Merchants Fleet Charges Forward with 2021 Fleet Summit
BrightDrop, Enel X, EVgo & Others Drive EV Industry with New Reveals and Development
Merchants Fleet hosted the 2021 Fleet Summit at the company's New Hampshire headquarters where notable guests had the opportunity to immerse themselves in discussions and test drives featuring the industry's most talked about electric vehicle technologies.
"In the months and weeks leading up to this year's Fleet Summit, it has been abundantly clear that the fleet and transportation industries are at a sustainability tipping point, which made this gathering of the nation's leading OEMs, charging infrastructures, upfit partners and industry disruptors imperative," said Brendan P. Keegan, CEO of Merchants Fleet.
David Madrigal Cites Strengths Driving Element’s Superior Client Experience
By Ed Pierce, Contributing Editor
Editor’s Note: In July, Element Fleet Management Corp. reported solid second-quarter and first-half results, including second quarter and first half net revenues. growth in service revenue and strong cash flow. Fleet Management Weekly caught up with David Madrigal, Executive Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer for the U.S. and Canada, to learn more about the company’s progress.
Element’s David Madrigal is excited about the fleet market in this era of the ‘new normal.’ The Executive Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer believes his company’s investments in recent years directed at strengthening technology, financials, and processes, have permitted the company to deliver a superior client experience at time when fleet managers need a strong partner.
“Fleet managers today face two-levels of concern. Core, everyday fleet problems like how do they increase productivity? How do they mitigate risks? How do they reduce carbon footprint? And now, they need to layer on top of those challenges the new reality of EV conversion, supply chain disruption, more predictive data, remote worker-caused fleet rightsizing, and more,” says David.
California Will Require all Autonomous Vehicles to be Zero-Emission Starting in 2030
Governor Gavin Newsom signed into law a bill sponsored by environmental groups that would eventually prohibit gas- and hybrid-powered autonomous vehicles from operating in the state.
Some AV operators have argued that electric vehicles are a bad fit for self-driving cars because of the extended charging requirements.
In order to make a profit, autonomous vehicles need to maximize their time on the road, delivering people or packages, otherwise they’re likely to be a money-loser, they argue.
Read the article at The Verge.
Best Practices from the 100 Best Fleets
Please join us in Phoenix, Arizona on October 7, 2021 from 9:00 AM - 4:00 PM PDT REGISTER NOW!
Please join us in Phoenix, Arizona for "Best Practices from The 100 Best Fleets" presented by NAFA Fleet Management Association Arizona Chapter, 100Best Fleets, Sourcewell & the NC Clean Energy Technology Center.
Location: JW Marriott Desert Ridge Resort and Spa -- 5350 E Marriott Dr. Phoenix, AZ 85054
RVSP is essential! REGISTER NOW!
Feds Taking a Harder Stance on Chip Shortage, May Suspect Hoarding
The ongoing semiconductor chip shortage that's affecting production of high-tech products around the world continues to make building new cars difficult for the automotive industry. Without a change, some experts say the chip shortage could last until late 2023.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), which exercises DPA, calls it "the primary source of presidential authorities to expedite and expand the supply of materials and services from the U.S. industrial base needed to promote the national defense."
In this case, according to Bloomberg, the president might invoke the DPA in order to ease some of the supply chain disruptions that have caused the industry to build millions fewer new vehicles than originally planned. The report comes after the White House held a second meeting with stakeholders—including Ford and General Motors, as well as two dozen other companies like Apple and Microsoft, The Washington Post reports—to discuss the chip shortage.
Read the article at Car and Driver.
