Sedan Fleet Managers: Avoid the EV Hype and Buy ‘Pure’ Hybrids
In the end, all-electric and plug-hybrids are both more expensive than pure hybrids and traditional gasoline-powered sedans
By Mark Boada, Executive Editor
Washington Post columnist Charles Lane ignited a bit of a firestorm among some readers with a December 30th piece that bore the headline, “Why electric cars still don't live up to the hype.”
Lane opened by noting that “For the past 10 years, I've waged a quixotic counteroffensive against electric-car boosterism, raining skepticism on the vehicles' potential to cure climate change, much less to be the clean, green wave of the transportation future.”
Make no mistake, we at Fleet Management Weekly are convinced that global warming is a critical issue and that one part of the solution involves dramatically increasing the fuel efficiency of all vehicles. But the question is, are fully electric vehicles the right choice for now or the near-term for the sedan components of fleets? It appears to this writer that for many if not most, the answer is no.
Uber And Hyundai Team Up To Put Flying Taxis In The Sky
At the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, the Uber and Hyundai revealed a model of a four-seat, electric flying vehicle that they said you'll be able to summon for a ride through Uber's app someday.
The first actual prototype will be ready in 2023, according to a Hyundai spokesperson. A human pilot will fly the air taxi until the companies finalize software to autonomously control it, the company said.
Hyundai is the latest big company to announce that it's developing a flying taxi for trips around cities and suburbs. Boeing's flying car prototype made its first autonomous flight in 2019 at a small airport outside Washington D.C. Google co-founder Larry Page has invested in several smaller startups, including Kitty Hawk and Opener, which are developing flying car technologies.
Read the article at CNN.
New Year, Safer Fleet
What interests the boss, fascinates and engages the workers!
By Ed Dubens, CEO/Founder of eDriving
Happy, healthy and successful New Year best wishes to all FMW readers! I hope you have entered 2020 well-rested and ready for an exciting year ahead.
The start of a new year is the ideal time to take check of the policies, standards and programs you have in place to help protect your employees who drive for work, and look at the ways you can improve your risk management approach in anticipation of your business plans for the new year.
Here’s my 10-point checklist to help ensure you and your drivers are on track for a safe and successful 2020.
GM To Revive Hummer Name, But Not The Brand, In A New GMC Pickup
General Motors is bringing back the name Hummer, but not the whole brand.
The automaker will build an all-electric pickup dubbed Hummer to be sold within the GMC brand in early 2022, according to a person familiar with GM's product plan. The story was first reported in the Wall Street Journal.
NBA superstar LeBron James will promote Hummer’s return, said the person, who wasn't authorized to speak about the program. GM will also air a commercial during the Super Bowl next month.
Read the article at Detroit Free Press.
Survey Finds American Consumers Not Embracing the Mobility Revolution
Nearly half of all Americans aren’t convinced autonomous vehicles will be safe but more than half would ride in one if it were government-certified to be safe.
The figures are contained in a wide-ranging report on American attitudes toward the “mobility revolution” released this month by Deloitte, the global consulting firm, based on responses from 35,000 consumers from 20 countries.
Key takeaways from the report:
- 48 percent of Americans believe the fully autonomous vehicles will be unsafe, and 58 percent indicated they aren’t willing to pay more than an extra $500 for self-driving technology.
- Nearly two-thirds of U.S. consumers believe they fully electric vehicles should be capable of traveling more than 200 miles on a single charge, while 41 percent believe they should have a range of at least 300 miles.
- Only 27 percent of U.S survey respondents said they’re willing to wait between 30 minutes and an hour to recharge an electric vehicle.
- Nearly a third of American consumers said they wouldn’t pay any more for a vehicle that communicates with other vehicles and road infrastructure to improve safety.
Read Deloitte’s full report here.
