A Report from the Wheels Results+ Fleet Summit
by Ted Roberts
I was fortunate enough to attend the Wheels Results+ Fleet Summit in Chicago a couple of weeks ago, which was fantastic from both a learning and a networking perspective. Held at the lovely Gleacher Center (part of the University of Chicago) just off the Magnificent Mile, and structured as an open forum, this event highlighted notable recent successes in Wheels’ five Results+ optimal fleet categories:
- Fleet Administration & Ease
- Driver Productivity & Satisfaction
- Integration & Control
- Total Cost Management
- Risk Mitigation
READ MORE to see the winners and to learn more about the Results+ Fleet Summit.
Benchmarking: There is No Single Best Way
By Mike Cieri
Benchmarking is a way of determining what is the best performance being achieved – whether in a particular organization, a competitor, industry or by an entirely different industry.
This information can then be used to identify gaps in an organization’s processes in order to achieve a competitive advantage.
There is no single way to perform benchmarking although there are 6 steps that are considered best practice.
- Decide what to benchmark – Because benchmarking can be applied to any business process or function, a range of research techniques may be required. It is important to pick a benchmarking project that is significant to meeting the organizations goals. Some examples to consider:
Urban Mobility Benefits From Public-Private Partnerships
Public transportation is absolutely necessary for moving people around quickly, preventing traffic congestion and accidents, limiting pollution, and freeing land for uses more valuable than parking space and roadways.
The partnerships between cities and new mobility services point to potential benefits both for cities and their residents.
"Shared-mobility services account for more than half of all new mobility start-ups around the world, and homegrown providers have cropped up in every region. E-hailed motorcycle-taxi services have proved popular in Africa, for example, while India’s city dwellers have embraced on-demand shuttle services. Product-innovation companies, which are concentrated in North America, mostly focus on developing self-driving vehicles and electric vehicles."
Ryder to Begin Renting Electric Vans in Three States
Chanje, a California startup has received 125 all-electric van orders from rental company, Ryder to be leased or rented in its New York, California and Illinois markets by the end of the year.
The vans are about 26.5 feet long, and have the capacity to carry 6,000 pounds, or up to 580 cubic feet of cargo with a curb weight of nearly 10,000 pounds.
"A 70kWh battery (which is just a tick under the smallest battery used on a Tesla Model S) gives the Chanje vans an estimated range of about 100 miles, though that depends on how much cargo is onboard. The company is working with Chanje and its energy storage partner, eMotorWerks, to install Level 2 charging stations near Ryder facilities in the launch markets."
Read more of the original article at The Verge.
Republican Proposal Could Kill the Electric Vehicle Tax Credit
Congressional Republicans released an early draft of a bill that would kill the federal tax credit that gives up to $7,500 to anyone who buys an electric car.
Electric car sales would likely continue in states that offer their own incentives like California -- which provides a credit up to $7,000 -- and even lets electrics use the coveted carpool lane.
“There is no question that the potential elimination or phase out of the electric vehicle tax credit will impact the choices of prospective buyers and make it more challenging for manufacturers to comply with electric vehicle mandates in 10 states,” Gloria Bergquist, spokesperson for the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers, said in a statement.
Read more of the original article at Wired.
