Daimler’s Pilot Drone Program May Solve The 100-Foot Challenge
A pilot program by Daimler AG could yield one of the most significant breakthroughs for jointly commercializing both drones and autonomous vehicles.
With driverless delivery vehicles there’s what is known as the “last 100 feet challenge.” It’s one thing to pull up in front of a home or business, but that doesn’t actually get goods directly into the hands of a customer.
By adding drones to a driverless vehicle, Daimler and its partners believe they can solve the 100-foot challenge, at least by getting packages right up to a home or business’s front door.
“We are convinced that the project will evolve rapidly,” said Stefan Maurer, head of Future Transportation at Mercedes-Benz Vans. “We see great potential for our solution and intend to expand it to include further areas of application.”
Read more of the original article at The Detroit Bureau.
Embracing Mobility Management
Michele Cunningham, Senior VP Products and Services at Element Fleet Management, cautions us to ‘Think Outside the Fleet’ in her column. She says, “ Entire organizations can benefit from a smart, modern mobility strategy by getting ahead of competitors and solving the pain points that can come from antiquated practices.”
In his Fleet Marketing column, Ed Pierce points us to the efficacy of measuring products and services by value, not just cost. He says, “Savings is just too limited a means of determining the potential benefit."
Mark Boada, in Globally Speaking, makes a compelling case for why European fleets would be well advised to start acquiring EVs now. As a leading indicator, he points to the pilot program that LeasePlan N.V. has launched for large fleets in 10 countries.
NAFA opens registration today for the 2018 Institute & Expo -- April 24-27, Anaheim, CA -- with early-bird discounts through January 31st. An outstanding educational agenda and lots of networking events makes this a must-attend conference for fleet professionals.
Janice Sutton
Editor in Chief
AFLA Offers Educational Opportunities All Year Long
From webinars to regional forums to white papers and more, AFLA offers great educational opportunities for fleet professionals all year long.
NAFA Webinar: How Fleet Management Links with Procurement in the Supply Chain
Take part in this two-day lunchtime webinar December 6 and 7 between 12:00-1:00 PM ET, to join NAFA procurement experts David Hayward, Kate Vigneau, CAFM®, Dianne Siebert, and Julia Pedelini, who share their experiences first hand and discover how a little procurement knowledge goes a long way.
This webinar will help you ensure your success by understanding these best practices about sourcing and how to effectively interact with your procurement departments. Connect with the discussion on how to best operate in these waters!
Why the E-ZPass Isn’t an Easy Pass Across the Country
Any transponder should get you through any toll plaza in the United States by debiting your account - but you can't.
In 2012 Congress passed a law, the Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act, requiring the nation's various electronic tolling authorities to come together and make their systems interoperable by October 2016 - that deadline passed more than a year ago.
“This hub concept makes sense because it means agencies don't have to make peer-to-peer agreements with every other toll system they want to work with,” says Diane Gutierrez-Scaccetti, the Florida Turnpike Enterprise's executive director and CEO.
Read more of the original article at Wired.
