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Elon Musk’s abrupt decision to lay off employees who ran Tesla’s electric vehicle charging business blindsided automakers gearing up to equip new EVs for customers to use the Tesla Supercharger network, industry officials and analysts said on Tuesday.
With sales of Tesla’s EVs falling and profit margins under increasing pressure, Musk could be cutting Supercharger network spending to conserve cash for other projects with more growth potential, analysts said.
GM and Ford, in separate statements, said they are not changing plans to equip their EVs with connectors that will allow drivers of Chevrolet, Cadillac or Ford brand EVs to recharge at Tesla stations.
via Reuters
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The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is opening an investigation into Ford Motor’s hands-free driving technology BlueCruise after two fatal crashes involving Mustang Mach-E SUVs striking parked vehicles, the agency said on Monday.
The agency’s preliminary evaluation into 130,000 2021-2024 Ford Mustang Mach-E vehicles is the first step to determine whether the vehicles pose an unreasonable risk to safety.
Ford offers BlueCruise, an advanced hands-free driving system that operates on 97% of U.S. and Canadian highways with no intersections or traffic signals. The system uses a camera-based driver monitoring system to determine driver attentiveness.
via Reuters
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The U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) finalized a new Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard that will make automatic emergency braking (AEB), including pedestrian AEB, standard on all passenger cars and light trucks by September 2029.
The new standard requires all cars be able to stop and avoid contact with a vehicle in front of them up to 62 miles per hour and that the systems must detect pedestrians in both daylight and darkness.
“The new vehicle safety standards we finalized today will save hundreds of lives and prevent tens of thousands of injuries every year,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg.
via DOT
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By Dave Bean, Content Editor, FMW
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) recently made their vehicle-to-vehicle front-end crash test more stringent. The results: when small SUVs were subjected to the updated assessment, only the Suburu Forester passed with flying colors.
“This is a vital update to one of our most successful test programs,” IIHS President David Harkey said. “The vast majority of new vehicles now come with automatic emergency braking, and our research shows the technology prevents as many as half of all front-to-rear crashes.”
The upgraded small SUV test also revealed that Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) appear to be effective in preventing collisions with passenger-sized cars, but not so much with motorcycles or medium or heavy trucks.
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By Tod Trousdell, Fleet Marketing Consultant and Partner, RobertsTrousdell Marketing and Communications
At Fleet Management Weekly, we’re huge fans of the professional fleet managers who are the core of our industry, like Joe Lukacs, Global Director of Fleet Operations for the Sherwin-Williams Company.
One of the most outspoken and talented fleet managers in the business, Joe is known for speaking his mind on key issues facing fleet.
-What do you see as the biggest challenges facing fleet in 2024?
Right now, the biggest challenges I see facing fleet are the challenges of meeting regulations for carbon emissions standards, specifically for CARB. Especially when it appears OEMs have re-examined their commitment to a pure EV solution and are shifting focus more towards Hybrid technology instead of ZEVs.
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NAFA Fleet Management Association (NAFA) recently concluded its 2024 Institute and Expo (I&E), April 22-24, in San Antonio, TX where 2100+ fleet and mobility professionals from around the globe convened to network, learn.
I&E welcomed attendees from 46 states, 6 Canadian provinces and 16 countries, representing all sectors of the fleet industry including corporate, government, law enforcement, education, utility, and more.
“NAFA I&E is truly special, especially amid the dynamic growth and transformation within our industry,” shared NAFA Board President Mike Camnetar, CAFM. “Leaving I&E, we’re filled with renewed curiosity, a deepened appreciation for our field and a stronger sense of community with our industry peers.”
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By Brian Holland, President and CEO, Fleet Advantage
Businesses with heavy duty transportation fleets are no strangers to economic fluctuations. Depending on the day or even the week, the economy is either strengthening or weakening.
Industry analysts are expecting U.S. freight fundamentals to improve this year. Entering 2024, freight demand was below typical trends, but industry observers expect it to recover.
Fleets have talked about using data for many years now, but having data and implementing data for organizational decisions are two entirely different conversations.
As fleets ponder their strategies for the balance of the year, many will certainly be focused on interest rates and how the cost of money will affect their organizations. They must rely on proven data so they can make smart, informed decisions.
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