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Volvo’s Subsidiary, Renault Trucks to Offer an Electric Range for Each Market Segment From 2023

March 29, 2021 By Leave a Comment

Volvo Electric Vehicles
Volvo Group’s subsidiary Renault Trucks is pursuing its investment in electric mobility. From 2023, an all-electric Renault Trucks offer will be available for each segment, namely distribution, construction, and long-distance. To support these developments and be able to offer a complete and competitive Renault Trucks range on the market, the company is setting up an organization dedicated to electric mobility. Renault Trucks is thereby confirming its commitment to fossil-free transport.

To help meet the Paris Agreement’s goal of limiting global warming to under 1.5 degrees Celsius compared with pre-industrial levels, Renault Trucks is committed to transforming the truck market by gradually electrify its fleet to become carbon-neutral within 30 years. As trucks have a lifespan of at least ten years, all trucks manufactured by 2040 must run without fossil fuels. Battery-electric and fuel cell electric power will be crucial to achieving this major transformation towards carbon-free transport.

A Z.E. Tractor and Construction Version from 2023

In March 2020, Renault Trucks began series production of its second generation of electric vehicles at the Blainville-sur-Orne plant.

Renault Trucks now boasts a comprehensive all-electric range on the market, from 3.1 to 26 tonnes. Comprising the Renault Trucks D Z.E., D Wide Z.E., and the Renault Trucks Master Z.E., it meets the requirements of urban transport, delivery, distribution, and waste collection.

But Renault Trucks is seeking to extend vehicle electrification to all uses. Preparations are underway to market a Z.E. tractor to meet the needs of regional and inter-regional transport from 2023. An all-electric offer designed for urban construction will also be available to order by this date.

During the second half of the decade, Renault Trucks will be able to offer a range of electric trucks powered by hydrogen fuel cells, mainly for demanding and heavy long-haul operations.

R&D Organization Dedicated to Electric Mobility to Support Its Ambitious Goals

“Electric mobility is the pillar of our strategy and we aim to lead the field,” announced Bruno Blin, President of Renault Trucks. “We’re aiming for 35% of our sales to be electric in 2030. By 2040, all our vehicle ranges will be 100% fossil-free.”

In order to achieve these goals, Renault Trucks is backed by dedicated units, both in Research and Development and in the sales and after-sales organization.

On the R&D side, Renault Trucks intends to meet the main technological challenges of this revolution through strategic partnerships, as well as relying on synergies within the Volvo Group, to which it belongs, to increase volumes and reduce costs.

To ensure haulers get the best solutions in electric mobility, Renault Trucks will benefit from the work carried out by the Volvo Group’s new development unit dedicated to medium-tonnage vehicles, a core segment for the phased introduction of electromobility for trucks. Renault Trucks will also capitalize on the partnerships developed by Volvo Energy, the Volvo Group’s new entity dedicated to the supply, second life, and recycling of batteries, as well as to charging solutions. As for the development of battery packs specifically for heavy goods vehicle applications, it will benefit from the strategic alliance formed by the Volvo Group and Samsung SDI.

To facilitate this sustainable transition, Renault Trucks will also have the support of its new R&D center in Lyon – the X-Tech Arena – which will be built by the beginning of 2023 through an investment of EUR 33 million.

Supporting the Energy Transition of Customers Through an Electric Range With High Added Value

As regards the marketing of its Z.E. range and customer support, Renault Trucks has set up a new entity responsible for electric mobility projects, in order to boost both operational efficiency and customer satisfaction. This team has acquired a high level of expertise and is working to develop partnerships involving all the stakeholders (haulers, distributors, public authorities, energy suppliers, etc.) to propose a smart and competitive electric range with added value for haulers.

Finally, Renault Trucks has taken care to include services in the vehicle offer in order to simplify the lives of its customers who are looking for the solution best suited to their activity. In addition to the vehicle, the Renault Trucks brand offers a comprehensive transport solution, including batteries, solutions for installing charging facilities on its customers’ premises, energy optimization, repair and maintenance, financing, and insurance. As a result, Renault Trucks, which is committed to making life easier for its customers, is seeking to be the manufacturer that promises peace of mind. In this period of major change and uncertainty, this is undoubtedly what haulers need most.

