California Plans to Ban Sales of Gas-Powered Vehicles by 2035
Governor Gavin Newsom, in a move that is certain to kick off a major legal, philosophical, economic and political row, plans to ban the sale of motor vehicles that use gasoline or diesel fuel by 2035 as part of its effort to reduce carbon dioxide emissions that contribute to climate change and global warming.
California has long had the authority to write it own clean-air rules. The authority was reinforced in 2007 in a major case, Massachusetts vs EPA, in which the court overruled the Bush administration and said that states had the right to regulate the emissions of greenhouse gases.
“We’re experiencing a climate CRISIS,” Newsom said. “Transportation is responsible for over 50% of CA’s greenhouse gas emissions. It’s time to be as bold as the problem is big. Today we announced that by 2035 every new car sold in CA will be an emission free vehicle.”
Read the article at The Detroit Bureau.
AFLA 2020 President’s Awards Announced
Congratulations to the following individuals who have been named the AFLA 2020 President's Award Recipients.
The AFLA President's Award is given at the discretion of the elected president, for those who have gone above and beyond to advance AFLA and the corporate fleet management profession.
Named to this prestigious award are Diana Holland, Vice President Strategic Pursuits at Merchants Fleet; Suresh Rajapakse, Vice President of Account Management at Wheels, Inc.; and Ted Roberts, Co-Founder and Chief Content Officer at Fleet Management Weekly
AFLA president, Katie Keeton, announced the awards on Friday saying, “It is my privilege to recognize the strong commitment to both AFLA and the corporate fleet industry by these three individuals, and thank them for their time, talents and efforts towards governing AFLA.”
YourMechanic and Motus Launch Nationwide Mobile Maintenance Program
YourMechanic, contactless automotive maintenance and repair service provider, announces its partnership launch with Motus, a leader in reimbursement solutions for businesses with mobile-enabled workforces.
With the launch of this partnership, YourMechanic’s mobile services are now available to hundreds of thousands of Motus customers spanning leading organizations in food and beverage, oil and gas, construction, manufacturing, life sciences, heavy equipment, retail and business services.
Through the Motus cloud-based platform and app, customers now have direct access to hundreds of mobile auto care services – from oil changes and brakes to battery and alternator failures – directly to their fleet lots or home driveways.
Ring Gets Into Automotive Security With Three New Car Products, Including One Debuting First For Teslas
Amazon-owned Ring is expanding from home and neighborhood security to the automotive world, with three new products including Ring Car Alarm, Ring Car Cam, and Ring Car Connect. Each of these will be available beginning sometime next year.
The products definitely span a range of price points – Ring Car Alarm will retail for $59.99, while Car Cam and Car Connect will both be $199.99.
Ring Car Alarm is an OBD-II wireless device that can detect any bumps while the car’s unoccupied, or even break-ins and when the car’s begin towed. Ring Car Cam is a security camera, which can work either via wifi, or LTE. Finally, Ring Car Connect is an API and aftermarket device for carmakers that allows them to integrate a vehicle’s built-in cameras, and lock/unlock state.
Read the article at TechCrunch.
Buying A New Car? These Tech Features Could Drive Your Choice
A few years ago, those who kicked the tires on new vehicles might have prioritized fuel efficiency, comfort, or perhaps horsepower. Today, it’s all about the tech.
“The race never ends to develop ‘must have’ vehicle technologies,” says Kristin Kolodge, executive director of driver interaction and human machine interface research at J.D. Power. “New technology continues to be a primary factor in the vehicle purchase decision.”
New technologies range from Toyota's Safety Sense 2.5, a comprehensive suite of active safety systems and optional Star Gaze fixed panoramic moonroof, to Cadillac's enhanced Super Cruise system, which now includes “lane change on-demand,” allowing drivers to direct the system to perform a single lane change using the turn signal to indicate the desired direction of the move.
Read the article at USA Today.
