|
|
 |
What’s your biggest issue with owning and driving an electric vehicle? Most likely it’s related to public charging. Fast chargers are getting better, but nothing is worse than arriving at a station with a nearly empty battery and finding every stall filled.
A new study suggests that giving people that knowledge alone could bring more buyers into the EV world. The National Bureau of Economic Research believes EV sales could rise 8% by 2030 if there was better real-time data for charging locations.
Mind you, that’s an 8% rise solely based on knowing where the functional chargers are, and if they’re being used. It doesn’t take into account improvements in charging speeds, reliability or an expanded network of charging stations.
via InsideEVs
|
Why would an automaker refuse to pick up its own products from ports? Because they don’t pay a tariff until they process the car out of the port facility.
The Financial Times explains, “Fees for holding cars in port are high, and carmakers are also seeking to move vehicles into U.S. bonded warehouses, where manufacturers can temporarily store products without being charged tariffs.”
Balancing supply and demand is key to automaker success. Most carmakers traditionally try to keep about two months’ worth of cars on sales lots at any given time, with another two weeks in transit. More can be a waste of money. Fewer might mean missing out on sales because they lack the combination of colors and features a buyer wants.
via Kelley Blue Book
|
The twice-yearly time change is not a major factor in America’s ongoing road safety emergency, David Harkey, president of the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, said at a congressional hearing on April 10.
In his remarks, Harkey put the issue in the context of rising crash deaths, which exceeded 42,000 in 2022, up more than 30% since 2014. IIHS is seeking to reverse this trend with its recently launched 30×30 initiative, a vision to reduce crash deaths 30% by 2030.
A recent IIHS study of morning and evening crashes in the weeks surrounding the time change showed that pedestrian fatalities fall while vehicle occupant fatalities rise with the conversion to daylight saving time. When standard time resumes, vehicle occupant deaths drop and pedestrian deaths rise.
via IIHS
|
A ruling from the Senate blocked an attempt to use the Congressional Review Act (CRA) to revoke California’s waiver under the Clean Air Act, which lets the state ban the sale of new gasoline-powered cars by 2035.
The decision derails a key strategy to undo the state’s climate policy quickly, without the 60 votes normally required to overcome a filibuster in the Senate. Instead, any attempt to overturn the waiver now faces a more difficult legislative path.
“This latest stunt from Trump’s EPA was a clearly bogus attempt to undercut California’s climate leadership, and it failed,” said Senator Alex Padilla of California.
via Autoblog
|
|
|
|
|
By Ed Pierce, Fleet Management Weekly’s Brand Acceleration
Fleet solutions providers must adopt a strategic approach to maximize branding value and generate significant sales opportunities that ensure the success of their participation in the upcoming NAFA Institute & Expo taking place April 28-30, 2025 in Long Beach, California.
This initiative should be spearheaded by marketing in collaboration with sales, and it is essential to involve customer-facing accounts, customer service, and C-level managers to effectively strengthen customer relationships.
The first step is for marketing and sales to set clear objectives. The primary goal is most often generating as many leads as possible. However, because of the long and complicated sales journey, prospect, and customer contact require an account-based marketing, or ABM, plan.
READ MORE
|
|
By Arjan Singh
The auto industry is once again entering turbulent waters. With new tariffs on imported vehicles and parts, companies face rising production costs, supply chain disruptions, and perhaps most importantly — unpredictable consumer behavior.
Originally designed for military applications, war gaming has evolved into a powerful business tool, helping organizations navigate uncertainty, forecast market responses, and develop winning strategies.
In the face of auto tariffs, war gaming helps executives move beyond reactive strategies and toward proactive scenario planning. Automakers, suppliers, and retailers can design simulations tailored to their business realities.
READ MORE
|
|
By Tom McCalmont, CEO, Paired Power
Consumers largely have accepted that EVs can fit into their lives, whether it be for personal or business use. The problem now, however, is can the grid handle the demand? For many potential users, the answer is increasingly no.
Throughout the U.S., grid operators have reported challenges caused by the expansion of EV use. Distribution systems, which aren’t as closely monitored as transmission systems, have struggled with meeting EV charging demand.
Significant investment into expanding EV charging infrastructure is needed to spur the mass adoption of EVs in the U.S. Grid limitations are a major bottleneck in this goal, and microgrid charging is the best solution to circumvent these challenges.
READ MORE
|
|
|
|
