Ford and the University of Michigan will be testing a pilot program called "Ford Urban Mobility Network." The goal is to explore transportation options in densely populated areas. These options would come together at hubs where buses, trains, car-share fleets, bicycles and more would be available to commuters. Cape Town, South Africa, and cities in India are the first to have the pilot programs. By 2015, 35 cities will have populations of 10 million or more.
Aon Risk Services has developed a SafeFleet Certification for fleets that beats the national average for safety performance. Three levels will be offered: Gold for 35% better than industry average, Silver for 25% and Bronze for 15%. Aon wants to use its influence to get better insurance rates for certified fleets. About 15% of fleets will meet certification standards.
Caterpillar and Navistar International have both decided to avoid urea-based Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) for mid-range diesels to meet 2010 emissions standards. Stance led to cooperative MOU. Cat will stop supplying engines to truck OEM but intends to market its own, on-road severe service truck line.