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LATE & BREAKING NEWS
NEW GM SYSTEM SHOULD CURB POLICE CHASE DEATHS AND INJURIES:
Starting next year, 1.7 million General Motors vehicles will be equipped with a new technology that will allow police, pursuing a stolen vehicle, to get GM's OnStar service to disable the accelerator and slow the fleeing vehicle to a gradual stop.
With more than 30,000 police chases each year resulting in 300 fatalities and about 7,500 injuries, this unique use of the OnStar technology is being hailed by a wide variety of law enforcement and emergency response organizations.
Detroit Free Press, October 9, 2007
BLACK BOOK: NEW MODEL-YEAR RELEASES INFLUENCING VALUE OF OLDER MODELS:
During the past three months, the launch of 2008 model-year vehicles has pushed downward the resale values of two- and three-year-old passenger car and light trucks, according to vehicle appraisal guide Black Book.From July 1 to Sept. 30, resale values fell by more than $300 for about 70 percent of these models, compared to just over 20 percent in the three-month period ending Aug 1, officials pointed out. "This period's poor performance is not strongly tied to typical variables such as gas prices, interest rates, and other economic issues," observed Ricky Beggs, vice president and managing editor at Black Book.
Auto Remarketing, October 9, 2007
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This Week: Paige O'Neill |
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Paige O'Neill
Senior Vice President, Worldwide Marketing
GreenRoad Technologies
paige@greenroadtech.com
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Paige O'Neill brings fifteen years of product management, marketing strategy and communications experience to GreenRoad. She joined GreenRoad in July of 2007 from PHH Arval, the second largest fleet management company in North America, where she was Senior Vice President of Marketing and Product Development. Ms. O'Neill has a B.A. and an M.A. (ABD) in Political Science from the University of Kentucky. She also spent a year in a Ph.D. program in Media Ecology at New York University before leaving academia behind for a career in high-tech marketing.
GreenRoad Technologies has just expanded into the U.S. Tell us a little about the company.
We were founded in Israel in 2002, and have been developing our driver safety technology ever since. Our key product is GreenRoad Safety Center. On board, it consists of several accelerometers, a GPS unit, a computer and a wireless transceiver. Off board, a server logs all relevant driving information needed to analyze risky driving maneuvers; for instance, hard acceleration, hard braking, lane departure and so forth. In all, we continuously make measurements that enable us to characterize 120 driving parameters.
The name GreenRoad would suggest a technology that saves energy or reduces the carbon footprint.
Actually, the name comes from an in-vehicle display, that uses red, yellow and green LEDs to signal the driver how he or she is doing while driving. Back at the Safety Center, the data is constantly being collected. This data is then made available in a report to the driver and fleet manager, who can use this information in conjunction with the in-vehicle display to improve his or her driving. I should point out, however, that we have documented that better driving has resulted in improved fuel economy - many times the savings are as much as 7%.
Can you give us some test results for safety improvements?
Overall, the "green" drivers are 24% less likely to have an accident than red drivers, with an average of 54% reduction of driver crashes being documented among current GreenRoad trial customers. In the U.K T-Mobile fleet, which has installed GreenRoad, crash costs were reduced by 23%. On average, our fleet customers have reduced crash costs by an average of 65%. So, fleet companies are helping to make the roads safer, while still improving their cost structures. It's not often that a technology can cut costs while at the same time improving the world around us.
What markets are you targeting in the U.S.?
Initially, we are aiming at the fleet market. Generally, we work with the fleet owners, although we are also talking with a number of fleet leasing companies. In addition to this commercial market, we are also talking to several insurance companies who are especially interested in monitoring teenage drivers.
Our system is end-to-end - that is it includes the in-vehicle hardware, the installation, and Internet-based application, which incorporates our unique algorithm to analyze and characteristic driving. We also have a team of risk management experts that consult with clients on the best safety policies for individual fleet needs.
What has been the acceptance among drivers? Mostly, we hear stories about driver resistance to monitoring devices.
Acceptance has been great, because nearly all drivers are interested in driving more safely. How the program is deployed is up to the company, but we find that providing reports to the drivers is key. In some instances, we have found drivers competing with each other for the best record while other companies offer incentives for being one of the safest, Green Drivers. The reason for this could be linked to the fact that we're different than most tracking systems. Our technology is not intended to monitor the route taken or the time spent driving, but rather looks at driver behavior over the course of the drive (re: braking, turning, lane switching, etc.). The technology is also interactive in that it gives the driver instant feedback and then integrates driving behavior over time into detailed reports for subsequent analysis. Of course a driver might brake hard or depart their lane to avoid an accident, but our algorithm would incorporate that into an overall assessment, allowing for the sometimes necessary "red" driving.
Do you overlay the driving characteristics on a digital map, in order to analyze how the road might affect driving? As an example, think of the short on-ramps that require a burst of acceleration?
We haven't done that yet, but it is something that we are looking at for the future.
What about incorporating other functions, like tracking, navigation, or on the safety side, cameras?
