Many SUVs Struggle in First IIHS Seat Belt Reminder Evaluations
March 31, 2022 - Federal standards specify that seat belt reminders must include an audible signal that lasts for 4-8 seconds total and a visual alert that lasts at least 60 seconds whenever the driver’s seat belt is unbuckled.
To earn a good rating, a seat belt reminder system must generate an audible signal and visual alert on the dashboard display, overhead panel or center console when the vehicle is moving at least 6 mph and the system detects an unbelted occupant in one of the front-row seating positions or the unfastening of a second-row belt that was previously buckled.
Among the 26 vehicles tested, only two Subaru models, the Ascent and Forester, earn a good rating. Five others, the Hyundai Palisade, Hyundai Tucson, Nissan Murano, Nissan Pathfinder and Nissan Rogue, earn acceptable ratings.
Biden Aims to Lower Gas Prices with New Round of Reserve Releases
April 1, 2022 - In a bid to head off more increases in the price of gasoline at the pump, the Biden administration plans to release 1 million barrels of oil per day from the U.S. Petroleum Reserve for the next 180 days.
The withdrawals from the strategic reserve are designed to last through the summer driving season when gasoline prices are very likely to bump up against $5 per gallon. Biden also warned domestic oil companies to pick up the pace of drilling in the continental United States, reminding companies they could lose their old leases to drill on federal land if they don’t use them.
The steady economic recovery in North America, Europe and East Asia sent demand for oil up even before the conflict in Ukraine.
WIFM Social to Be Held at NAFA I&E
If you are attending NAFA I&E in Columbus next week, please plan to join WIFM for a one-hour reception at DENMARK, on Monday, April 11th from 5-6pm. Refreshments will be provided at this connection event.
DENMARK is on High Street directly across from the Columbus Convention Center.
All AFLA members and corporate fleet professionals are invited to attend and we encourage you to RSVP for this free event.
New Cars Must Average 40 MPG by 2026: Feds
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration confirmed it's undoing the Trump-era rollbacks that would've required new vehicles to average 24 miles per gallon by 2026. Instead, they must hit 40 mpg in four years' time.
These new rules have average fuel economy increasing eight percent per year for model years 2024 and 2025, then jumping 10 percent in the 2026 model year.
The NHTSA claims this will save more than 200 billion gallons of gasoline versus the previously set requirements, which themselves were a drastic reworking of those established by former President Obama.
City of Austin Has a Long History with EVs
The City of Austin - in partnership with Austin Energy - has been an active player in the EV space for over a decade.
