Ditch Company Cars At Your Peril, UK Businesses Warned
UK businesses are being advised that ditching company cars in favor of cash allowances for perk drivers is not without its risks from cost and duty of care points of view.
The warning comes from vehicle and asset finance specialist, Maxxia Group, which says it is holding increasing numbers of conversations with businesses which are looking at the implications of ditching perk cars and only retaining essential user vehicles.
Trump’s Terrible Tariffs
Trump’s steep import tariffs on steel and aluminum are unpopular with virtually all sectors of the auto industry, both at home and abroad.
In an NBC News article, Cody Lusk, President and CEO of AIADA, says: “Even with limited exemptions, tariffs will raise the sale price of new vehicles, turning off price-sensitive consumers and leading to a dip in both auto sales and auto-related jobs.”
None of this is good news for commercial fleets.
Lots of excitement in Indianapolis last week. Mark Boada tells us all about it in GM, Ford Dominate the News at The Work Truck Show.
Enjoy the issue and visit our newly-redesigned website for daily updates.
Janice Sutton
Editor in Chief
Imagine Charging Your Electric Car in Minutes Rather Than Hours
Researchers believe they've discovered a new material that could boost the performance of a carbon-based supercapacitor - sometimes called an ultracapacitor - a type of energy storage device that can be charged very quickly and offload its power very quickly, too.
New forms of energy storage will be critical to the success of renewable energy as a replacement for fossil fuels. When the sun doesn't shine or the wind doesn't blow, we'll need to access stored energy very quickly to plug the gap.
Ulrik Grape, chief executive of NaWa technologies, a supercapacitor maker based in the South of France says, "We think the ability to charge and discharge a battery fast will be one of the most important things in the future."
Read the article at BBC News..
Donlen Named a Top Outsourcing Provider for the 12th Time
Donlen announced today that they have been selected to The 2018 Global Outsourcing 100® list in the Leader Category for the 12th time by the International Association of Outsourcing Professionals (IAOP).
“We are proud to be recognized as one of the world’s most successful outsourcing providers for the 12th time,” said Jeff Lucas, senior vice president, customer experience and contact center operations. “Our customers have come to depend on Donlen’s consulting and guidance so they can focus on running efficient vehicle fleets,” added Lucas. “Outsourcing allows our customers to focus on their core business goals and Donlen is pleased to be recognized for our outsourcing services by the IAOP.”
NASA and Boeing Studying “Urban Air Mobility”
Last year, Boeing bought Aurora Flight Sciences, whose projects include a new flying taxi being developed with Uber Technologies Inc.,
By the early 2020s, flying cars - electric passenger drones, seating two to five travelers - could drive to the airport by roadways and then accelerate down runways into the sky, with what NASA describes as "Urban Air Mobility."
“It's extremely costly to certify new aircraft, even when you're certifying it for a well-established use and with well-established rules,” said Steve Wallace, a former FAA official who oversaw accident investigations and also worked in the agency’s certification branch. “Here we're trying to open up a whole new use where there aren't any rules. That's an enormous task.”
Read the article at Bloomberg.