So far we've steered away from that. This goes back to the idea of privacy and intrusion. Safety Center is about using technology to help improve driving behavior. You don't need a video camera or a tracking device to teach drivers how to break, steer, turn or park the car in the safest manner possible. Instead by incorporating a comprehensive driving behavior analysis and reporting tool into fleets (and eventually non-commercial vehicles) we're allowing both drivers and fleet managers to actually experience (in real-time) the "good" and "bad" of a day's driving, and thereby figure out a way to fix it. That said, our system and software is open architecture, so if the market asks for that in the future, we could decide to offer it as an option for certain fleets.
What's the price?
$28 per vehicle, per month.
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| SIGNIFICANT NEWS |
News digested 10/01/2007 -- 10/05/2007 |
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Industry Conferences Coming Up |
World Business Forum
New York City, October 10 - October 11, 2007
NSC Annual Congress & Expo 2007
Chicago, IL, October 12 - October 19, 2007
Direct Marketing Association Conference & Exhibition 2007
Chicago, IL, October 13 - October 18, 2007
NADC Fall Workshop
Nashville, TN, October 15 - October 16, 2007
Auto Finance Summit '07
Las Vegas, NV, October 15 - October 17, 2007
Visit Calendar of Industry Events for More Information on These Events
http://www.automotivedigest.com/calendar.asp?mod=calendar
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Press Releases Worthy of Read |
This Week's FEATURED Industry Press Releases
Click here for more Industry Press Releases!
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People Going Places |
| WHO: | Sam Dunbar |  |
| WHERE: | SmartDrive Systems |
| WHAT: | SmartDrive Systems and the radio show "Fleet Radio by SmartDrive" has announced their Safety-Risk Manager of the Year for 2007 in the US: Sam Dunbar. Dunbar is Director of Safety at Con-way Freight and is in charge of more than 7,000 power units and 16,000 drivers. This year, under Dunbar's tutelage, Con-way sent 52 of its drivers to the National Truck Driving Championships in Minneapolis. |
| | READ ABOUT MORE PEOPLE! |
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What Industry Leaders are Saying |
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Industry Group Seeking Tax Breaks to Encourage Safety Technologies:
- "The safety systems available for heavy trucks today are amazing stuff but also expensive, so we need to find ways to encourage fleets to buy it." -- Tim Kraus, president / COO, Heavy Duty Manufacturers Association
- "We're talking about a vast improvement in truck safety here. No matter the distraction to the driver, the radar is always looking forward and can apply the brakes if need be." -- Alan Korn, chief engineer, MeritorWabco
- "It's a stand alone system so fleets don't have to go out and buy a new truck to improve safety. We just pick up two simple inputs from the truck - vehicle speed and turn indicator activation." -- John Bielis, consumer manager--electronics & safety, Delphi
Sourced From: Fleet Owner, October 5, 2007
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Elite Wheels Vehicle Reviews |
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Hyundai Tiburon is 'Value-Added' Sports Coupe
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1) Resurrecting Ford's Taurus |
Situation
- Ford's Five Hundred was intended to replace Taurus when it came out in 2005
- But Taurus was still being built; lineup not discontinued until 2006
- Ford also introduced crossover-variant Freestyle in 2006
- Sales of both models were lagging when Ford brought in new CEO Alan Mulally
- Mulally's idea: change the Five Hundred/Freestyle nameplates to "Taurus"
|  2008 Ford Taurus |
Significant Points
- NY Times writer gives all-new Taurus, Taurus X his "Do-Do" award
- Both vehicles win 2008 "Do-Over and Do-Again Award," invented by writer
- Both have exteriors re-worked, options added, more powerful engines on board
- But much still needed in the way of improvements, writer also insists
- Both received Top Safety Pick Designations from IIHS, selling nicely
Read Quotes
Click Here for Full Digest and Source Article:
Sourced From: The New York Times, September 30, 2007
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2) GM SUVs to the Rescue, Again |
Situation
- GM provided new details about industry's 1st full-size hybrid gas-and-electric-powered SUVs
- New hybrid versions of Chevy Tahoe and GMC Yukon; 21 mpg city, 22 mpg highway
- A 30% gain in overall fuel economy and 50% for city driving
- Sales of large SUVs have taken a hit in recent years as gasoline prices have risen
- Sales of GM's top brands of Buick, Cadillac, Chevy down sharply so far in 2007
- "Two-mode" hybrid system jointly developed by BMW, DaimlerChrysler, GM
|  Chevy Tahoe Hybrid |
Significant Points
- Makes new SUVs as fuel-efficient in city as 4-cyl Toyota Camry
- Once-popular SUVs seen big production cuts; buyers flocked to crossover vehicles
- Many buyers still want large vehicle or 1 w/ ability to tow large loads
- Strong reception for new hybrid SUVs could help boost sales of other GM vehicles
- Create "halo" effect for GM; good product vital to GM's success
- GM's "two-mode" hybrid system could lead to a revitalization of SUV sales
Read Quotes
Click Here for Full Digest and Source Article:
Sourced From: MSNBC, October 3, 2007
