DOT & EPA Officially Release 2017 - 2025 Proposed Fuel Economy Standards - News - Automotive Fleet

WASHINGTON - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) unveiled their joint proposal to set stronger fuel economy standards for model year 2017-2025 passenger cars and light trucks on Nov. 16. The proposed program requires manufacturers to increase their average fuel economy to 54.5 mpg.

There will be an opportunity for the public to comment on the proposal for 60 days after it is published in the Federal Register. Public hearings will take place in January in Detroit, Philadelphia, and San Francisco to allow further public input.
Although the agencies expect this proposal to add about $2,000 to the cost of each vehicle in 2025, they expect consumers to save up to $6,600 in fuel costs for the lifetime of the vehicle, with a net lifetime savings of up to $4,400.
The proposal extends fuel economy standards set for model years 2012-2016, which will raise fuel efficiency equivalent to 35.5 mpg by 2016.
According to the release, auto manufacturers are already heavily invested in developing advanced technologies that can significantly reduce fuel use and greenhouse gas emissions beyond the existing model year 2012-2016 standards. Technologies are available for automakers to meet the new standards, including advanced gasoline engines and transmissions, vehicle weight reduction, lower tire rolling resistance, improvements in aerodynamics, diesel engines, more efficient accessories, and improvements in air conditioning systems. The agencies also expect the standards to spur manufacturers to increasingly explore electric technologies such as start/stop, hybrids, plug-in hybrids, and electric vehicles. The model year 2017-2025 proposal includes a number of incentive programs to encourage early adoption and introduction of "game changing" advanced technologies, such as hybridization for pickup trucks.
California plans to issue its proposal for model year 2017-2025 vehicle greenhouse gas standards on December 7 and will finalize its standards in January, according to the agencies.
For more detailed information, visit the NHTSA webiste.

DOT & EPA Officially Release 2017 - 2025 Proposed Fuel Economy Standards - News - Automotive Fleet

www.safetytrack.net/info/blog

Jeff Stoker

Fleet Safety Tip of the Week

This week’s driver safety advice, provided by the Tennessee Department of Safety, concerns the "No-Zone" for large vehicles. You may want to pass this along to your drivers as a friendly reminder.

Many motorists falsely assume that drivers of trucks and buses can see the road better because they sit twice as high as the driver of a small vehicle. While trucks and buses do enjoy a better forward view and have bigger mirrors, they have serious blind spots into which a small vehicle can disappear from view.
The No-Zone represents danger areas around trucks and buses where crashes are more likely to occur.
1. The area approximately up to 20 feet directly in front of a large vehicle is considered a No-Zone. When small vehicles cut in too soon after passing or changing lanes, then abruptly slow down, trucks and buses are forced to compensate with very little room or time to spare.
2. Unlike small vehicles, trucks and buses have deep blind spots directly behind them. Avoid following too closely in this No-Zone. If you stay in the rear blind spot of a large vehicle, you increase the possibility of a traffic crash. The driver of the bus or truck cannot see your vehicle and your view of the traffic ahead will be severely reduced.
3. Large vehicles have much larger blind spots on both sides than cars do. When you drive in these blind spots for any length of time, the vehicle's driver cannot see you. When passing, even if the vehicle's driver knows you are there, remaining alongside a large vehicle too long makes it impossible for the driver to take evasive action if an obstacle appears in the roadway ahead.
4. Truck and bus drivers often cannot see vehicles directly behind or beside them when they are attempting to safely negotiate a right turn. If you cut in between the truck or bus and the curb or shoulder to the right, this maneuver greatly increases the possibility of a crash in this "right turn squeeze."

Fleet Safety Tip of the Week - News - Automotive Fleet

Fleet Tracking and Cost Savings

With the down turn in the economy, the question arises of the ROI of GPS Fleet Tracking. 

Small business owner, feeling the pinch in lower sales may question do I want to spend the money and track my fleet vehicles.

Here are a couple of things to think about.

Fleet productivity seems to increase once the drivers know that they are being watched.  “We have seen a reduction in overtime and an increase in productivity” says Bob S, plant manager for a local parts distributor

Idle time. This has been the biggest eye opening area of Fleet Tracking. Customers are seeing through new eyes what exactly is happening once their trucks leave the premise.

With our fleet idle calculator, you can see just how much fuel is being wasted just from the idle time.  A typical truck can waste one gallon of fuel during idling. If you trucks idles for three hours during their deliveries, then you driver unknowingly can be wasting $14.00 a day in fuel. If that be the case in a year time you could be wasting over $3500.

http://www.safetytrack.net/st-m3g/

http://www.safetytrack.net/info/idle-calculator

Jeff Stoker

jstoker@safetytrack.net