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California’s Department of Motor Vehicles released statistics recorded over a period of eight months revealing that of the 48 licensed, self-driving cars on public roads, only 4 have wound up in “minor fender benders.” Surprised, or not?
The cars in question belong to Google and Delphi, who have a combined amount of 25 (23 belong to Google, two to Delphi) self-driving cars on the road. But don’t be so quick to play the blame game. Each company staunchly denies that the fault should be placed on its super-smart autonomous driving technology, but rather, on silly human error.
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It’s that time of year again. With lower gas prices making a vacation road trip a more affordable proposition this year, about 60 percent of Americans plan to drive 50 miles or more from home in the months ahead, according to the AAA in Orlando, Fla.
Of course there are any number of vehicles out there that can adequately do the job in terms of performance and passenger comfort, but true road warriors want to reach their respective destinations of rest and retreat as expeditiously as possible.
Thus we wondered which models not only boast the longest operating range on a tank of fuel – and concurrently get among the best fuel economy in their respective classes – but still afford a roomy and accommodating interior for at least four adult passengers, with enough cargo room left over for their belongings.
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We’ve all had one of those moments, cruising down the road and running up on another driver whose behavior gets us grinding our teeth. But what are the most infuriating behaviors likely to set off a bout of road rage?
Texters top the list, according to a study of 1,000 American motorists by GfK, with tailgaters and “left lane hogs” close behind. The researchers also looked at the sort of in-car behavior likely to set us into a rage, and found that the familiar back-seat driver tops the list.
The study also found that New York City drivers are considered the country’s rudest, with motorists in Los Angeles coming in a distant second.
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Led by Toyota, which first offered wireless charging in the 2013 Toyota Avalon, American auto giants Fiat-Chrysler and General Motors currently include wireless charging as an option in more than a dozen vehicle models. Audi will launch its first car with wireless charging, the Q7 SUV, in Europe this summer.
In an interview with Forbes.com, Jim Buczkowski, Ford’s director of electrical and electronics research, said America’s number two automaker has decided on a wireless charging strategy as well, though he declined to provide specific details. Ford has said previously that the technology was not ready.
Ford wanted to be as “agnostic” as possible regarding competing wireless charging standards, but Buczowski indicated that the company would support a standard promoted by an industry group known as the Alliance for Wireless Power or the A4WP.
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Social Telematics on the Rise
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With the developments of cloud computing and data management, fleet managers are able to monitor driver behavior as if they were sitting in the passenger seat. While these breakthrough developments are keeping drivers safe and increasing ROI, managers and employers have a difficult time shaking off the “big brother is watching you” problem. Even when mitigated, the driver is generally still asking the “What’s In It For Me?” question.
Azuga believes that this sense of overbearing management has brought tension to the manager/driver relationship and has likely contributed to an increase in the already high turnover rate of drivers in the fleet industry. To solve the issue, they’re taking an all-new, highly social approach to telematics. Hence the term “Social Telematics.”
According to the Incentive Research Foundation, an emphasis on individualization was identified as a key business incentive, and the rise of “Gamification” has been shown to have a demonstrably positive effect on all kinds of drivers — especially those who are steeped in millennial culture.
READ MORE about how Social Telematics can make your fleet safer, and your drivers happier.
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New CNG Cylinder Introduced at ACT Expo
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Worthington Industries, Inc. has expanded its line of compressed natural gas (CNG) cylinders with a new lightweight, large diameter, 26.2- inch model. The new large diameter cylinder was introduced at the 2015 Alternative Clean Transportation (ACT) Expo in Dallas earlier this month.
This is the Company’s largest Type III CNG cylinder, with the benefit of providing superior fast-fill efficiency. The inner aluminum liner dissipates heat during fast-filling, allowing for an additional 15 to 25 percent more fuel storage compared to Type IV cylinders of similar size.
Ideal for Class 8 heavy-duty and refuse trucks, these large diameter cylinders will fill to rated capacity making longer routes possible. As with all Worthington Type III cylinders, the aluminum inner liner provides an added safety feature, by reducing the risk of flex or fracture in the outer composite reinforcement if an impact occurs.
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Ford Conquers French Army?
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In what might be construed as a blow to Gallic pride, the French Army will soon be patrolling La Belle France, the land of Renaults and Peugeots, in Ford Ranger pickups.
The army is buying 1,000 of the Ford trucks as part of a “crash program” to begin replacing its fleet of off-road vehicles, said Pierre Bayle, a spokesman for the Defense Ministry. The army’s Peugeot P4 jeeps went into service in 1983 and are becoming obsolete, he said.
Two other vehicles were considered, Mr. Bayle said: PSA Peugeot Citroën’s Berlingo, and the Dacia Duster, made by Renault. But Ford got the nod for the first replacement order because of its large payload capacity, he said. The truck can carry five adults and a ton of cargo, more than the French vehicles.
“It’s not a question of America versus France,” Mr. Bayle said, as not one of the three vehicles in question was made in either country. The Ranger is made in South Africa, the Duster in Romania and the Berlingo in Spain.
READ MORE on The New York Times
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