Shell Fleet Solutions Reveals Key Industry Trends in New Report
As vehicles and transport systems become smarter, a new report from Shell reveals, while 59% of industry professionals are excited about the role new technologies will play in their sector, over a third (39%) find it hard to stay informed about new developments.
Shell’s Planning for the Future of Fleets examines trends in commercial transport and explores how fleet professionals feel about their roles, future skills and training. The report includes advice about how to create new partnerships and negotiate contracts to accelerate adoption of new vehicles and technologies; anticipating the rise of ‘virtual fleets’ and their impact on operations and finance.
VW and Ford Exploring Self-Driving Partnership
Ford and Volkswagen have been investigating a partnership on autonomous vehicles as part of talks that began earlier this year.
"These companies can form some partnerships on this stuff and spread out the costs of some of this development," said Sam Abuelsamid, analyst with Navigant Research, a company that tracks autonomous vehicle development. "The costs of this technology are enormous. If they can develop one system that they both utilize, they can spread that cost over more vehicles."
Read the article at The Detroit News.
Larger Used Cars are Safer for Teen Drivers
Parents have all kinds of choices when it comes to their teen's first car. To help make that decision a little easier, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety has a few suggestions.
"Bigger vehicles provide greater protection," said Jessica Cicchino, IIHS vice president for research, in a statement. "If you're riding in one of the smallest vehicles on the road, you'll be at a disadvantage in a crash with almost any other vehicle around you."
Read the article at MSN.
A Comfortable Seat is a Must When Selecting a Vehicle
Comfort is deeply personal for consumers and a good seat helps improve safety, makes us better drivers and can even increase a car’s fuel efficiency.
A typical driver will spend nearly 38,000 hours behind the wheel in a lifetime, covering some 800,000 miles.
While the budget for seating can be second only to the engine, the automakers do not manufacture the seats. They employ designers, chemists, ergonomic specialists, metallurgists, artisans, plus biomedical and software engineers to provide solutions for the automakers.
Read the article at The New York Times.
Kia and Hyundai Reveal Solar Charging System Technology to Power Future Eco-Friendly Vehicles
Hyundai and sibling Kia's future vehicles will be built using electrified drivetrains will start coming with solar roof or hood panels capable of helping charge their batteries. The technology is expected to extend range, reduce emissions.
“In the future, various types of electricity-generating technologies, including the solar charging system, will be connected to vehicles,” said Jeong-Gil Park, executive vice president of engineering design at Hyundai Motor Group. “This will enable them to develop from a passive device that consumes energy to a solution that actively generates energy. The paradigm of the vehicle owner will shift from that of a consumer to an energy prosumer.”
Read the article at The Detroit Bureau.
