A Foundation for the Future
Our fleet industry is in the midst of unprecedented change and we herald the resurgence of the charitable NAFA Foundation to develop objective research as the industry evolves. Claude Masters, CAFM, President of the NAFA Foundation, talked to the immediate goals of the non-profit organization at the reccent I&E.
One of the first projects the Foundation will pursue is with international mobility expert Lukas Neckermann to develop a series of deliverables on the super-timely subject of fleet and mobility.
As one of the Foundation directors, I am excited for the future of the organization.
“From what we get, we can make a living; what we give, however, makes a life.” ~ Arthur Ashe
Janice Sutton
Editor in Chief
California Officials Promise a Fight if Trump Tries to Revoke or Sidestep Waiver
Since 1970, California has held a waiver under the federal Clean Air Act, allowing it to enact more-stringent pollution rules, and in 2009 President Obama took the state’s standards nationwide to increase fuel economy to 50 miles per gallon by 2025
The Trump administration may try to freeze fuel-mileage standards for cars which would override California’s authority to set its own air pollution standards, potentially gutting one of the country’s most important climate change regulations and setting up a major legal battle with the state.
“If enacted, this would harm people’s health, boost greenhouse gas pollution and force drivers to pay more money at the pump for years,” Stanley Young, spokesman for the California Air Resources Board, which oversees most of the state’s programs to fight climate change, said in an email. “It would also severely disrupt the U.S. auto industry, compromising its ability to succeed in a highly competitive global market that increasingly values innovative and efficient technologies.”
Read the article at theSan Francisco Chronicle.
Uber Algorithm Improves Accuracy of GPS ‘Blue Dot’
GPS inaccuracy is more pronounced in parts of a city where satellite signals are blocked by high-rise buildings, wreaking havoc for companies like Uber who depend on two people with smartphones finding each other.
A phenomenon referred to as “shadowing,” can create a location error of up to 100 meters or more. Occlusion modeling allows Uber to use a process of elimination to get a more accurate read on where you are when you’re trying to hail a ride.
“How often do you have to manually type in your address versus how often do we predict it accurately without you having to do anything?” Uber engineer, Danny Iland asks. “So that’s making it a more magical experience. When you open the app, we already know what is the correct address and all you have to do is hit request.”
Read the article at The Verge.
Detroit’s Sedan Withdrawal is Good News For Japanese Automakers
Fiat Chrysler Automobiles and General Motors are following Ford's lead in cutting back on their sedan production to focus on more profitable SUV and truck sales.
With less competition, Toyota, Honda, Nissan and Hyundai ought to be able to raise prices and squeeze a bit more profit out of their traditional cars.
"We have already seen that Toyota and Honda have held relatively strong in car sales as the market has switched over to utility vehicles," said Michelle Krebs, senior analyst at Cox Automotive, the parent company of AutoTrader and Kelley Blue Book. "They seem to be the main go-to brands as people -- a smaller number of them -- stick with cars. I would expect that trend will continue."
Read the article at Forbes.
Half of Volvo’s Global Sales to be All-Electric by 2025
Volvo expects all-electric, or BEV, models to account for fully half of its global sales by 2025, not including the mild, conventional or plug-in hybrid products that will complete the rest of the Swedish automaker’s line-up.
The next big step for Volvo, will come in time for the 2019 model-year when its first fully electric model, a production version of the 40.2 Concept is launched. Initially, the BEV version will be sold only in China, Volvo's largest market.
“Last year we made a commitment to electrification in preparation for an era beyond the internal combustion engine,” said Håkan Samuelsson, president and CEO of Volvo Cars. “Today we reinforce and expand that commitment in the world’s leading market for electrified cars.”
Read the article at The Detroit Bureau.
