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CNN Money Electric scooter-share systems are getting noticed in cities as an affordable commuting alternative to cut down on pollution and traffic congestion. Santa Monica, California has become the first U.S. city to have an electric scooter-share service where users find and unlock one of the more than 1,000 scooters with a smartphone app. “It took a couple years for the mass market to realize this is not a toy industry or for rich people,” said URB-E CEO Peter Lee. “But this solves an everyday commuter problem, no matter your social class or how much you make. It was seen as a novelty three years ago, but now it’s seen as a necessity.” Read the article at CNN Money. |
Autoweek According to CEO Mary Barra, General Motors will increase production of the Chevrolet Bolt later this year as global demand continues to grow. The Bolt, which has a range of about 238 miles, was the top-selling electric vehicle in California last year, with 13,487 registered in the state. “In the U.S., electric vehicles from all manufacturers have access to about 17,000 public charging stations, but additional stations will be needed as more consumers discover the benefits of EVs. This is particularly important because the growth of the electric vehicle market will support other innovative and advanced mobility solutions like car-sharing, ride-sharing, and self-driving vehicles,” Barra said. Read the article at Newsweek. |
Bloomberg Technology Elon Musk’s tunneling startup, the Boring Co. has begun digging test sites for its hyperloop plan – a tunnel-based transportation system. The Boring Co.’s “urban loop” would have thousands of small stations, each about the size of a parking space, where people can hop on and off, getting passengers closer to their destinations and “blend seamlessly into the fabric of a city, rather than a small number of big stations like a subway.” The system “will still transport cars but only after all personalized mass transit needs are met,” Musk wrote on Twitter. “It’s a matter of courtesy and fairness. If someone can’t afford a car, they should go first.” Read the article at Bloomberg Technology. |
The Detroit News The Obama administration received pledges from twenty automakers committing to voluntarily equip all of their passenger vehicles with automatic emergency braking by September 2022. Only four of 20 automakers in 2017 equipped at least half of their U.S. models with standard automatic emergency brakes, which automatically apply the brakes when a front collision is imminent. Safety advocates say the remaining automakers have little incentive to keep their promises regarding safety technologies because the Trump administration has shown no urgency about enforcing the deadline or pushing for other life-saving technologies. Read the article at The Detroit News. |
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 Green Car Reports Diesel power for Mercedes cars is here to stay, even as electric cars and electrified mobility spreads throughout its passenger and commercial vehicles, and even its global partnerships. Despite a German court ruling that said cities could legally ban older diesels in an effort to reduce dangerous levels of nitrogen oxides that contribute to air pollution, Daimler will not change its diesel strategy. “Customers around the world have distinct needs,” said Ola Källenius, head of Daimler research and product development added that it would be “unwise” for Mercedes-Benz to rule out diesel altogether as a choice. Källenius says the diesels his company now sells, and those currently under development, emit 15 to 20 percent less carbon dioxide than their gasoline counterparts. Read the article at Green Car Reports. |
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 Fast Company As the end of the week approaches, do you start feeling the panic rise as you review the remaining to-dos on your never-ending list? You’ll sit there at your desk, staring at the list, and rack your brain for where you should start and how you should finish. Ten minutes later, you’ll probably still be there. Instead of making yourself do the work later (when you’d rather maintain some workday momentum and just get started), write down a next step (i.e., an “action item”) for every project on your to-do list in advance. Every time. Read the article at Fast Company. |
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 NBC News Trump’s recent move to impose hefty new tariffs on foreign steel and aluminum producers may quickly backfire and hurt precisely those who supported candidate Trump, especially workers in the U.S. auto industry. Steel imports will now face 25 percent tariffs, while aluminum will be subject to new 10 percent duties – prices for cars could go up by hundreds of dollars, analysts warn. “The exact impact of the new tariffs on the auto industry is unclear, in part because there are so many different sources of parts and components that go into the typical vehicle. Manufacturers and their suppliers are trying to figure the precise cost, said Joe Phillippi, head of AutoTrends Consulting, but he estimates it will be $200 to $300 a car. Some have put the figure significantly higher, and the number could vary widely by manufacturer.” Read the article at NBC News. |
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