Stellantis Ventures Seeds Innovation with 11 Key Investments into Sustainable Mobility

Stellantis Ventures, the corporate venture fund of Stellantis N.V., has been formed to support and amplify the execution of Dare Forward 2030 strategic plan.

Ten startup companies and one mobility venture fund have been considered so far as its first key investments. Three of the projects backed by Stellantis Ventures are launching this year, validating the fund’s mission to accelerate deployment of innovative, customer-centric mobility technologies and support Stellantis’ Dare Forward 2030 efforts in leading the change to a more sustainable mobility and better in-vehicle experience for all customers.

“Transforming Stellantis into a mobility tech company means we need to have the mindset of a startup, focused on our customers and working with a dash of impatience,” said Ned Curic, Stellantis Chief Technology Officer. “We are using the strength of Stellantis Ventures to connect with companies that are developing cutting-edge technology that we believe can transform the in-cabin experience and improve the mobility sector, for our customers and for society as a whole.”

NHTSA Study Underestimates Benefits of Side Underride Guards for Trucks

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) should reconsider its dramatic underestimate of the number of lives that could be saved by requiring side underride guards for large trucks, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety said in a recent regulatory comment.

Requiring side underride guards could save more than 10 times as many lives as NHTSA projects, IIHS Senior Research Engineer Matthew Brumbelow wrote in the comment.

In an underride crash, a smaller vehicle crashes into a truck and goes completely or partially underneath it. This makes serious injuries to people riding in the smaller vehicle more likely. Federal regulations require tractor-trailers to have underride guards on their rears, but not on their sides.

via IIHS

Tame Your Budget, Keep Your Sales Reps Busy!

Today marks the Summer Solstice. Time to hit the beaches or wherever your heart takes you, but back in the office, your fleet budget awaits your return.

To buy, to lease, or to rent, that is the question. Kingbee's Tanner Lee writes a lighthearted yet informative article about the pros and cons of the finance options fleets typically consider.

Deflate fleet costs. Ken Robinson, offers us innovative ways to control fleet spend via a mileage tracking app.

How to Accelerate Branding, Lead Generation When Budget Is Tight? Fleet Industry Editorial and Marketing Consultant Ed Pierce shows us exactly how FMW’s New FLEET LEADS Program Promises to Keep Your Sales Reps Busy.

Janice Sutton
Editor in Chief

Massachusetts, Feds Fight Over Who Can Repair Your Car

In 2020, Massachusetts voters passed a so-called “right to repair” law by referendum. It required automakers to make their telematics data available to third-party repair shops.

Today, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration told automakers not to comply with the law. The agency, Reuters says, believes the law “poses significant safety concerns.”

According to the Boston Globe, the letter argues, “A malicious actor here or abroad could utilize such open access to remotely command vehicles to operate dangerously, including attacking multiple vehicles concurrently. Vehicle crashes, injuries, or deaths are foreseeable outcomes of such a situation.”

via Kelley Blue Book