FMW Celebrates Women’s History Month
This week, we celebrate Women’s History Month with an interview with General Motors Fleet marketing executive Jennifer Costabile, on behalf of WIFM. Jennifer has an engaging story to tell and makes a compelling case for WIFM’s mentorship program.
We hear that the recently concluded NTEA The Work Truck Show was a huge success. Tod Trousdell was an enthusiastic participant and gives us a nuanced view into this year’s event.
Have you registered for NAFA I&E yet? Whether you are new to fleet or a veteran fleet professional, this is a conference that you will not want to miss. Make an appointment to talk with a member of FMW's team about our exciting new Brand Acceleration marketing program or stop by our booth #324 on the exhibit floor.
Janice Sutton
Editor in Chief
Great Customer Experience Drives Customer Advocacy
Building an amazing Customer Experience is a great way to drive Customer Advocacy, and that can result in lower marketing and sales costs.
Study: You’re Driving Drowsy Whether You Know It or Not
A new study suggests that drivers consistently underestimate how tired they are and how much fatigue affects their driving. The findings are scary because crashes caused by tired drivers tend to be severe – nod off behind the wheel, and you won’t be alert to brake or swerve to avoid anything.
Researchers asked the drivers to rate their fatigue on a 9-point scale. They then compared their subjective opinions to an objective measure – the percentage of time their eyelids spent closed.
The result? Participants significantly underestimated their drowsiness. “When drivers reported low perceived levels of drowsiness, the objective measure suggested that 75% of them were moderately or highly drowsy,” AAA says. A quarter of those whose eyes spent more than a quarter of each minute closed thought they weren’t very tired.
Vincentric Analysis: Over Half of EVs Have Lower Ownership Costs Than Comparable Gas Vehicles
Vincentric, a leading provider of cost of ownership data, released an in-depth Electric Vehicle (EV) Cost of Ownership Analysis in which the company found that 14 of 27 EVs had lower total cost of ownership over five years than their gasoline counterparts.
The 34-page analysis studied twenty-seven Electric Vehicles from the most recent available model year and compared them to similar gasoline-powered vehicles to provide insight into the cost effectiveness of EVs.
“As today’s consumers consider buying an electric vehicle, understanding the financial consequences of this purchase is important given that EVs typically have a significantly higher purchase price,” said David Wurster, Vincentric President. “Our study found that just over half of the EVs analyzed will save buyers money over 5 years..."
This Ford F-150 Lightning Problem Just Changed Everything for Electric Vehicles
Ford recently halted F-150 Lightning electric pickup production due to battery fire issues. The Blue Oval isn’t the first automaker to experience battery fire issues, and it won’t be the last.
The Ford F-150 Lightning’s battery problem is a huge issue for the EV space for two reasons. This incident makes drivers question the reliability of the electric vehicle. The second, more troubling reason that F-150 Lightning battery fires are a huge issue is because of the specific battery used. The Lightning was recalled because of improperly produced battery cells that were made at SK On’s Georgia plant.
