Envisioning A Data-Enabled, $2 Trillion Automotive Ecosystem Before Autonomy Is Real
The automotive ecosystem is an almost $2T marketplace which consists of a large number of integrated markets. Beyond the automotive OEMs, these include rental companies, auto financing, auto insurance, gas stations (energy), media (radio, billboard in particular), maintenance services, public sector infrastructure, and even emergency services.
Today, nearly every new car has core sensor, communication, and control systems embedded as a part of its core functionality with associated cellular communication systems providing data back to the OEM HQ.
A startup in Israel called Otonomo has built a platform which claims to have a strong architecture of privacy (opt-in) and federated secure access. With this platform, they can take data from automobiles, and make it available to application developers for constructing larger flows in an organized manner.
Read the article at Forbes.
Storm Prep: Car Storage + Evacuation
Those who live where catastrophic flooding and high winds threatens your property every year, plans should be reviewed for prepping your vehicles and getting your self ready in the event of an evacuation.
All of your property (not just cars) should be photographed before the storm, as it might be needed later to assess its pre-storm condition by an insurance claims
If you’re lucky enough to have a garage that isn’t likely to collapse under its own weight (check for rotted wood, loose fasteners, etc) park your vehicle, disconnect the battery, install a cover, and remove anything from shelves/walls/ceiling that could fall on it. Modern homes often use thin gauge metal garage doors that fail in high winds, so consider attaching braces behind them.
Read the article at MSN.
Fleet Industry Expert Steve Saltzgiver Joins RTA
RTA Fleet Management Software is excited to announce fleet industry veteran Steve Saltzgiver will join its staff as the Director of Strategic Innovation.
In this position, Saltzgiver will assist the fleet management software company with product design, provide consultations to customers, share best practices with clients, and more.
Most recently, Saltzgiver was a Fleet Management Consultant with Mercury Associates. Prior to that, he served as a vice president of two Fortune 500 fleets, Coca-Cola and Republic Services. He was also a former director of two large state fleets in Utah and Georgia.
“I had the privilege of meeting Steve three years ago at NAFA,” RTA CEO Josh Turley said. “If you had told me then I would have the opportunity to work alongside him, I would have gotten a little starry eyed."
Study Shows Front Crash Prevention Works For Large Trucks Too
Equipping large trucks with forward collision warning and automatic emergency braking (AEB) systems could eliminate more than 2 out of 5 crashes in which a large truck rear-ends another vehicle, a new study from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety suggests.
IIHS Director of Statistical Services Eric Teoh found that tractor-trailers and other trucks weighing at least 33,000 pounds equipped with forward collision warning had 22 percent fewer crashes and trucks with AEB had 12 percent fewer crashes than those without either technology.
The study indicated that AEB and forward collision warning are both likely to have benefits beyond the reduction in crashes. Some crashes that aren’t prevented by the systems are made less severe, thanks to a reduction in impact speed. This is true whether it’s the automated system applying the brakes or a human driver who has more time to react because of a warning.
Read the article at IIHS.
Volvo Launches Car Subscription Service In UK
Priced from £559 a month and including the car and everything else bar fuel, Volvo has introduced a car subscription service in the UK, intended to provide an attractive alternative to leasing or outright purchase for a single monthly payment.
Care by Volvo is said to be the most flexible service of its kind in the UK, covering more aspects of car ownership than any other comparable service currently in the UK market. Included in the price is scheduled servicing, wear-and-tear maintenance and repairs, replacement tires and roadside assistance cover.
There’s no sign-up fee and no fixed-term agreement; customers can sign up online within seconds, with car delivery to their door if they prefer.
Read the article at International Fleet World.
