Championed by Gov. Tim Walz, Minnesota became the first state in the Midwest to adopt California's stricter tailpipe emissions standards in an effort to combat climate change. The new rule, which encountered stiff opposition from Republicans, also included a mandate for automakers to bolster their stock of all-electric and hybrid vehicles.
The Minnesota Auto Dealers Association (MADA) filed suit against the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, claiming regulatory overreach. The Minnesota Court of Appeals upheld the state's clean car mandate in January, prompting the appeal to the nation's highest court. The U.S. Supreme Court declined to take up a lawsuit.
There is reason for optimism in the new commercial vehicle market, according to a recently released report from Work Truck Solutions.
Their 2023 3rd Quarter Commercial Vehicle Market Analysis shows a marked uptick in demand for new work trucks and vans.
"As we analyze the market for work trucks and vans, the data indicates continued strong interest in new vehicles, even as the average price for them has hit a record high of $57,290," says Aaron Johnson, CEO of Work Truck Solutions.
Seeking to address one of the biggest concerns about its driverless vehicle technology, autonomous vehicle company Cruise announced that internal software updates have improved how its fleet of robotaxis react to emergency vehicles on the streets of San Francisco.
According to Cruise, its cars now lower their speed by about 70% once they begin to hear a siren. They’ve also been reprogrammed to more quickly find a safe place to pull over if emergency vehicles are heading in their direction, according to the company, and can better navigate around stopped emergency vehicles so they don’t block traffic. The vehicles are also now better equipped to recognize emergency scenes, according to the blog post.
Enterprise Holdings, a global leader in mobility, has strengthened its ambitions in helping shape the future of mobility with strong results across its diverse lines of business, a significant jump in international growth, and global recognition for its long-standing commitment to customers and team members over the past fiscal year.
Enterprise Holdings has an integrated global network of subsidiaries and franchisees, which collectively includes almost 9,500 fully staffed neighborhood and airport locations in more than 90 countries and territories.
The business has invested heavily in growing its international footprint and diversifying its offerings with a robust roster of mobility lines – including car rental, carsharing, truck rental, fleet management, flexible vehicle hire, retail car sales, and more – to generate a record $35 billion in revenue for Enterprise Holdings and its affiliate Enterprise Fleet Management (EFM) in fiscal year 2023 (FY23).
If you’re trying to figure out how your fleet can be more sustainable today it can be helpful to have a knowledgeable partner who can point you in the right direction.