Consumer Reports, IIHS Update Recommended Vehicles for Class of ’21
Consumer Reports (CR) and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) have updated their list of affordable, safe and reliable vehicles for teens for 2021.
“With used car prices so high this year, it may be tempting to have a newly licensed teen make do with a clunker or to buy them the smallest, cheapest new car available,” says IIHS President David Harkey.
Even in this tight market, it’s possible to find some good options for young drivers. IIHS and CR identified 61 used vehicles ranging from $6,400 to $19,800 that meet safety and reliability criteria. A separate list of new vehicles with state-of-the-art protection has 29 models ranging in price from $19,900 to $39,500.
Read the article at IIHS.
Consumer Reports Renews its Low-Key Battle With Tesla
Tesla said that it would stop using radar on new Model 3s and Model Ys, leading the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to say they no longer have some advanced safety features. Occasional Tesla antagonist Consumer Reports agrees it could be a problem.
At issue are forward collision warning and automatic emergency braking, two features that relied on radar in Model 3s and Model Ys, along with lane departure warning and dynamic brake support, which kicks in if the car senses you aren’t braking enough before a potential collision.
NHTSA said Wednesday that those features on new Model Ys and Model 3s “do not have NHTSA’s check mark” because NHTSA, “only includes check marks for the model production range for the vehicles tested.” That also means that for CR and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, new Model 3s aren’t good enough for their top awards.
Read the article at Jalopnik.
EVgo Launches Reservations Charging Program on US West Coast
Public fast-charging network EVgo has announced a new program called EVgo Reservations that gives drivers the freedom to claim their spot at a charger ahead of time. The initial rollout consists of 17 locations across California and the Seattle area in a pilot program that has already expanded.
The company’s software team developed this new feature by integrating various makes and models of EV fast chargers with its own back-end software system. As a result, drivers can now make a reservation at a charger of their choice while en route, or up to two weeks in advance.
Allowing for reservations could help those running errands to plan their route based around an available charger at whatever store they’re looking to visit. This could prove super effective for travelers as they can reserve their spot from the road or even weeks before they depart to ensure they can charge quickly to get back on their journey.
Read the article at Electrek.
Legislator Seeks Pedestrian-Safety Rating on SUVs and Trucks
Early projections by the Governors Highway Safety Association say that the total number of pedestrian deaths in 2020 were up 4.8 percent, and that was despite a pandemic-influenced 16.5 percent drop in vehicle miles traveled - one of the deadliest years on record for pedestrians.
The New York State Senate has introduced a bill, SB 4307, that would require a pedestrian-safety rating for every vehicle, scoring them on a 1 to 5 scale similar to the ratings NHTSA already applies to vehicles. The difference is that this would rate vehicles based on the damage done in collisions with cyclists and pedestrians.
Read the article at Car and Driver.
FLD’s Q2 White Metal Market Report — A Quarterly Look at the Wholesale Medium Duty Truck Market
By Bill Bishop, Senior Vice President, Sales and Marketing, FLD
Over the last five years, FLD’s quarterly White Metal Market Report has prided itself on keeping our finger on the pulse of what’s driving the used medium duty vehicle space.
And during that time, we’ve been able to get a solid beat on how the industry was faring based on a bevy of economic indicators like the unemployment rate, the strength of the US dollar and housing starts.
My how things have changed!
As the global pandemic slows – at least here in America – many industries are moving back towards what we’d like to think of as “normal.” And while that may be possible for some sectors, the medium duty truck market – and the entire fleet space for that matter – is having a hard time finding its footing.
At this point, many of the traditional indicators we follow seem to be falling into more of a rhythm, but it’s not a good one.
