Bridgestone Increases Its Focus on Fleet
Bridgestone has been investing in multiple ways to increase its ability to provide effective solutions for fleet customers - to increase safety, to reduce downtime and to help reduce TCO.
Rock ‘n’ Roll Makes You Drive Like a Bat Out Of Hell, Study Finds
Law-abiding motorists intent on sticking to the speed limit may want to consider switching to Smooth FM when behind the wheel, as a new study suggests you’re more likely to drive dangerously while listening to fast-paced tunes.
Research carried out by scientists at the South China University of Technology indicates an uptempo playlist could substantially increase the chances of drivers exceeding the speed limit.
According to the findings, the car users who listened to music playing at 120 beats per minute (bpm) or faster were clocked at speeds between 5mph and 10mph higher than the drivers who had sub-80bpm light music playing at 80bpm, or no music at all.
Read the article at The Sunday Times Driving.
Bollinger Reveals First Battery-Pickup, SUV Models
Start-up Bollinger has rolled out two new battery-electric trucks, the B1 SUV and B2 pickup.
There are plans to get the two new trucks into production in late 2020 at a factory in the Detroit suburb of Ferndale.
Robert Bollinger’s new entries adopt a military-style appearance designed to handle serious work, not just making owners look cool and environmentally hip.
These are the first electric models expected to get Class 3, heavy-duty ratings. That translates into a payload of 5,000 pounds and towing capacity of 7,500 pounds, and topping 10,000 pounds gross weight.
Read the article at The Detroit Bureau.
Americans Need to Drive Just a Little Bit Less
If Americans drive their electric cars anywhere near as much as they do with their current gas-guzzlers, it would cancel out the carbon reduction brought on by electrification.
At current rates, it would take about 15 years for the current 263 million vehicle fleet to turn over.
Of the 1.8 billion tons of greenhouse gases produced by transportation in the United States in 2017, 59 percent of it came from passenger cars and light-duty trucks.
“The easiest and cheapest thing to do is drive just a little bit less,” Scott Goldstein, the policy director of Transportation For America (T4A) says. “We could do that today. We could build our communities, suburbs, and cities to be safer, more convenient for people to get around without having to drive. ”
Read the article at City Lab.
GM and Amazon Partner to Bring Alexa to 2018 and Newer GM Vehicles
Owners of 2018 and newer General Motors cars will be able to use Amazon's Alexa digital assistant in their cars starting in the first half of 2020.
Amazon connectivity will be available via over-the-air update to the owners of vehicles with compatible infotainment systems and will rely on GM's 4G LTE connectivity to work. GM says that many car owners would prefer to use the same digital assistant in their home and in their cars.
Drivers who use Alexa in their GM car won't be limited to using the device as a navigation tool. They'll also be able to use Alexa to select music or podcasts, control certain connected home features like lights and thermostat, and add items to a shopping list.
Read the article at Car and Driver
