Biden Posed in his Vintage Corvette, But He Promises a Big Push for EVs
Electric vehicles make up less than 2 percent of the 17 million or so new cars and SUVs sold each year in the United States. President-elect Joe Biden also wants the country to be all-in on electric vehicles. He has pitched them as a way to fight climate change and reinvigorate American manufacturing.
“I believe that we can own the 21st century market again by moving to electric vehicles,” Biden says while gripping the wheel of his 1967 Corvette Sting Ray. In a campaign video that used the rumble of the car’s engine as a soundtrack, Biden grins at the prospect of an electric version with a 200 mph top speed.
The incoming administration’s plans for electric vehicles underscore how its approach to transportation policy will be shaped by the battle against climate change, as it seeks to reshape the sector of the economy responsible for the largest share of greenhouse gas emissions.
Read the article at The Washington Post.
Auto Repossessions Likely to Rise in 2021 as COVID-19 Pandemic Goes On
While everyone has felt the impacts of the coronavirus in some way, one group of people might be about to get hit with another bout of bad news. More people will lose their jobs or will in some way suffer economic hardship. That will mean missed debt payments, which translates to a surge in auto repossessions.
Part of the problem moving forward is that government responses to the COVID-19 pandemic are easing up or have already finished. Some states issued temporary repossession halts, but not all of them.
For people who may be facing a vehicle repossession, the FTC has a page of advice. One of the most important suggestions, in addition to getting in touch with your lender: contact your state attorney general and/or your local consumer protection agency to understand the law and your rights where you live.
Read the article at Car and Driver.
When Nothing is Normal: Managing in Extreme Uncertainty
To increase the odds that a new operating model will be effective, managers must ensure that it addresses the problems of operating under highly uncertain conditions, such as the COVID-19 crisis presents today.
Rather than making periodic reviews of a static plan, managers need to meet for iterative decision-making sessions structured around three imperatives: discover, design, execute. To make informed decisions, managers need specialized knowledge and should actively seek expert advice. Experts can contribute to better decisions by filling gaps in existing management knowledge.
Managers must work together to diagnose the current situation, consider its practical implications, explore how it might evolve, and establish and execute appropriate actions. Leaders must be sensitive to the possibility that information they thought was clear and certain could turn out to be wrong.
Read the article at McKinsey & Company.
An Electric Ford F-150 is Coming, but the 700-Mile Power Boost Hybrid is Already a Hit
In January 1914, Henry Ford said “Within a year, I hope, we shall begin the manufacture of an electric automobile. The problem so far has been to build a storage battery of light weight which would operate for long distances without recharging.” If he could see his company now, he would probably say "What took you so long?"
During the global F-150 launch in June of this year, Ford executive Mark LaNeve said that electric powertrains are a big part of the brand's future. "Within two years, we'll have a zero-emissions F-150," he asserted.
The 2021 Ford F-150 is offered with PowerBoost, a 3.5 liter powertrain and and the ProPower onboard generator. The hybrid is the best of both worlds: 700 miles on one tank of gas with an assist from an efficient battery without stopping for a charge.
Read the article at The Drive.
The New Post-Pandemic Landscape for Fleet Managers
By Donald Dunphy, Contributing Editor
November 2020
This will make sense in a few – just go with me for a moment.
In what feels like a lifetime ago, 2008 to be exact, I was working for a lawn care company, not as a writer but as a literal on-the-road treatment provider. I and my co-worker Patricio were on a lawn along the New Jersey coast. It was mid-September, and one could feel the chill coming off of the ocean; over the miniature, personal cove below; up the hill; and onto the modest backyard. The actual house was small, but then again, this was the summer home and it was right on the edge of the Atlantic Ocean, so location, not size, was everything.
The cellphone buzzed in my pants pocket. I answered to hear the voice of the boss of the company. The property security system must have sent a message to its management team that we were there and they, in turn, must have notified the owner who, subsequently, told our boss to stop all treatments immediately. The back ramp of the truck comes down, the Z-Sprayer and spreader are loaded in, and we are gone.
You see, the home was owned by an individual who was a primary partner of a major banking company, and it was about to tumble into bankruptcy, like a Z-Sprayer that rolled too close to the coastline.
