A Deep Green Drive
By Mike Sheldrick, Senior Editor
Cynics might call it greenwashing, but they would be wrong. It could be called a deep green drive.
Twenty-four major companies, truck users all, released a survey of their planned purchases of Zero-Emission Vehicles -- ZEVS, from class 1 to class 8 -- over the next five years.
The group, the Corporate Vehicle Alliance, includes Amazon, Best Buy, Hertz, T- Mobile. All told, their annual revenue is more than $1 trillion, They collectively own, lease or operate more than 1.3 million vehicles in the U.S. alone.
Many CVA members operate in the burgeoning last-mile space. Amazon itself has promised to purchase 100,000 EVs by 2030. While Amazon owns 20% of start-up EV Rivian, the company has indicated that it would buy from other manufacturers.
Skyrocketing Lithium Costs Could Drive Up EV Prices
January 21, 2022 - The miserable chip shortage is set to continue in 2022 as automakers around the globe ramp up electrification. And now—the threat of a shortage of battery metals is beginning to materialize.
Lithium of suitable grade for car batteries is five times more expensive in January 2022 than it was in January 2021. The good news is this is predicted to be a temporary bubble, with 2022 being the worst year for lithium pricing before things start to drop back down to previous levels.
The bad news, in the present, is that 2022 is predicted to be so bad for the price of lithium that it will potentially rise by 50 percent again, according to reports. It comes down to the fragility of global supply chains and how much pressure the third year of a global health crisis is continuing to put them under.
Challenging Conventional Wisdom to Find Better Solutions
The new campaign from Fleet Street looks at conventional wisdom, and challenges how things have been done in the remarketing world - with the aim of finding better solutions.
Avoiding Potential Accidents Saves Money and Lives
The goal of a safety program isn’t so much to reprogram 20 years worth of driving, but is more geared to create positive changes in the way drivers make decisions behind the wheel - and that can save lives and money.
Isuzu and Cummins Partner on New Electric Vehicle
January 21, 2022 - In another sign of the accelerating evolution of the car and truck business, two of the biggest names in diesel engines, Cummins Inc. and Isuzu Motors Ltd., are planning to collaborate on the production of a prototype electric truck this year.
The announcement said the prototype truck will represents the first zero-emissions solution developed through the Isuzu Cummins Powertrain Partnership, which was formed in May 2019 prior to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Cummins, according to the joint announcement by the two companies, will integrate the Cummins PowerDrive6000 electric drive into Isuzu’s F-Series truck and will pilot the truck with prominent North American fleets beginning in 2022. Isuzu and Cummins are jumping into a competitive segment with GM’s BrightDrop subusiatry, Stellantis, Ford and more.