For more information, please visit volvogroup.com/electromobility

The Volvo Group drives prosperity through transport and infrastructure solutions, offering trucks, buses, construction equipment, power solutions for marine and industrial applications, financing, and services that increase our customers’ uptime and productivity. Founded in 1927, the Volvo Group is committed to shaping the future landscape of sustainable transport and infrastructure solutions. The Volvo Group is headquartered in Gothenburg, Sweden, employs almost 100.000 people, and serves customers in more than 190 markets. In 2020, net sales amounted to about SEK 338 billion (EUR 33.6 billion). Volvo shares are listed on Nasdaq Stockholm.

Source – Press Release

Filed Under: News Tagged With: Volvo

4 Manufacturing Trends to Watch in 2020

January 28, 2020 By Gary Brooks Leave a Comment

Car Trends Manufacturing
2020 is setting the stage for a monumental decade in the manufacturing industry. In the U.S. specifically, 76 percent of voters are interested in how presidential candidates will support and grow manufacturing — putting OEMs in the spotlight to make the months and years ahead their most productive yet.

From new technology innovations to trade wars, 2019 was an exciting, albeit hectic, year for the manufacturing industry. Plus, expanded adoption of the Internet of Things and Machine Learning, coupled with an ever-evolving customer landscape and the independent aftermarket, is leading many OEMs to explore Product-as-a-Service business models, where customers purchase a desired result or output of a product rather than the product itself.

As the manufacturing landscape continues to evolve into the next decade, the four key trends below can help OEMs fuel success:

  1. The majority of OEMs’ businesses will be centered on delivering products-as-a-service by the end of the decade. According to IDC, 40 percent of manufacturers have some sort of IoT project underway.[1] However, most OEMs’ deployed products are disconnected, or not IoT enabled. We predict that by 2030, sensor-equipped, IoT-connected products will be the norm, providing OEMs the data and insights they need to make maximizing product uptime and delivering products-as-a-service a reality.
  2. Flexible consumption models fuel products-as-a-service. Manufacturers can no longer employ a ‘one size fits all’ approach. As consumers flock to usership over ownership, customers will expect the same business models in their place of work. Several industrial manufacturers like BAE, Caterpillar, GE, ABB and more have launched subscription models, and we can expect many more to follow suit in 2020. OEMs will have to adopt new technologies, infrastructure and business processes to meet these new demands.
  3. Technology will accelerate the shift to delivering products-as-a-service. Leading manufacturers have already recognized that accelerating the transformation to delivering products-as-a-service can only be accomplished if the core of their current service operations – service parts inventory and price management – are fully optimized. Flexible, scalable technology will be a key accelerator and enabler to selling products-as-a-service. Additionally, subscribers expect their equipment to be up and running at all times – putting previously unseen demands on manufacturers’ service organizations. Sophisticated service business transformation technologies, coupled with increasing data-transfer bandwidths (5G), IoT, artificial intelligence and Machine Learning, are paving the way for OEMs to facilitate predictive and prescriptive maintenance, optimize productivity and maximize product uptime more efficiently than ever before.
  1. Governments and customers will push for manufacturing to be more environmentally sustainable. The way we create value in business today is very linear: we use natural resources to build a product, sell that product into market and dispose of it at the end of its lifecycle. The circular economy, however, aims to reduce waste and the continual use of natural resources. Adidas, for example, has the Futurecraft Loop shoe where consumers return the shoe to Adidas once they have worn them out and the shoes are repurposed for future Loops. It’s inevitable that this same model will make its way to the manufacturing sector, as governments, consumers and Wall Street will all expect to more sustainable business practices in place.

2020 is set to be a huge year for manufacturing on both a micro and macro level. From the rise of “as-a-Service” business models to the increased focus on sustainability, manufacturers are poised for a watershed year. And with the right infrastructure and resources in place, OEMs cannot only “roll” with these changes, but ultimately turn them into strategic advantages.

[1] IDC, 2019 Product and Service Innovation Survey, Doc # US44334119, Aug. 2019

Filed Under: News

Maturing Industry Landscape Reshapes Autonomous Vehicle Transactions

November 7, 2018 By Tod Northman Leave a Comment

Autonomous CarsConsumers can’t yet purchase or lease a self-driving car, but Waymo’s deployment of its robo taxi fleet hints that self-driving cars may be closer to commercialization than gainsayers believe.  As a result of the progress – and the tremendous size of the potential market – corporate transactions in the autonomous vehicle technology industry have remained robust, despite the technology lagging manufacturers’ earlier forecasts.  But the types and size of transactions have shifted significantly over the past 20 months, revealing how would-be industry players assess their position in the field as they adjust their investment strategy to remain relevant.

