NAFA Webinar: Vehicle Utilization Success Story: How Seattle’s Sound Transit Saved $Millions & Right-Sized the Fleet
Wednesday, August 19 -- 12:00-1:00 pm Eastern -- (Sponsored by Agile)
Seattle's Sound Transit reduced their fleet by 115 vehicles saving millions of dollars in cost avoidance while right-sizing their fleet.
In this webinar, hear their story directly from the manager of their non-revenue fleet, and learn how they manage vehicles in 6 different geographical locations from a single office, automated manual processes, boosted utilization rates, and track usage automatically.
Insight. Skills. Trends. NAFA’s 2020 Virtual Institute & Expo.
Attending NAFA 2020 Virtual Institute & Expo goes far beyond your typical online education by offering a comprehensive experience including conference sessions, the industry's largest Expo, and extensive networking opportunities. It's a must-attend event and you can get $100 off by Joining NAFA and attending Virtual I&E now AND $200 off I&E 2021 registration. Register to attend and join NAFA now for only $499, then save again later.
NAFA Virtual I&E is filled with fleet and mobility solutions and best practices you need to stay ahead. Join fleet professionals and industry leaders for THE digital fleet event of the year.
Shining a Light on the Virus
Last week, I had a fascinating conversation with Dr. Darren Verebelyi, president of CoScientific, about UVC light disinfection and its power to fight COVID-19 germs, particularly in hard to reach places. I was delighted when he agreed to write an article for us because steps we take now will help determine our future.
In a recent article for WebMD where he warns “This Fall Could Be ‘Worst’ We’ve Seen,” Dr. Robert Redfield, CDC director, states, “Now as fall approaches, the outbreak’s severity will depend on Americans following CDC guidelines to prevent the spread of COVID-19: wearing face masks, staying 6 feet away from others, washing hands often with soap and warm water, and being smart about crowd gatherings.
“I’m not asking some of America to do it -- we all have to do it,” Redfield said. “This is one of those interventions where 95% to 99% of people have to do it for it to work.” The payoff is great -- our lives are at stake.
Looking at another threat, Mike Sheldrick writes an interesting article: As Vehicles Become More Connected, New Methods to Hack Them Emerge. “The cybersecurity professionals have their work cut out for them”, Sheldrick warns, “with nearly all vehicles connected to the internet, the door has opened wider to hackers.”
Our thoughts are for the safety of folks in the paths of Hurricane Laura in the Gulf and the devastating fires in California.
Janice Sutton
Editor in Chief
Why Isn’t Everyone Buying EVs Yet? It’s Not Just The Price
The resistance to EVs you see online, isn’t usually about the price – it seems to be driven by a fundamental dislike for change, and the lack of EV options for different vehicular needs.
EVs aren’t all about taking all your fossil fuel cars and making them electric. There’s also a significant shift in the way we transport ourselves which has been further accentuated by the Covid pandemic. There are also issues with automotive industry workers and their powerful unions being worried about losing their jobs.
A further reluctance comes from the dealerships. because car sales margins are traditionally low, and they make their money selling aftermarket service packages – which are almost not needed with EVs, particularly when they are fully connected, allowing remote management and diagnostics.
Read the article at Forbes.
Teens Are The Riskiest Drivers, But They Drive The Least Safe Vehicles
More than a quarter of teen drivers killed in crashes during 2013-17 were driving micro, mini or small cars, and nearly two-thirds were driving 6-15-year-old vehicles, indicating almost no change compared with 2008-12.
Previous research has shown that teens drive less than older drivers, but they crash about 4 times as often, relative to the number of miles they drive. Teens were also less likely to be driving vehicles equipped with standard side airbags and electronic stability control (ESC) and more likely to be driving models on which those features aren’t even options.
“It’s understandable that parents don’t want to shell out big bucks for their teen’s first car, and they probably don’t realize how much safer a newer, larger vehicle is,” says IIHS Research Scientist Rebecca Weast, lead author of the paper. “Small vehicles don’t protect as well in a crash, and older vehicles are less likely to be equipped with essential safety equipment.”
Read the article at IIHS.
