By Tod Trousdell, Partner, RobertsTrousdell Marketing and Communications

Excitement for NTEA’s Work Truck Week 2025, which arrives just next week, is palpable and quite possibly at an all-time high as the industry prepares for what has become the “It” event of the work-fleet conference season.

“The amount of new and innovative things planned for this year’s show is staggering,” said Steve Carey, NTEA President and CEO, who points out that Work Truck Week is “the one week of the year where the industry fully showcases what it has to offer.”

Work vehicle upfitters – a group that has seen steady consolidation over the past few years – will again make a strong showing, with long-time behemoth Adrian Steel, Masterack, and newly-sold Ranger Design all sporting impressive booths.

WTW25 kicks off Monday, March 3 in Indianapolis, with the popular Green Fleet Summit while the main exhibit floor opens on Wednesday morning. The event runs through Friday, March 7 at noon.

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By Dave Bean, Content Editor, FMW 

Technology issues continue to dog vehicle ratings, as reported in the recently released J.D. Power 2025 U.S. Vehicle Dependability Study (VDS).

A 6% uptick overall in vehicle problems was reported from last year’s edition of the study. According to J.D. Power, the spike is largely a result of owners of mass market vehicles expressing dissatisfaction with various software components.

J.D. Power also utilizes the results of the 2025 U.S. Vehicle Dependability Study to determine which makes and models are recipients of their coveted awards. This year’s overall brand winner for vehicle dependability is Lexus, while the top overall model is Toyota Avalon.

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By Tod Trousdell, Fleet Marketing Consultant

This week’s fleet professional profile features Peter Young, VP of Business Development at Ranger Design, who is fresh off his recent turn as Chair of the Organizing Committee of the third ever AFLA Canada Summit. Peter shares both his thoughtful insight into the world of fleet, as well as his very exciting life away from the office.

“Fleet professionals will…need to understand the benefits – as well as the risks – of Artificial Intelligence as enterprises implement generative AI at what will likely be a rapid pace.”

“…I practice downhill skiing approximately 40 days a year. And I’ve recently started a new sport called touring, which is climbing up a mountain on skis.”

Tell us about your philosophy on life/work balance. “In a nutshell – work hard, play hard.”

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Renault Group announced it’s making its patented Fireman Access system available to the global automotive industry via a free licensing policy to use the technology that can extinguish an EV fire in a comparable time to a fire consuming an internal combustion powered

This has been a big problem for fire services as once an EV battery achieves thermal runaway, it can take several hours to extinguish fully and use an excessive amount of water.

Renault made the smart move of working with fire services to come up with an ingenious and seemingly simple solution, and just as Volvo did with the seatbelt, the tech is now freely available to all.

via CarBuzz

Mercedes hit a big milestone, taking its solid-state EV battery tech from the lab to the real world. On Monday, the company announced it has officially put “the first car powered by a lithium-metal solid-state battery on the road” through its partnership with US-based Factorial Energy.

Mercedes has been working with Factorial Energy since 2021 to launch the new battery cells, promising more driving range, faster charging, and efficiency. Last summer, Factorial delivered its first solid-state battery cells based on its propriety FEST (Factorial Electrolyte System Technology).

With a “breakthrough” energy density of 450 Wh/kg, Factorial said the new Solstice battery is expected to provide 80% more driving range than current lithium-ion batteries.

via Electrek

Electric vehicles are “not mission critical,” said the Trump administration, which has ordered all EV chargers located at federal buildings to be shut down nationwide and newly purchased EVs to be offloaded. This comes on the heels of pausing already-promised EV infrastructure funding.

These EV chargers were available for government-issued EVs as well as those personally owned by federal employees. Some federal offices have already been instructed to take their chargers offline.

Also offline is the GSA’s Electrify the Fleet page. The agency’s electrification-related blogs are still up and searchable (for now), including one referencing the benefits of EVs.

via The Drive

Midsize SUVs remain one of the most popular segments in the U.S., with options ranging from three-row family haulers to rugged off-roaders. Based on new research from iSeeCars, which analyzed prices and life expectancy of over 3.8 million new vehicles, these are the best new midsize SUVs for the money in 2025.

The Toyota Highlander is the most reliable midsize SUV for the money in 2025. With an average list price of $48,481 and an expected lifespan of 13.9 years, it costs just $3,489 per year to own, significantly below the segment average.

Known for its strong resale value and solid build quality, the Highlander continues to be a top choice for families who need space and reliability.

via Autoblog

NAFA Fleet Management Association (NAFA), the vehicle fleet industry’s largest membership association, is pleased to announce its newly elected 2025-2026 Board of Directors.

This year’s Board is composed of a diverse group of fleet professionals from a wide range of industries, including corporate, public safety, technology, education and more.

“As the new president of NAFA’s Board of Directors, I’m excited to lead this talented group of professionals as we build on the strategic initiatives we’ve set in motion over the past year,” said Maria Neve, NAFA Board President, VP – eFMC Services, Inspiration Mobility.

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(photo: Jason Wonase, CEO and President of Collective Data)

By Fleet Management Weekly Staff

A partner like Collective Data gives you access to all your data in one cloud-based hub, offering a unified view of all your assets. You can assign, monitor, and access inspections; view repair histories; identify vehicles that need replacing; and configure the software to send customizable alerts based on your needs.

To learn more about how Collective Data helps fleets with inspections, maintenance, and more, we spoke with Jason Wonase, CEO and President of Collective Data.

“We provide a subscription-based software solutions system with a highly configurable platform adaptable to fleets’ unique, complex challenges. It provides every feature to track your vehicles right out of the box.”

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(photo: Chis Hayes, Assistant Vice President of Auto and Workers Compensation Risk Control for Travelers)

By Fleet Management Weekly Staff

Several factors can imperil a driver’s safety, from distracted driving to poor weather conditions. For example, winter often leads to a massive uptick in car accidents, as drivers are forced to navigate reduced visibility and road traction. 

We spoke with Chris Hayes, Assistant Vice President of Auto and Workers Compensation Risk Control for Travelers, to learn more about how drivers can stay safe in winter weather.

“The combination of distracted driving and hazardous weather is certainly something we don’t look forward to in the insurance community. If you think about all the conversations around distracted driving, they’re about your ability to react to sudden changes around you.”

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