Amazon, Walmart are Upping their Delivery Games
Amazon and Walmart have developed last-mile delivery solutions to make shopping more convenient for consumers. Amazon will buy 20,000 Mercedes-Benz vans to support its Delivery Service Partner program. The vans will deliver everything the retailer offers, including groceries from Whole Foods Market, and meals from local restaurants.
The delivery program is recruiting small business owners who will work with third-party fleet management companies to lease customized vans as well as specialized leases to keep startup costs low as part of the retailer’s aim to assert more control over how its packages get from its warehouses to customers. One goal is to lessen Amazon’s reliance on outside transportation vendors, such as UPS, Fedex and the U.S. Postal Service.
Read the article at The Food Institute.
Ford Bringing Two New Connected Vehicle Solutions to European Fleet Customers Early Next Year
Ford Telematics will provide fleet operators with the ability to view data from connected Ford vehicles in their fleet through the Ford Telematics application. Using information collected from the vehicle, an intuitive web-based portal provides useful insights to help improve fleet efficiency and driver safety, enabling fleet owners, managers and employees to view fleets in near real-time and gain rapid insights into fleet performance.
“Today’s fleets are under huge pressure to deliver safe, efficient and legal operations,” said Dave Phatak, director of Ford Commercial Solutions, Europe. “That is why we are developing a range of connectivity-based solutions for our fleet customers to allow them to focus on what matters most: running their business.”
Read the article at Automotive World.
Vehicle Theft Has Reached Averages More Reminiscent of the Late 1960s
While the use of anti-theft technology in cars is strong, at the same time, thousands of vehicles are stolen every year from owners who leave their keys or fobs behind, says the National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB). Among all vehicles on the road, the most stolen vehicle in the U.S. is the Honda Civic.
“Even with the slight increases in the last few years, the national vehicle theft problem today is at levels not seen since 1967,” NICB said in a news release Monday introducing the findings of its latest Hot Wheels report. “Enhancements in vehicle security and manufacturing are having a positive impact, but complacency can undermine their success.”
Read the article at Auto Remarketing.
Using Technology to Drive Down TCO
ARI has made tremendous investments in technology, which is key to helping fleets drive down Total Cost of Ownership.
J.D. Power Study Reveals Brands With Fewest Media Tech Problems
While voice recognition remains the top complaint among car owners these days, overall complaints about high-tech audio systems, entertainment, navigation and communication declined for the third year in a row, according to J.D. Power.
Ford, BMW, Kia and Porsche were reported to have the fewest media technology problems, with the Ford Mustang scoring the best of all the top cars in every category.
“In-car multimedia has been a problematic category for automakers for several years, as ever-more elaborate navigation, voice recognition and entertainment systems have proliferated in vehicles of every type," Brent Gruber, senior director of global automotive quality practice at J.D. Power said.
Read the article at USA Today.
