Automotive Fleet News

TUSTIN, CA - The NAFA Pacific Southwest (PSW) Chapter will hold its annual golf tournament at the Tustin Ranch Golf Club on Oct. 20. The meeting will start at 8 a.m. and the Golf Tournament Shotgun starts at noon.

Tags: chapter meeting, golf outing, NAFA

SOUTH PORTLAND, ME - Under the terms of the agreement, Wright Express (WEX) will issue fleet cards and provide related services to all three brands affiliated with ConocoPhillips' motor fuels: Conoco, Phillips 66, and 76.

Tags: ConocoPhillips, fuel, fuel card, Wright Express Corporation

AKRON, OHIO - Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. will raise tire prices up to 6 percent on Oct. 1 in response to escalating raw material costs.

Tags: Goodyear, price increase, tire

MT. LAUREL, NJ - Automotive Resources International (ARI) has developed a new white paper that examines the pros and cons of compensating employees for driving their own vehicles versus providing company-owned fleet vehicles.

Tags: Automotive Resources International, company-provided vehicle, reimbursement, white paper

NORTHBROOK, IL - Donlen announced it has been named to the Auto Remarketing Power 200 List, recognizing the most influential companies in the remarketing and used-car industry.

Tags: award, Donlen, recognition, remarketing

PARIS and MANCHESTER, NH - As a result of this transaction, Merchants Leasing will acquire ALD's U.S. customer base and a fleet of about 3,300 vehicles. The transaction became effective Aug. 31.

Tags: acquisition, ALD Automotive USA, Merchants Leasing

DENVER - The Alternative Fuel Trade Alliance will hold a free workshop Sept. 9 in Denver. The training seminar will cover alternative fuel quality, infrastructure, available vehicles, safety, and environmental impact of propane, ethanol, biodiesel, and compressed natural gas.

Tags: Alternative Fuel Trade Alliance, Clean Vehicle Education Foundation, Department of Energy, National Biodiesel Board, Propane Education & Research Council, Renewable Fuels Association, seminar

ARLINGTON, VA - The new Buick Regal has drawn the Top Safety Pick award from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.

Tags: Buick Regal, crash tests, General Motors, Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, Top Safety Pick

WASHINGTON - General Motors Corp. is recalling more than 161,700 MY 2005-2008 Pontiac Vibe vehicles.

Tags: General Motors, GM recall, NHTSA, Pontiac Vibe, vehicle recall

WASHINGTON - Kovatch Mobile Equipment is recalling 64 MY 2007-2009 KME Predator fire trucks because of an engine problem.

Tags: Detroit Diesel , fire truck recall, KME Predator, Kovatch Mobile Equipment , NHTSA

WASHINGTON - The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is investigating whether the MY 2009 Volkswagen Jetta TDI is prone to stalling, the Los Angeles Times reported.

Tags: NHTSA, Volkswagen Jetta TDI

WASHINGTON - The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has begun investigating whether the MY 2011 Hyundai Sonata's steering shaft assembly has a defect that can lead to separation and a loss of steering capability, the Los Angeles Times reported.

Tags: Hyundai Sonata, NHTSA

DETROIT - Ford Motor Co. is recalling about 575,000 MY 1998-2003 Windstar vans in 21 cold-weather U.S. states and Canada because of the possibility that the rear axle may fracture due to corrosion, Reuters reported.

Tags: Ford, Ford Windstar, Ford Windstar recall, NHTSA, road salt corrosion, vehicle recall

WASHINGTON - The U.S. Department of Transportation on Aug. 25 kicked off the annual "Drunk Driving -- Over the Limit, Under Arrest" campaign aimed at getting drunk drivers off the road.

Tags: Department of Transportation, driving safety, drunk driving, NHTSA

WASHINGTON - In a one-year period, the cost of medical care and productivity losses associated with injuries from motor vehicle crashes exceeded $99 billion -- with the cost of direct medical care accounting for $17 billion, according to a study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Tags: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, driving safety, highway fatalities

Here is some advice on vehicle speed from the California Driver Handbook. You may want to pass this along to your fleet drivers as a friendly reminder.

Tags: driver safety tips, driving safety

NASHVILLE - Nissan North America Inc. announced the start of order specification for MY 2011 Nissan LEAF customers who have placed a reservation online. Consumers will now be able to choose the color and trim level of their Nissan LEAF.

Tags: Electric Vehicle, Nissan, Nissan LEAF

LONGMONT, CO - UQM Technologies Inc., a developer of alternative energy technologies, has appointed Eric Ridenour, former chief operating officer of the Chrysler Group, to the position of president and chief operating officer. Ridenour will join UQM on Sept. 1 and later assume the position of CEO on Dec. 1, the company said.

Tags: electric vehicles, fuel-cell electric vehicles, plug-in hybrids, UQM Technologies

LONDON - According to a new study, stringent carbon dioxide (CO2) emission norms, government regulations, and ecological standards will be the key drivers for the growth of liquefied petroleum gas/compressed natural gas (LPG/CNG) vehicles in developed countries, particularly in the European Union (EU).

Tags: CNG vehicles, Frost & Sullivan, LPG vehicles

SACRAMENTO, CA - California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger on Aug. 30 signed into law a measure expanding the list of low-emission cars that qualify for permits to use carpool lanes, the Los Angeles Times reported.

Tags: CNG vehicles, electric vehicles, HOV lanes, hybrid vehicles, plug-in hybrids

HONOLULU - Nissan North America and the state of Hawaii announced a partnership to advance zero-emission mobility by promoting the development of electric vehicles, as well as an electric-vehicle charging network, throughout the state.

Tags: electric vehicles, EV charging stations, Hawaii, Nissan, Nissan LEAF

LOS ANGELES - A federal judge ruled Aug. 26 that the Port of Los Angeles can fully implement its Clean Trucks Program, including a controversial provision that restricts the types of truckers that can enter port terminals, the Daily Breeze newspaper reported.

Tags: Clean Trucks Program, Port of Los Angeles