Motus: 2018 Fuel Trend Report
Fuel prices have long been a volatile expense in our lives.
Over the spring season, the frequently shifting price of fuel has only gone up. What drives the change of prices at the pump? What can we expect in the coming months? What about the rest of 2018?
Learn the answers to those questions in the Motus 2018 Fuel Trend Report!
Waymo’s Self-Driving Commercial Service Begins This Year
Waymo's fleet of self-driving vehicles is now logging 25,000 miles every day on public roads and has 600 self-driving Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid minivans on the road in 25 cities. It's also adding 20,000 Jaguar I-Pace crossovers and has plans for another 62,000 Pacificas.
This newly shared goal signals Waymo is getting closer to launching a commercial driverless transportation service later this year. More than 400 residents in Phoenix have been trialing Waymo's technology by using an app to hail self-driving Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid minivans.
Read the article at Autoblog.
Performance Appraisals That Transform Employee Performance
By Dr. Jan Ferri-Reed
Have you ever wondered exactly how many employees hate receiving regular performance reviews?
The answer is … probably most of them! No one enjoys receiving negative feedback and employee performance reviews are often viewed as one-way discussions leading to criticism of the employee. However, the reverse is also true.
Few supervisors enjoy conducting reviews, because most people don’t enjoy giving negative feedback either. But performance reviews don’t have to be annual “torture sessions.” With a little advance planning, you can conduct performance reviews that you and your employees find informative, useful and (hopefully) effective.
Trump Tariffs Prompt Volvo to Shift Production of US-Bound XC60 SUVs from China to Europe
With five straight years of record sales in sight, Volvo is shifting production of its top-selling SUV overseas to avoid President Trump’s steep import tariffs. The automaker will move the manufacturing of U.S.-bound models from China to Europe in the face of the new duties placed by Washington on Chinese imports.
Volvo's U.S. sales this year rose 40 percent in the first half, and the company recently invested $1.1 billion in opening its first U.S. plant in South Carolina. Mass production of its new-generation S60 sedan is scheduled to start there next month. Unfortunately, the company’s Carolina plant isn’t designed for building the XC60 and won’t be prepared for building the next-generation XC90 SUV until 2021.
Read the article at New York Daily News.
New Fiat Chrysler CEO’s Success Depends on Jeep
Mike Manley, head of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV’s Jeep brand since 2009, has been chosen to replace Sergio Marchionne. Marchionne had a set retirement date of April 2019, but worsening health following complications from shoulder surgery accelerated the timeline.
Manley had already been tasked with the biggest job of the five-year plan: Doubling Jeep sales volume by 2022 from the 1.4 million vehicles sold last year. He needs a 40 percent jump this year alone to meet the 2018 marker of 2 million set out by Marchionne.
Read the article at Bloomberg.
