By Mark Boada, Senior Editor
By all accounts, when it comes to the world’s electric vehicle (EV) present and future, China is the 800-pound gorilla. Consider the following, as reported in This Week in Asia last August:
Elsewhere, you’ll find these facts:
The continued decline of diesel market share and the increased provision of total corporate mobility will be two of the key fleet trends for the year ahead. So says Dr Jörg Löffler, CEO of Europe’s largest independent fleet management provider, Fleet Logistics.
In a wide-ranging interview to mark the start of 2018, Dr Löffler said that he believed that demand for diesel would continue to fall throughout the year across Europe and not just the UK, where the decline in diesel demand has been most marked. This trend is firstly driven by irritated private car buyers but fleets might follow soon.
Fleet Logistics also believes that the issue of total corporate mobility will become increasingly important in the near future as many companies examine their total transport and mobility needs and do not restrict this solely to the provision of company cars.
Another key trend for 2018 looks likely to be the continued growth in recharging points for electric and hybrid-electric vehicles with more players entering the arena. Dr Löffler pointed to the recent initiative by oil giant Shell together with major German car manufacturers as evidence of the rapid speed of change within the European charging infrastructure.
A new government report recommends that all states significantly lower the level of alcohol in the blood from .08% to .05%, to be considered driving under the influence of alcohol.
The 489-report also calls for a number of other steps that could reduce alcohol consumption, including higher alcohol taxes and shorter hours for bars, restaurants and liquor stores.
“We know that impairment to drive a car actually starts far lower than 0.08. It starts at 0.02 or 0.03,” said Dr. Timothy Naimi, of the Boston Medical Center. “And there’s also good evidence to show that dropping from 0.08 to 0.05 saves lives.”
Read the article at The Detroit Bureau.
By Art Liggio, President and CEO, Driving Dynamics
Last year Safety & Risk featured two columns: “Alert the Fleet: The Other Driver Has Been Abusing Prescription Opioids” and “Riding High in My ’58 Ford Cortina,” both intended to raise awareness that we’re sharing the road with more and more drivers operating their vehicles with diminished capacity.
And as more states legalize the use of marijuana―most recently added was California with 38 million inhabitants representing 12 percent of our country’s population, the message of vigilance and preparedness is worth repeating.
With access to this recreational drug becoming more easily available ever day, it’s almost certain we’ll see an increase in the number of individuals operating vehicles under the influence, putting themselves and the rest of us in harm’s way.
The high-tech features on new cars make navigating the roads safer, but come with a higher price tag on the vehicles as well as the repairs and insurance.
Fixing a bumper isn't the same old job. Repairing a bumper on an entry-level luxury car, for example, can cost about $3,550 for a 2016 model for parts and labor, compared with about $1,845 for a 2014 model, according to data from Liberty Mutual Insurance.
Why? The 2016 model has a distance sensor; the 2014 model does not. Parts are 130% higher and labor is 18% higher.
"Increasingly, simple, small repairs can now be much more costly and complex to do," said Maxime Rieman, product manager for insurance at ValuePenguin.com, a personal finance research firm with a website that can help consumers select insurance plans.
Read the article at Detroit Free Press.