Partnerships and Tie-Ups

AV leaders such as GM Cruise and Waymo have stayed the course, but traditional original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) are teaming up with other industry participants (other OEMs, suppliers, and startups) to try to keep pace instead of focusing exclusively on building their own AV systems.  Recent examples include:

  • a potential “alliance” between VW and Ford to work together on autonomous vehicles and potentially build cars for each other;
  • Ford’s $1-billion investment in Argo AI and subsequent courting of additional partners by the pair;
  • VW’s partnership with Intel’s Mobileye and Champion Motors to bring AV ride-hailing to Israel; and
  • Ford’s recent announcement that it is working with Baidu to test AVs in China.

Waymo pioneered the joint-venture approach.  Waymo has focused exclusively on developing the AV system while partnering with traditional automotive companies to supply vehicles.  Apple, with its ultra-secret Project Titan, appears to have a similar strategy. Tesla alone has challenged the automotive industry on its own, shunning transactions and partnerships.  It even elected to remove industry-leader Nvidia’s chips from its vehicles in favor of home-grown hardware.

Autonomous Vehicle TeslaBy contrast, Honda has pledged to invest up to $2.75 billion in GM Cruise, tacitly acknowledging its own AV efforts are lagging.  Toyota – which has dual-track AV approaches with its Guardian (driver assistance) and Chauffeur (full autonomy) initiatives – likewise has jumped into partnerships, investing in Uber and Grab and establishing a venture investment fund to pursue different strategies.

In the U.S., Uber and Lyft have built the ride-hailing industry, drawing large investments from traditional automotive industry players, such as Toyota and Honda, as well as Softbank.  Globally, Southeast Asia’s Grab and Go-Jek from the Middle East each have raised more than a billion dollars to pursue ride-hailing and other tech initiatives in their regions.

Such combinations are logical, given the powerful network effects of AV technology:  The more mileage an AV system accrues, the better it operates.  The teaming approach also draws on a principle from the aviation industry: Airlines do not want to compete on safety records.  Automakers should strive to produce the safest vehicle possible, and teaming up furthers that goal.

Acquisitions Have Slowed Dramatically

As joint ventures have increased, acquisitions of AV technology companies have dropped off the map.  Before 2017, AV startups were being bought as frequently as they were the target of OEM investments.  Even before Intel’s $15.3-billion acquisition of Mobileye in March 2017, the industry’s strategy shifted to investment in startups.  Mobileye is an outlier because Intel viewed it as a launching pad for entry into automotive. Intel may never reap sufficient benefit to justify the fancy price for Mobileye, but the alternative was sitting out the mobility revolution entirely.  Using the same theory, Aptiv (formerly parts manufacturer Delphi) nabbed AV company nuTonomy for $450 million in October 2017.  Such deals are exceptional:  In addition to these joint ventures, traditional automotive companies have shifted to strategic minority-position investment in AV suppliers in venture financings.

China leads the way on venture deals.  For example, Silicon Valley-mapping startup Deep Map is indicative of the heavy investment of Chinese companies.  Deep Map raised $60 million from the trio of Alibaba, Didi Chuxing, and automaker BAIC Group last summer for an implied valuation of more than $430 million for the two-year-old business.  Similarly, Pony.ai raised $214 million (nearly all from China) in 2018 alone, implying a nearly $1-billion valuation for the two-year-old company.

As dynamic as AV technical developments are, they are matched by the pace of the business side.  Between joint ventures and strategic investments in startups, the industry is responding to continuing challenges while reducing – but not eliminating – the enormous financial investment required to keep up.

Filed Under: News Tagged With: Apple Project Titan, Ford, GM, Google Self Driving Cars, Honda, Volkswagen, Waymo

Aftermarket Technology: The New Connected IoT Car

March 27, 2017 By Russell Ure Leave a Comment

IoT Cars

Early into 2017, the auto market presented its latest advancements, including concept vehicles and self-driving cars. But despite these innovations in the auto industry, the average car buyer still doesn’t know what the term “connected car” really means. New data from Klashwerks’ 2017 State of Driving Survey shows more than 93 percent of drivers who have heard of self-driving cars think the idea is far-fetched, perplexing or even scary. With this in mind, shouldn’t drivers be given a safer, less expensive and more attainable alternative?

