Fiat Chrysler Merger Bid for Renault Comes Amid Market Upheaval
A potential merger between Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV and French automaker Renault SA — is the latest move by a Detroit carmaker to reposition itself for the future.
In a bid to save some $5.6 billion (5 billion euros) annually through efficiencies in manufacturing, purchasing and R&D, Fiat Chrysler on Monday presented Renault's board of directors with a 50-50 merger proposal. FCA is proposing a new company with a new management structure that would be 50% owned by the Italian-American automaker and 50% owned by France's Renault.
"This is happening at a time when the industry is coming off peak car sales, and we are on the verge of transformation of the global auto industry," said Michelle Krebs, an industry analyst with Cox Automotive. "Automakers are reckoning with how EVs, AVs and mobility will change how people acquire transportation. Those changes will cost a lot of money and nobody knows when payback will come."
Read the article at The Detroit News
eDriving Driver Safety On-Demand Webinar and eBook Now Available
Driver safety isn't a "campaign," nor a "tick-the-box" exercise achieved through periodic training courses.
To reduce driver risk, lower associated costs, and sustain risk reduction, driver safety must become "a way of life" - part of an organization's conversations, activities, meetings, performance reviews, annual conferences, and other events.
Watch now
In this webinar, Jim Noble, eDriving's Vice President, Risk Engineering, explains how to reduce driver risk by creating a safety performance environment.
Get ebook now
This concise eBook summarizes the elements of a successful crash-free culture and explains how to measure progress and maintain safety as a way of life.
Daimler Says Growth of Electric Vehicles Doesn’t Mean the Death of Diesel
Even as it moves to add electric vehicles to its portfolio, diesel engines will continue to play an important role meeting the needs of customers, Daimler executives told shareholders during the company’s annual shareholders meeting in Berlin.
Diesel vehicles still have a clear carbon dioxide advantage over comparable gasoline-driven vehicles.
“The diesel engine is part of the solution,” Dieter Zetsche, Daimler's outgoing CEO said. “That is why we assume it will continue to play an important role in Europe for at least another decade — maybe even longer in the commercial vehicles area.
Read the article at The Detroit Bureau.
Commuting Time is Shortened in Seattle With Mass Transit
After decades as a car-dominated city, Seattle’s enormous investment in mass transit transformed the city.
Now, it's easy to live without driving every day or without owning a car at all.
Light-rail ridership is surging; after the most recent expansion, the number of daily users jumped 89 percent, to 65,100 people on an average weekday, compared with the year before.
The 4-mile trip from the university to downtown, which could take 20 minutes by car on a good day or 40 minutes on a gridlocked day, shrank to eight minutes.
Read the article at Politico.
Comcast Reduces Technician Accidents With Texting Simulator
A simulator made up of off-the-shelf computer and gaming hardware is used to emphasize to Comcast’s employees just how dangerous it is to try to text and drive at the same time.
“We try to make the point that you really don’t text and drive,” Thomas Baker, the environmental health and safety manager said. “You text OR drive. You can’t really do both.”
Accidents involving Comcast technicians in the Houston region are down 26 percent year over year since the simulator was put into use.
Read the article at Houston Chronicle.
