Did We Learn Anything from the Lordstown Bankruptcy?
Lordstown Motor’s bankruptcy makes life harder on the upstart automakers still standing — but this hot glare of reality is exactly what the market needs.
It’s an exciting time to own a fleet. But it isn’t getting any easier to operate one, as connected vehicles, electrification, shared mobility, autonomous technology, and smart cities converge with traditional fleet processes. Chris Brown’s Auto Focus blog is designed to help fleet operators navigate the increasingly dizzying pace of change, improve fleet efficiencies today, and form their strategies for the future.
Lordstown Motor’s bankruptcy makes life harder on the upstart automakers still standing — but this hot glare of reality is exactly what the market needs.
With 450 miles of top range, the Silverado EV could be a game changer for fleets. But with unibody construction and an estimated curb weight greater than that of a 1-ton pickup, we’re in uncharted territory.
The bottleneck to buildout charging infrastructure is real, while the regulatory pressures mount to start commercial fleet electrification. There are workarounds that avoid costly grid upgrades to help get a couple of electric trucks on the road now.
While the commercial electrification market is growing, it’s not big enough for the number of players looking to sell into it. This is just another added pressure for fleets looking to electrify.
The undertaking of fleet electrification is bigger than anyone thought just five years ago. But the fleet community that gathered in Santa Clara is up to the challenge.
In their quarterly conference calls, Ford and General Motors spoke to the ongoing supply chain strain, vehicle affordability, and commercial vehicle and EV demand. Ford’s Jim Farley also called out “an overlooked benefit” for commercial customers. What’s that about?
The California Air Resources Board laid down its most ambitious rule yet, which includes not only passenger cars but light-duty trucks. The rule is phasing out traditional power in fleets’ biggest workhorses.
Harvesting, analyzing, and acting on data is a never-ending requirement in fleet management. With EVs, the need increases exponentially — and requires new systems, networks, and apps to manage and integrate.
With at least two dozen manufacturers ready to serve the commercial vehicle market with electric trucks and chassis, fleets will soon be making tough decisions they never had to with ICE vehicles.
Hertz’s massive EV rental initiative will have impacts in the corporate and B2B sectors. It will also provide a hedge against supply shortages and deflated pricing, whenever that comes. But blazing a trail is never easy.
The same challenges to electrify from 10 years ago still exist today. But at this year’s conference in Columbus, it’s clear there is an ecosystem to support Electrification 2.0 that wasn’t in place before.
While the great majority of fleets are just beginning to electrify, we also must realize that we’re at stage one of an ongoing mission to disseminate the training, grant opportunities, and behind-the-wheel education to foster the process. Human interaction from those with EV experience is crucial.
A battle is brewing between the traditional telematics providers, third-party connected car platforms, and the automakers themselves, which are returning with new digital applications.
Ford is betting on Ford Pro to meet a connected, electric mobility future. What’s the plan?
These 10 trendlines in electrification, mobility, and transportation tech bring promise to revolutionize fleets. Some may come to fruition next year, while others will only start to germinate.
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