Enter aftermarket technology.

Since consumers have so openly welcomed the adoption of smart products to connect their homes, drivers should consider aftermarket technology as an alternative to splurging on more expensive options when buying a car.

Realistically, 2017 won’t be the year we see major developments in the connected car market. But when we do, the first to come will likely occur in the aftermarket space so drivers can expand beyond the smart homes to bring connectivity to their cars.

Here are three reasons why aftermarket will be an area to watch in the future:

The market is ripe for IoT Cars

Now is a prime time for the car aftermarket to take off. Why? People are holding on to their cars for much longer as manufacturers continue to improve the quality — building cars to last longer and making them safer (and more enjoyable) to drive. Additionally, interest rates are now growing which makes any new car acquisition more expensive, not to mention the auto industry could be on the cusp of a protectionist trade war that will likely result in more expensive cars for Americans.

Car manufacturers beginning to realize this are looking at their existing customers for new business beyond just selling them new cars. The strategy seems to be to offer some kind of connected service for older car owners to enjoy some of the features they would only find in new cars. It’s clear that aftermarket tech is becoming increasingly important for car owners to make their cars more enjoyable and relevant, without having to incur the high cost of buying a new vehicle.

Why IoT – Consumers need a rich and more complete product experience

The majority of aftermarket solutions currently available to consumers are often expensive and only offer a single-feature benefit. What consumers really need are products that provide a rich and end-to-end experience with multiple, integrated features at a reasonable cost that allows them to enjoy their cars much longer than they would otherwise. This is where the opportunity for aftermarket tech can show the most promise, compared to other options on the market.

IoT Cars -You’ll always be connected

IoT Connected CarAs aftermarket tech continues to emerge in the connected car space, makers of these products are  quickly learning the struggle most smart home makers faced — It’s not easy to market the idea of connecting your car, let alone making all these products communicate with one another.

One of the main future features of aftermarket tech is the cellular connection. With it, these products will have the ability to draw from thousands of online sources in real time, allowing them to receive the right information at the right time and on demand. If there’s one thing the 2017 State of Driving Survey taught us, it’s that 32% of drivers are multitasking on the roads anyways. So why not eliminate the need to take your hands of the wheel by making your car do all the work for you? After all, that’s what the IoT is all about — ensuring products are always connected via a cellular network.

As the connected car space advances to parallel the smart home, consumers should increasingly consider the benefits of adopting aftermarket technologies first before buying a very expensive new car that will sit most of the time in their driveway. New developments in the aftermarket space will help make vehicle upgrades affordable and accessible while bringing the connected car to your driveway (or garage) sooner than you expect.

Filed Under: News

What Tools You Need to Get Started in Auto Repair

September 27, 2016 By Corey Kossack Leave a Comment

Mechanic Shop SoftwareFor many mechanic shop owners, the garage is already stocked with the tools needed to get cars back on the road in no time. But while cars are getting their regular check ups and new parts, what about the business itself?

Beyond the ratchets, multimeters, and car jacks, mechanics need to consider the technology that will help run their business for them, as they focus on the cars themselves. These days, business owners can automate everything from building their online reputation  to managing customer feedback and re-engaging existing customers – all while providing a great customer experience.

So what are the top things every shop owner needs to drive success? Here are the 3 a shop can’t live without..

Mechanic Shop Online Reputation Management

A majority of existing and new customers go online to look up the vendors they need – looking at reviews from previous customers. An online presence is the bare minimum needed these days to be noticed, but auto shop owners can take it one step further and make their shop stand out from the pack with glowing reviews. Whether it’s on the shop’s own website or on popular review sites like Yelp, Google, Facebook or RepairPal, positive reviews from satisfied customers go a long way to bringing that next customer in the door.

Mechanic Shop Customer Feedback

You may think you know what your customers think about your service, but do you really? Believe it or not, many customers are not comfortable sharing honest feedback with staff or business owners in person. Even if your customers smile and nod when asked if they had a good experience, there often is more to the story than customers will share at the point of purchase.

A customer feedback system can engage your customers after they leave the shop via text message or email to ask about their experience, and quickly generate detailed insights that helps your shop understand where you are excelling, while also pointing out the areas of service that your customers believe could use improvement.

