16 States Sue to Block USPS Plan to Buy Hundreds of Thousands of Gas-Guzzling Mail Trucks
April 29, 2022 - Sixteen states as well as several prominent climate activists sued the United States Postal Service this week over its plan to purchase 148,000 gas-guzzling delivery trucks over the next decade, alleging the agency failed to consider the environmental impact of its decision.
The states accuse the USPS of only performing a “cursory environmental review to justify the decision to replace 90 percent of its delivery fleet with fossil fuel-powered, internal combustion engine vehicles, despite other available, environmentally preferable alternatives,” the lawsuit reads. “In doing so, the Postal Service failed to comply with even the most basic requirements of [National Environmental Policy Act].”
In response, the USPS defended its practices, noting that it remains open to increasing its order for more electric vehicles in the future should additional funding become available to do so. Congress recently approved a $50 billion rescue package for USPS, which has lost more than $90 billion since 2007.
An Insider’s Look at Cornell University Fleet Success
Sally Compton, CAFM, has worked for Cornell Fleet Services for more than five years. She and her team oversee five motor pool sites where they share 250 vehicles and track another 650.
She uses FleetCommander from Agile Fleet, which has allowed her to entirely automate her fleet. “Our drivers like that Agile’s Commander system is easy to use and the fact that they can make a reservation anytime and from anywhere, and that they can pick up keys 24/7,” Sally says.
“Our first success was being able to look at utilization and clearly see what vehicles were being under used. Armed with this information, we can easily make decisions about the fleet,” she states.
75 Percent of Car Buyers Don’t Want Features Locked Behind Subscriptions
April 28, 2022 - We've reached that stage of capitalism where companies have figured out that they can make more money not by selling you features, but by locking them behind paywalls and collecting rent.
After surveying 217 people who will buy a car within the next two years, Cox Automotive concluded that 75 percent of consumers are completely unwilling to pay monthly or annual fees for features historically included as standard or as options. Only half were aware that car companies are trying to work subscriptions into their business models, and only a fifth had actually tried some form of automotive subscription—less than half of those who had the option.
The vast majority agreed that basic comfort and convenience features—specifically heated and ventilated seats and remote start—should be available as one-time purchases, at 92 and 89 percent respectively.
Who’s Winning America’s Electric Vehicle Race?
April 27, 2022 - A tsunami of electric vehicles is set to arrive on US shores in the next few years. Practically every automaker around the world, from small boutique operations to goliath multinationals is hard at work developing battery-powered cars and trucks. But among America's traditional manufacturers, who's winning the EV race?
We're living in a transformative period as the car industry shifts from internal combustion to electric powertrains. Right now, Tesla is the undisputed American EV champion, a position it will likely maintain for some time.
As for the Detroit Three, it seems Ford is leading the electric vehicle race right now, thanks to its speedy introduction of the Mach-E and Lightning, vehicles that proved to be extremely popular.
Ford Is Building Another Electric Pickup
April 27, 2022 - Ford put its first-ever electric pickup, the 2023 F-150 Lightning, into production on Tuesday, marking a historic shift that will carry the brand into the next decade. But according to CEO Jim Farley, it's not the only EV truck Ford has in store for us.
Farley didn't go into any further details about the new electric pickup. With the new Ranger about to enter production, it's entirely possible Ford is planning to release an all-electric Lightning version of that truck. It's also possible the Blue Oval is planning a pure EV variant of the smaller Maverick, though that truck already has a hybrid powertrain.
The company is investing over $11 billion into a new campus in Stanton, Tennessee that'll include an electric vehicle assembly plant and a battery factory. It's there where Ford plans to build its next generation of all-electric trucks.
via Road & Track
