finance costs are a significant calculation in any equipment acquisition.

Regardless of what type of lease or financing is being utilized, fleets must determine what is included and conduct a line-by-line comparison for each cost item.

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Fleet Management Weekly’s fleet industry experts know the fleet market. Combined with our fleet-experienced marketing team, we can connect any company with more sales opportunities. Not just leads, but targeted sales opportunities.

Engaging an outside branding and marketing group like Fleet Management Weekly’s Brand Acceleration, can result in compelling messaging, delivered through a medium that targets the right decision-makers, and reaches them at the right time.

If you are attending the AFLA conference, October 2nd-5th, look for Janice Sutton, Ted Roberts, or Ed Pierce to obtain your first cache of FleetLeads and to learn more about our Brand Acceleration marketing program.

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By Jessica Kim, Head of Marketing and RevOps, Pitstop

Now, in an exciting update from Pitstop, a leading predictive fleet maintenance software powered by AI, ChatGPT becomes even more valuable and accessible to fleet professionals specifically.

Fleets that embrace AI position themselves at the vanguard of innovation, equipped with the tools to chart the course through future challenges and seize opportunities.

To learn more about AI and ChatGPT in fleet maintenance, schedule a demo with Pitstop today.

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None of the four minivans tested by IIHS earns an acceptable or good rating in the updated moderate overlap front crash test, which emphasizes protection for passengers in the back seat. The Chrysler Pacifica, Kia Carnival and Toyota Sienna are rated marginal, while the Honda Odyssey is rated poor.

“Back seat safety is important for all vehicles, but it’s especially vital for those, like minivans, that customers are choosing specifically to transport their families,” said IIHS President David Harkey. “It’s disappointing that automakers haven’t acted faster to apply the best available technology to the second row in this vehicle class.”

-IIHS

One of the early arguments for electric vehicles was that they wouldn’t need as much maintenance. In practice however, EVs have been subject to quality issues and recalls too, while their repairs have sometimes been stalled by a lack of parts.

Sometime soon, EV owners may also find themselves struggling just to find a qualified mechanic—but the evidence leaves it unclear when the problem could arise, or how bad it might be.

EVs reportedly make up only about one percent of vehicles on U.S. roads. There are reportedly 1,270 conventional ICE vehicles on the road per mechanic, as opposed to just 807 for an EV-certified mechanic.

via The Drive

Apple is rumored to be working on a technology that will allow you to use your iPhone or Apple Watch as a digital key for your car.

With advancements in mobile devices and wireless communication, the idea of using your smartphone or smartwatch to unlock your car is gaining traction.

Not only will this technology provide a seamless unlocking experience, but it may also offer additional functionalities, such as the ability to share digital keys with family members or friends, remotely start your car, and even monitor its location and status.

-Cellularnews.com

Survey after survey has shown that worries about charging — specifically, public charging — is holding buyers back from electric vehicles. Americans are still hesitant to buy in, and largely because of concerns around charging.

The question remains, how long — and how severely — will charging hamper the EV revolution, right as its finally picking up steam? There’s a groundswell forming to expand and improve the U.S. charging landscape, but experts agree there’s a long road ahead.

“The reliability of public chargers continues to be a problem,” said Brent Gruber, who leads JD Power’s EV practice.

-via CNBC

ALD | LeasePlan intends to introduce their new combined entity by the end of 2023, the result of ALD’s acquisition of LeasePlan earlier this year. The goal in uniting the brands is to leverage the strengths of each and create one formidable player in the mobility sector.

Calling the strategy “PowerUP 2026”, the new singular entity hopes to reconfigure the future of mobility with priorities focused on: Clients, Operational Efficiency, Responsibility, and Profitability.

In addition, the new ALD | LeasePlan entity is looking forward to a robust return to new car production in Europe beginning in 2024, foreseeing a reduction in supply and logistic chain challenges which have hobbled the industry. Further, the acceleration in EV production is also enhancing optimism in the market.

To read the detailed press release, click here.

By Tanner Lee, Kingbee

The most effective fleets are able to adapt when uncertainties arise.

When economies are in flux, a rental contract keeps your costs steady. Rental vehicles stay off the balance sheet, giving you more borrowing power to invest elsewhere.

Van rentals not only eliminate the potential cost of down vehicles, they also increase your opportunity to generate revenue by taking on more projects.

Kingbee work-ready van rentals complement your current funding strategy and offers a third avenue for funding vehicles, alongside leasing and purchasing.

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The Electrical Safety Foundation (ESFI) recently surveyed electric vehicle (EV) owners to gauge their understanding of EVs and electric vehicle supply equipment (EVSE), or EV charging stations and chargers.

“Older homes may not be able to safely handle EV charging without overloading the home’s electrical system,” said ESFI President Brett Brenner.

When respondents were asked about preparing their homes for EVs, 63% said they scheduled a home inspection before EVSE installation, while 54% needed an electrical panel upgrade.

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