Mechanic Shop Customer Engagement

How do you turn new customers into loyal customers? Target them with the right email promotions, service recommendations, or reminders at just the right time. According to Salesforce’s 2016 State of Marketing Report, “49 percent of marketers claim email is directly linked to their business’ primary revenue source”.. But first, you need to capture your customer’s email – which can be easily done by setting up online appointment request forms and training your staff to ask for customer email addresses at the point of purchase.

Once you start building your customer database, marketing automation makes it possible to automatically send the right communications to the right customers to help fill your bays and grow your shop’s revenues.

As you set up and run your mechanic shop day-to-day, invest in the technology that will help you drive success. This way, you can spend more doing what you love — helping your customers get back on the road..

Filed Under: News

Gasoline Quality Does Matter – Improve Fuel Mileage

September 1, 2016 By Richard Reina Leave a Comment

Gasoline Quality Does MatterWhen we go to fill our gas tanks, most of us never think twice about the quality of gasoline we’re putting in our car. We’re guilty of looking for the nearest gas station, or if we’re in close proximity to a few, we’ll choose the one with the least expensive price per gallon. However, what we’re saving at the pump may actually be costing us on a much larger scale later on down the road, as the lower quality of gas harms our engines and costs money for expensive repairs.

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)

Back in the 1980s, the increased use of fuel injection systems was starting to create another problem. It was found that the gasoline in use was causing harmful engine deposits, leading to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) mandating that all fuels in the U.S. have a minimum level of detergent additives included. Recently though, it’s been discovered that this minimum detergent package is not enough to get the job done.

Gasoline Manufacturers

Certain gasoline manufacturers went even further than the EPA by creating this TOP TIER standard, requiring a higher level of detergent than set by law. In early July, AAA released a study that found gasolines with the minimum additives cause 19 times more engine deposits than those with added detergent after just 4,000 miles of simulated driving, proving that not all gasoline is created equal. Higher quality fuel costs on average about three cents more a gallon than a lesser gasoline, but switching to a TOP TIER fuel after using lower quality fuel can reduce or remove deposits that have already formed.

As part of their research, AAA also surveyed drivers to find out their beliefs and purchase habits in regards to fuel. Key findings include:

  • Many drivers (2/3) believe that fuel quality does vary by brand
  • But about half (47%) of U.S. drivers do not regularly buy gasoline that contains an enhanced detergent additive
  • Americans are six times more likely to choose a gas station based on the price of gasoline than the quality of fuel.

Based on these findings, the consequences of using lower quality gasoline is a concern that needs to be brought to many motorists’ attention. It may be a little more expensive and less convenient to fill your tank with higher quality fuel, but it’s evident that these slight drawbacks are greatly outweighed by the benefits. Not only does using fuel with added detergent benefit your engine by reducing engine deposits, but it can also improve fuel mileage and performance. It will also result in your car having lower emissions and having a smoother idle.

Improve Fuel Mileage

Since higher quality gasoline is more expensive, you’ll want to make sure you’re getting the most out of it. Here are some adjustments you can make to improve fuel mileage:

  • Check and set tire pressures – according to the Department of Energy, every one psi (pounds per square inch) drop in the pressure of the tires will lower gas mileage by .4%. Tires can lose about 2 psi per month.
  • Make sure alignment is correct – improper alignment leads to tire dragging and wear, which will decrease MPG.
  • Don’t idle your engine unnecessarily – it burns unnecessary fuel, and restarting your car only takes about 10 seconds of fuel!
  • Avoid heavy acceleration and braking – this can lower gas mileage by 33% at highway speeds and by 5% at around town speeds.
  • Try to drive at constant speeds – use cruise control when possible to maintain a moderate speed (~50mph) and decrease aerodynamic drag.

If you commit to making the switch to high quality fuel and making these small changes to your car/driving style, you’ll ensure that your car is healthy and efficient.

Filed Under: News

A Trailer Hitch for Cargo Carrying

February 18, 2016 By Richard Reina 1 Comment

Whether you drive a compact car, small crossover, medium SUV, or a full-size pickup truck, there is a good reason to install a trailer hitch on your vehicle, even if you’re not pulling a trailer. In this article, we will discuss the advantages of a rear-mounted receiver hitch for carrying cargo or sporting equipment.

