The Season of Our Discontent
Fleet managers have truly been operating on the front lines; first, grappling with appalling effects of the pandemic and now with fallout from the nationwide protests. FMW applauds the hard work you are doing in the midst of two crises.
How are fleet management companies assisting their clients during these stressful times? For an answer to that question, we turned to Matt Dyer, CEO of LeasePlan USA, to talk about his clients’ reactions to the COVID-19 pandemic and discover solutions the company is putting forth to deal with the unprecedented challenges our industry is facing.
In Crash-Free Culture, Paul Atchley, PhD, eDriving’s Brain Scientist Advisor, asks if we are set for an increase in distracted driving. In the midst of everything else, would we be surprised?
Drive safety and keep well!
Janice Sutton
Editor in Chief
Pandemic Alters Carmakers’ Driverless Plans
With demand for car-sharing and ride-sharing diminishing sharply, companies are shifting their focus to using driverless vehicles to deliver goods before they ferry people - a reversal of a robo-taxi future envisioned just a few years ago, courtesy of the virus that causes COVID-19.
Ford Motor Co. is postponing the commercial deployment of its autonomous vehicles. Waymo had to temporarily suspend its on-road testing and its ride-hailing offerings in Arizona. Uber recently announced layoffs of 3,500, citing the pandemic.
General Motors is shutting down Maven, the car-sharing service that debuted in 2016 as the wave of the future. COVID-19 is changing how people perceive mass transit, and that shapes how GM will develop vehicles like the Origin, which is designed to transport many people.
Read the article at The Detroit News.
AFLA Announces Executive Director Transition
Bill Elliott leaves to become the President & CEO of the Wisconsin Hotel & Lodging Association; Elizabeth Schlicht steps in to lead AFLA into the future
“AFLA is an incredible organization, and I will always hold a special place in my heart for the corporate fleet industry,” said Elliott. He continued, “I’m incredibly proud of the success that we have had over the past eight or so years. AFLA has an incredibly professional and dedicated board of directors who understand the importance of strategic leadership and organizational evolution, and I’m certain that AFLA is well positioned to succeed as the leading corporate fleet and mobility association well into the future.”
Elizabeth Schlicht, CAE has been appointed as AFLA’s new Executive Director after working with the organization for more than 6 years. “Returning to AFLA is a wonderful opportunity and I’m excited to roll up my sleeves, partnering with the board as we move forward with the organization’s strategic plan for the future."
COVID-19 Impact On Rental Car Companies Also Hurts Automakers
The coronavirus pandemic has hammered the auto industry and businesses like Avis and Hertz, even pushing the latter closer to a potential bankruptcy filing.
Hertz said it won't be shopping for cars any time soon. That means automakers, which are dealing with reduced demand for new car sales will also feel the pinch of fewer fleet sales for rental cars.
Rental fleet sales are considered less important than retail sales, but are still a substantial market for automakers. In 2019, seven automakers represented the bulk of vehicles purchased by rental car companies - Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, Nissan, GM, Ford, Toyota, Hyundai and Kia, respectively.
Read the article at USA Today.
Study: Traffic Will Be Worse After Lockdown Ends
There are going to be a million studies on the coronavirus and its impacts in the years and decades to come, but we're already getting data about driving and public transit, and what it means going forward in terms of ride sharing, purchasing, and traffic congestion.
A month ago, traffic was down more than 50 percent, according to MS2 a transportation data agency. Last Friday, as people slowly started to venture out, traffic was down just 29 percent.
If you don’t want to take buses, subways or rideshares, how are you supposed to get around? Capgemini, a global leader in consulting, technology services and digital transformation, found that 46 percent of those 11,000 respondents plan to use their car more frequently. They know where the car has been and who has been in it.
Read the article at MSN.
