By Maria Neve, Vice President, Electrification and Sustainability at Wheels Donlen

The adoption of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) is generating a lot of excitement among electric vehicle enthusiasts; however, it is also raising many questions for businesses who were looking to expand their EV footprint.

The good news is that the 200,000-vehicle cap per manufacturer has been lifted. Previously, federal tax credits were capped at 200,000 vehicles per manufacturer.

Also, prior to this bill, there was an IRS tax credit for installation of charging stations for both businesses and residences. The new law increases the maximum credit from $30,000 to $100,000 per location.

These incentives, along with any potential state incentives, are meant to close the gap between the cost of a new EV, versus an ICE vehicle. The credit will apply to any vehicles placed in service after Dec. 31, 2022, through the year 2032.

READ MORE

By FMW Editorial Staff

The Miles Consultancy (TMC) is planning on launching a new super app that will provide mobility transparency for all forms of transportation, all in one convenient place.

We sat down with Stuart Donnelly, the President of Mobility at TMC, to hear more about the launch of the company's forthcoming app.

For the last eight years, Donnelly has been working to create a new dynamic, flexible way for people to move around. His mission as president of Mobility is to take the company from miles into mobility through the development of a new smart and sustainable mobility "super app."

Donnelly explained that while he joined TMC back in May 2022, he has been working in the automotive fleet leasing and corporate travel world for 25 years.

During his time, he saw that for many fleets, sustainability was their number one mission objective. While many people are talking about decarbonizing their fleets, the challenge is how to get there.

READ MORE

by Wade Carson, Head of Automotive Product for Wolters Kluwer

The fluctuating used vehicle market is expected to bring an increase in remarketing activity for both corporate and rental fleets over the next several quarters.

eVault technology is designed to help fleets and remarketers better manage the onslaught of documentation management and processing, and also reduce the risk of error and compliance issues throughout the process.

Prior to the pandemic, it was commonplace for automotive transactions to be paper based with documents housed in a physical repository. However, as lenders move to digitize their fleet-facing processes, an eVault solution is a vital component to providing fully compliant and contactless digital loan solutions.

READ MORE

Toyota is struggling with its shift to electric vehicles, and it is reportedly considering major changes in its EV plans driven by Tesla's manufacturing strategy.

Toyota has continued to be highly critical of going all-in in battery-electric vehicles despite announcing its own plan last year to bring 30 battery EV models to market by 2030. The plan is only a year old, at least publicly, and yet, Toyota is reportedly considering a major overhaul of its EV plan.

Toyota has been seen as a leader in manufacturing in the auto industry. While Tesla's manufacturing has been criticized in the past, in the EV shift, there's no denying that the company is emerging as a leader.

via electrek

General Motors has been touting its big EV push for some time now, and one primary facet of the automaker’s electric future is its Ultium Charge 360 ecosystem.

As the manufacturer’s brands begin to ramp up EV production, GM is also planning to expand EV charging infrastructure to reduce range anxiety and ensure that all US car shoppers can own an EV if they choose.

GM is partnering with its franchised dealers to install its own Ultium Level 2 charging stations. While some charging points will be installed at the dealership itself, in other cases, the dealers are working with GM to determine nearby places in the community to house the infrastructure, such as apartments, condos, schools, businesses, and the like.

via InsideEVs

The expected cost reductions for electric vehicle purchases have not eventuated yet. So, are fleets the answer? A recent note from AVERE suggests that the decarbonization of fleet vehicle purchases may accelerate the availability of used electric vehicles in the European market.

"The European Association for Electromobility (AVERE) is the association that promotes electromobility and sustainable transport across Europe. Within these Associations, there are more than 2,600 industry members, ranging from SME's, OEMs, and other companies with a commercial interest in electromobility and more than 150,000+ EV users."

They are currently supporting the European Commission's commitment to introducing regulation in 2023 for the decarbonization of corporate fleets.

via CleanTechnica

The Virtual Lift from ACV lets auto-auction shoppers and car dealers get a look under vehicles, and lately their priority is to make sure this frequently stolen item is still under there.

Anyone worried about buying a used car that’s had its catalytic converter stolen might have started checking out listings with pictures taken from under the car. One provider of simplified undercarriage images is the Virtual Lift hardware and software package from ACV, which just updated the machine learning software so that it can confirm if catalytic converters are where they’re supposed to be.

via Car and Driver

In December 2021, the Biden Administration issued an Executive Order calling for most federal vehicle purchases to be zero-emission vehicles (such as electric vehicles) by 2035.

This order affects about 380,000 federal vehicles as they need to be replaced.

Agencies may need to acquire about 30,000 zero-emission vehicles each year to meet future fleet requirements.

To support widespread electric vehicle use, the federal government may also need over 100,000 charging ports. As of August 2022, federal agencies owned and operated only about 4,000 charging ports.

READ MORE

Fleet management software lets your operation keep all of its information in one place.

This means no random spreadsheets scattered around with important information like when vehicle registrations are due, when driver's licenses need to be renewed, and more.

Storing this information in your FMIS lets you easily access the information and know that it's stored in a safe location.

More and more you might be asked for specific information about your fleet's productivity. This can be easily accessed through an FMIS. You can run reports on a variety of issues, from vehicle downtime to Total Cost of Ownership, to technician productivity, and much more.

READ MORE

by Richard Mallek, Director of Business Development, FLD Remarketing

Like most of fleet, the team here at FLD was eager to attend last week's AFLA Conference in Tucson - especially given that this would be the first time the full AFLA family would be together since the dawn of Covid.

And while we were unsure what to expect, this year's conference turned out to be a well-attended affair with - by unofficial accounts - more than five hundred attendees, a near 40% increase over 2021.

It also turned out to be a highly productive, fast-paced event with attendees going from one informative session to the next from sunup to sundown.

No matter whether you're a fleet management company, an upfitter, a remarketer, or one of the scores of allied service providers, there are five topics that are dominating the discussion and dictating your approach to business.

READ MORE