A “receiver hitch” is one which has a square-shaped opening in its center, to receive either the trailer ball & mount, or any number of available accessories. A typical such hitch looks like this:

Trailer Hitch Buyers Guide

The hitch industry has exploded in recent years, with the tow hitch manufacturers cranking out plenty of offerings. The good news for you is that there is a greater chance than ever of finding a trailer hitch designed specifically for your year, make, and model vehicle. And let’s bust this myth that the trailer hitch must be welded to the car. False! Not only do these custom units bolt into place, most of them do not require drilling. They cleverly use openings in the existing frame or unibody for strategically placed hardware. We have done a few of these installs ourselves. A buddy is helpful (but not necessary) to lift the hitch into place. But most can be bolted into place within an hour.

As you begin the shopping process, you may need to make some decisions among the choices you find. If you are NOT planning to ever pull a trailer, the “load rating” of the receiver hitch is of little or no concern. You may find, however, that you have a choice between the two most common receiver sizes: 1 ¼”, or 2”. The dimension refers to the measure of one side of the square, and these are industry standards. If both sizes are available, we recommend the 2”, as there will be more accessories to choose from. If you have a compact or subcompact, the 1 ¼” may be the only choice. Do not fret! An adapter will allow use of 2” accessories in the smaller opening.

Today, most of these quality units are painted or powder-coated for long-lasting good looks, and are tucked behind the bumper to avoid bruising your shins every time you walk past the car. Once you’ve purchased and installed the hitch, the real fun begins, and that is researching the plethora of accessories you can buy.

 Trailer Hitch Buyers Guide  - Trailer Hitch Buying Advice for Cargo CarryingFrom our experience, probably the most popular hitch-mounted accessory is the bike rack. Let’s face it: folks love bike-riding, and being able to drive your bike to a different riding location expands your choice of locales. But the act of carrying the bikes can be so cumbersome. Do you put it inside the wagon? On the roof? What if you have multiple bikes to carry? The hitch-mounted bike rack gives you the advantages of a low lift height, secure mounting, and 100% of your vehicle’s interior room. Some models carry 2 bikes; others can take up to 5, so be sure to check the details. The deluxe ones include arms that swing the bikes out of the way, allowing you to open your tailgate without unloading the bikes.

Trailer Hitch Buyers Guide  - Trailer Hitch Buying Advice for Cargo CarryingWinter sports more your thing? The skiers and snowboarders among you will be thrilled to know that you can purchase hitch-mounted carriers for these kinds of sports equipment. While the vehicle’s roof has been the more traditional carrying spot, your car may not accommodate a roof-mounted carrier, or you may be disinclined to reach up there all the time.

Perhaps you need to occasionally carry more stuff than will fit in the back of the truck, and who doesn’t have more stuff these days? Cargo carriers in the form of trays, baskets, even boxes, can be mounted into the receiver hitch. If you have a family, with every seat taken inside the vehicle, sometimes all you need is “that little bit more” room, and these carriers fit the bill perfectly. (We have personally seen many modern 3-row SUVs which offer miniscule cargo holds behind the 3rd Trailer Hitch Buyers Guide  - Trailer Hitch Buying Advice for Cargo Carryingseat.) Like the sports equipment carriers, you gain the advantage of low lift-over compared to anything roof-mounted. These can easily be removed when not needed; some offer the option of a fold-up design which keeps them at-the-ready, but tucked out of the way when not being used.

Trailer Hitch Buyers Guide  - Trailer Hitch Buying Advice for Cargo CarryingFinally, in the “less is more” category, we have receiver-mounted hitch steps. While not “cargo carriers” per se, these inexpensive yet extremely handy little devices give you a boost right where you need it: up to your Trailer Hitch Buyers Guide  - Trailer Hitch Buying Advice for Cargo Carryingcar’s roof, or into the pickup bed, even as a step to get you deep into the wayback of the SUV. Many of them have rubbertread for surefootedness, and are available in various finishes. Some offer the option of an additional light in them. OK, we’ll say it:
these are especially appreciated by those of us who are vertically challenged. We know some owners who keep theirs in place year-round as additional parking lot protection (and a recent trip into NYC bore witness to over half the SUVs having this rear step left in place at all times).

