CES 2025 Preview: The Cars! The Robots!
For 2025, car makers on hand at CES will include Scout, BMW, Toyota, Honda, and even Suzuki. Karma and Aptera will also have a presence.
Honda may be late to the EV parade, but it’s catching up. This year it will debut two electric concept cars called the 0 Series prototypes. They are part of the company’s expanding EV portfolio.
Expect to hear about Toyota’s Arene mobility software platform, safety-first automated driving technology; BMW says at CES it will show off what it is calling “the first-ever BMW Panoramic iDrive display- and operating-concept of the Neue Klasse in a ‘magical’ way.”
Purolator’s EV Fleet Expands: Emphasis on Safety Protocols, Measured Adoption
Purolator’s electric vehicle (EV) fleet has surpassed 150 units, marking significant progress in its environmental goals.
However, the company’s “slow and measured” approach to EV adoption emphasizes enhanced safety measures, protocols, and driver training, ensuring a smooth integration while awaiting clearer government regulations.
As one of the early EV adopters, Purolator conducts thorough testing on a small number of vehicles, typically one to five from each manufacturer, before committing to large-scale EV purchases.
ATA Reveals Five Finalists for National Driver of the Year Award
The American Trucking Associations announced the five professional truck driver finalists for the 2024 ATA National Driver of the Year Award sponsored by DMC Insurance, one of the trucking industry’s top awards.
The ATA National Driver of the Year Award sponsored by DMC Insurance acknowledges one notable professional driver for their career-long professional achievements and their excellence and commitment to safety on the road.
The National Driver of the Year is selected from a pool of outstanding state Drivers of the Year submitted by ATA’s affiliated state trucking associations.
Kingbee Vans Acquires Fluid Truck Improving Availability of Rentals for Fleets
Kingbee Vans, a leading provider of upfitted commercial cargo van rentals, has successfully completed its acquisition of Fluid Truck, a prominent provider of flexible fleet rental solutions, in order to ensure the continued availability of vehicles for commercial fleets.
"We see an opportunity to leverage each company's strengths," said Scott Haslam, CEO of Kingbee Vans. "Our ability to deliver upfitted vehicles quickly on a flexible contract, combined with Fluid Truck's technology and geographic footprint of over 50 locations around the country, will make rental units more accessible to customers."
Kingbee aims to solve the ever-changing needs of fleets. Fleet ownership has become increasingly capital-intensive, and many businesses are seeking alternatives to grow their operations without the burden of owning and maintaining vehicles.
Fitch Ratings: Neutral Outlook for Freight and Logistics Sector in ’25
Fitch Ratings has issued a neutral outlook for the freight transportation and logistics (T&L) sector in Canada and the U.S., anticipating a gradual recovery starting in 2025.
The sector, which encompasses freight operators such as rail, trucking, freight brokerage and logistics services, is poised to benefit from an improving freight cycle following a challenging period between mid-2022 and mid-2024.
Fitch Ratings, a U.S. credit rating agency, says operating conditions are beginning to stabilize, driven by consistent economic growth, including positive trends in retail shipments, modest growth in industrial end markets and better capacity balance in trucking markets.