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3) California Truck Emissions Plan Could Cause Chaos at Ports, Put Truckers Out of Business |
Situation
- Groups want Federal Maritime Commission to review plan by Ports of LA and Long Beach
- Requested by National Industrial Transportation League and Pacific Merchant Shipping Association
- Say "legal, logistical, anti-competitive, and economic harm" may result from plan
- Plan intended to reduce truck exhaust emissions; implement their clean air rules
- Motor carriers providing services at ports must enter into "concession agreements"
- Industry coalition agreed to support statewide rules for trucks to clean air quicker
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Significant Points
- Groups say 30% of motor carriers doing business at ports will be put out of business
- Force surviving firms to raise rates by at least 80% to cover cost of compliance
- Elimination of all owner-operators being key component of concession agreement
- Lead to greater port congestion due to lack of certified trucks and drivers
- Groups endorse moving forward together rather than on port-by-port basis
Read Quotes
Click Here for Full Digest and Source Article:
Sourced From: FleetOwner, October 3, 2007
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4) Auto Auction Mega-Chains Expand in Market Share Battle |
Situation
- ADESA, Inc adds 3 independent auction sites to its acquisitions in 1 week
- ADESA Syracuse (NY), ADESA Sioux Falls (SD), ADESA Fargo (ND) retain current staff
- ADESA bought by private-equity group last spring, restored Jim Hallett as CEO
- ADESA forced to expand in Canada, too, as rival Manheim makes acquisitions there
|  Jim Hallett |
Significant Points
- ADESA's growth promised for years, in answer to continued Manheim Auction growth
- New owners, private-equity group, on track for expansion in both US and abroad
- ADESA sees need for Canadian expansion, Quebec/Montreal, as Manheim sites pop up
- ADESA controls 75% of Canadian market, but Manheim opening service centers there
Read Quotes
Click Here for Full Digest and Source Article:
Sourced From: Used Car News, October 1,2007
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5) Facing Fierce Competition, GM Has Great Hopes for Chevy Malibu |
Situation
- GM betting that new Chevy Malibu will help win sales, market share back from Japanese rivals
- Company spending unprecedented $100M to roll out the new "Bu"
- Experts believe GM will need to spend heavily if wants to take share from Toyota Camry, Honda Accord
- But competition will be fierce as Accord, Camry, Nissan Altima have all been recently overhauled
|  2008 Chevy Malibu |
Significant Points
- GM reached a deal w/ UAW last week
- Detroit-3 had been focusing less on family sedans because the profits were in SUVs, large trucks
- GM sold 138,110 of previous version of Malibu last year
- But 40% of those went to rental companies
- While Toyota sold 417,104 Camrys and Honda sold 348,843 Accords last year
Read Quotes
Click Here for Full Digest and Source Article:
Sourced From: New York Times, September 29, 2007
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6) Industry Group Seeking Tax Breaks to Encourage Safety Technologies |
Situation
- Motor & Equipment Manufacturers Association lobbying to win tax credit for heavy truck owners
- Tax credit to encourage fleets to install variety of new and soon-to-be-available technologies
- Technologies designed to vastly improve "safety signature" of heavy commercial trucks
- Special ride-and-drive event conducted at Robert F Kennedy Memorial stadium
- Invited members of Congress, federal officials, other transportation professionals
- MeritorWabco, Bendix, Delphi conducted live demonstrations of truck safety technologies
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Significant Points
- MEMA lobbying for $1,000 to $1,500 tax credit for truck safety systems
- Technologies provide safety and cost-saving advantages
- Adoption has been slow going
- Technology is insurance for the unexpected
- Unexpected accidents can be costly
- Truck accident w/ injuries can cost fleet $300K; 1 involving a fatality can cost up to $3M
Read Quotes
Click Here for Full Digest and Source Article:
Sourced From: Fleet Owner, October 5, 2007
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7) Automakers Decision to Cut Sales to Rental Fleets Affect Renters |
Situation
- Customers and car-rental companies debating whether quality of rental cars is sliding
- Consumers shouldn't notice difference in their rental cars, even if they have more mileage
- Higher gas prices may be spurring some companies to be bit more stringent about refueling
- Policy that renters need to fill up within 10 miles of return location; be prepared to show receipt
- About 2K more miles on vehicles on average fleet-wide now compared w/ year ago
- Less generous w/ loyalty program and after-hours drop-offs
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Significant Points
- Rental companies implementing stingier policies as they look to cut costs
- Pinched because automakers curtailing practice of selling cars to fleets
- Rental companies now filling their fleets w/ larger share of "risk" cars
- Gas prices are high, profit margins on rentals are slim
- Some new car-rental policies hitting companies' most loyal customers
- Industry observers say car rentals still decent deal compared w/ rest of travel industry
Click Here for Full Digest and Source Article:
Sourced From: The Wall Street Journal, October 3, 2007
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