Trailer Hitch Buyers Guide  - In conclusion: receiver hitches are affordable (many units are under $200), easy to install, and are not just for people who own a camper or a boat! For many, their primary use is to carry sports equipment or additional cargo. When used this way, the rear hitch offers you easy and convenient loading which doesn’t intrude on interior space. We think that once you’ve experienced how versatile they are, you will be looking for additional cargo-carrying accessories for your hitch. In conclusion: receiver hitches are affordable (many units are under $200), easy to install, and are not just for people who own a camper or a boat! Trailer Hitch Buyers Guide  - Trailer Hitch Buying Advice for Cargo CarryingFor many, their primary use is to carry sports equipment or additional cargo. When used this way, the rear hitch offers you easy and convenient loading which doesn’t intrude on interior
space. We think that once you’ve experienced how versatile they are, you will be looking for additional cargo-carrying accessories for your hitch.

Filed Under: News

Buying a Vehicle is Fun Again in the Los Angeles Area!

January 22, 2016 By Daniel Reyes Leave a Comment

SAVE Time & Money with HaggleChamp when Buying Vechicle in LA County

Buying a new or used vehicle can be a daunting task especially in a place like LA county, you surf websites, visit dealerships, exchange contact information, and get hounded by pushy sales tactics.  We’ve all either heard or have horror stories.  Shouldn’t buying a car be fun and exciting?  It is again with HaggleChamp.

Buying a new or used vehicle in LA The HaggleChamp way.

HaggleChamp is changing car sales by putting the power where it belongs again, with you the buyer.  We get our network of Los Angeles car dealerships to compete for your business.  Why chase after a vehicle deal when you can have it come to you and you get to avoid the pushy over bearing sales tactics used by some dealership?  Save your time, money, effort and get the best possible deal.  That’s saving like a champ.

How does HaggleChamp work?

Simply go to the HaggleChamp home page and tell us you are looking to buy.  You can say a specific vehicle make and model or something generic like, “I want a car no more than 10-years-old.” We gather other basic information like your budget range, if you have a trade in, and when you are planning to buy.  The whole process takes less than a minute. It is ideal for people who feel uncomfortable with

From there, we alert our network of car dealerships in LA about your request.  They respond and give you offers.  You can see the offers roll in on your “dashboard”. We’ll alert you as new vehicle offers come in.

Get the most out of HaggleChamp.

Remember, the lowest prices isn’t the best price.  Check for things like warranties, certifications and guarantees.  

Also, make sure you look at vehicle mileage and years.  Higher miles and older vehicles tend to go for less money, but if you need something newer, then that might not work for you.

Options, the more options a vehicle has the higher the price tag, normally.  A car with power everything tends to have a higher price tag than a car with roll down windows.

 

SAVE Time & Money with HaggleChamp when Buying Vechicle in LA County

Filed Under: News

The Future of Electric Cars

November 12, 2015 By Jenni Crenshaw Leave a Comment

The Future of Electric Cars Every innovation is eventually eclipsed by superior technology or a new, unique application of the innovation.  In just the last few decades we’ve seen cassette tapes, CD-ROMs, and even traditional television, among others, get passed by in favor of better performing products and applications of technology.  In the automotive industry, we are on the cusp of seeing a similar mass shift away from traditional gas engines to fully electric vehicles.  The speed of this shift will be determined by three things: battery performance, automation of the vehicle, and the serviceability experience.

Current lithium-ion batteries are constantly improving, but reaching a sustainable and affordable price per kilowatt-hour is still several years away. Without the subsidy-free price competition against gas powered combustion engines, mass adoption is not likely to be sustained.  Several non-lithium-ion battery technologies show potential, such as magnesium-ion and lithium-sulphur, but these technologies are behind the adoption curve of lithium-ion and time to market is still at least a decade away.  In that time, companies like Tesla have said they will have an affordable lithium-ion battery comparable to gas costs through use of its Giga factory production.

One way manufacturers are enhancing battery performance without touching the battery is through the use of lighter weight materials in the vehicle.  Reducing the overall weight reduces the stress on the battery and manufacturers are seeing 15-20 percent gains in efficiency when vehicle weight is reduced by 20 percent. Instead of steel, manufacturers are turning to aluminum or carbon, both stronger that steel, in an attempt to reduce vehicle weight.

