An FMC Focusing on Smaller Fleets
This FMC focuses on small fleets with 10 to 100 vehicles, making sure they have access to the same features and benefits that larger fleets have.
Here’s How the Ford F-150 Lightning Can Power Your Home
Photo credit: Ford
April 19, 2022 - The upcoming Ford F-150 Lightning’s lithium-ion battery pack can power more than just the truck itself. While it can work as an electric generator to power various tools or other devices at the worksite, it can also power your entire home.
Ford says with Intelligent Backup Power, the Lightning’s extended-range battery pack can power your home for three days, and up to 10 days if you properly ration your power usage or combine it with solar power.
For those unaware, the all-new F-150 Lightning is Ford’s first electric pickup truck. It carries a starting price of $39,974 and is expected to arrive this spring 2022. The Lightning will be available with two different size battery packs. With the extended-range pack, it has a targeted EPA-estimated range of 300 miles.
Leadership Matters
Last week, Ted Roberts and I spent an enlightening two days at RTA Fleet’s inaugural Fleet Success Summit, where we heard a superb group of speakers and had the opportunity to talk with a number of them on camera. This week, we hear from Mike Pitcher on leadership, a subject with which he is vastly familiar.
We are delighted to feature FMW's recent interview with Rich Harland and Will O'Connor from the City of Austin's Fleet Mobility Services group. Read about their journey in City of Austin Fleet Mobility Team Tackles the Transition Towards EVs.
Sally Compton, CAFM, tells us how she was able to automate the university's fleet, trim costs and gain efficiency in An Insider's Look at Cornell University Fleet Success.
NETS Strength IN Numbers Fleet Safety Benchmark Conference is back! Save the date: October 5-6, 2022. You can join virtually or in person in beautiful Ann Arbor, Michigan!
Drive Safety!
Janice Sutton
Editor in Chief
GM Patents Autonomous Tech to Train New Drivers Sans Instructor
April 19, 2022 - Human driving instructors might soon be replaced by computerized ones. No, not full-blown robots, but rather autonomous vehicles.
That's the idea behind the driver-training technology that's described in a patent that General Motors filed with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). GM's patent describes autonomous technology that doesn't require a living, breathing driving instructor.
Instead, the system is designed to evaluate and train novice drivers by using a combination of sensors for the car's autonomous features as well as monitoring how the driver-in-training operates controls such as the accelerator, brake, and steering. The system also uses a processor with a driving algorithm stored in the car's memory. By comparing the trainee's manual inputs with recommended driving instructions, the processor calculates a score.
Vincentric Announces 2022 Best Fleet Value in America™ Awards
Ford, Toyota, and Audi Lead the Way
“The global chip shortage is impacting the fleet industry in unprecedented ways,” said David Wurster, Vincentric President. “Vehicle availability issues are forcing the fleet industry to reconsider its options and broaden its horizons. The Vincentric Best Fleet Value in America Awards can offer fleet professionals guidance if the vehicle they typically buy is delayed or unavailable. Adding our award winners to their consideration set can help guide a decision-making process that’s becoming more complex and is constantly fluctuating.”