Just like improvements in the battery will enhance adoption of electric vehicles, so too will the improving performance of automation within vehicles.  Manufacturers have been slowly introducing automation over the last several years in features like parking assist, automatic braking, and smart cruise control.  The idea of a fully-automated driving experience is the next big step.  Recently, Tesla introduced fully autonomous highway driving technology in its Model S vehicles. According to a recent Jabian Consulting survey of 1000 U.S. consumers, more than half of those surveyed believe safety would be enhanced if everyone had an autonomous vehicle, and 40 percent believe we will have fully-autonomous vehicles within the next five years.

Automation will also help adoption of electric vehicles through self-diagnosing technology that will require fewer trips to service providers and quicker fixes, often done through a simple software update.  According to the same survey as above, more than 60 percent of respondents said they would pay extra for an app that tells them what’s wrong with their car. Because an electric vehicle has significantly fewer moving parts than a combustion engine, replacement parts self-diagnosed by the vehicle could be created at home on a 3D printer and installed by the owner.  Five years ago no one ever thought a car would talk to a printer!

One of the main influencers in the adoption of electric cars will ultimately be the customer experience, most notably in the service ecosystem.  The ability of consumers to become more educated and smarter about their vehicles, either through availability of information on the internet, or through self-diagnosing cars, continues to threaten the traditional vehicle service experience.  As women have emerged as the primary influencer and user of auto services, dealerships and other service centers have failed to adopt practices and behaviors consistent with consumer expectations.  In the same Jabian Consulting survey, more than 60 percent of women reported knowing more about their vehicle than the service technician gave them credit for, and respect was the most often cited desire among female consumers when asked what they wanted most from their service experience.  More than 45 percent said they are considering an electric vehicle for their next purchase largely because of the minimal need for service.

The future of Electric CarsWomen are also more likely than men to purchase a vehicle online, similar to Tesla’s delivery model.  As influence has grown among women, and expectations for the service experience has been missed, opportunities abound for electric vehicle sales that can capitalize on the void created by the traditional auto experience.

While service experiences are influential, so too are the experiences electric car manufacturers are creating using gamification and building communities.  Owners of the Nissan Leaf can create a persona for their car and compete with other Leaf owners in a virtual leaderboard that measures car use efficiencies, driving tendencies and shared experiences. Use of the community has impacted how people drive so as not to affect their place on the leaderboard.  Because digitally connecting people is so readily available in electric connected cars, future communities of users will engage in games and content applications to further cement loyalty, enhance the driving experience, and create brand ambassadors offline and online.

The future of electric cars is certainly a bright one.  Though the hurdles for more rapid adoption continue to be on the legal side more than the technology side, those are quickly being overcome.  While electric vehicles today only make up nearly one percent of all vehicles on the road, the speed of adoption is increasing at a rate that could see electrics dominate the market by 2025.  It’s probably time to start thinking of the electric car version of the slang “gas guzzler”.

Filed Under: News Tagged With: Nissan, Tesla

Is There a Driverless Car in Your Future?

October 7, 2015 By Greg Horn Leave a Comment

Driverless Car Technology

A computerized chauffeur to deal with the hassles of driving? You have to admit it sounds appealing. Once the stuff of science fiction and futuristic predictions, the concept of a driverless car is quite close to coming true. Google and a number of other tech companies as well as some car makers have been hard at work to bring the vision to a city street near you.

How close? In 2012, Google founder Sergey Brin said Google’s self-driving car would be available for the general public by 2017, although last year project director Chris Urmson indicated the release might be pushed back to 2020. Still, we’re on the road to reality, and the Google technology is nothing short of amazing.

At the moment, Google has two basic forms to driverless technology: equipping existing cars such as their fleet Lexus and Prius hybrids, and manufacturing the company’s own small, plastic two-seat vehicle. Each version has roughly $200,000 of advanced electronics, computers and radar/LIDAR systems onboard. LIDAR, which stands for Light Detection and Ranging, is a remote sensing technology that uses light in the form of a pulsed laser to measure variable distances. These light pulses, combined with other data, generate precise, three-dimensional information about the shape and contours of the area in which the vehicle is driving.

But, while incredible technical progress is being made, there are some very low- and no-tech obstacles in the way of a truly driverless car.

Legal

Technology frequently advances faster than social systems, and that’s certainly the case with the driverless car. Existing traffic laws just aren’t up to speed. Many of them have been on the books for decades and all were written with the assumption that a human being would be behind the wheel.

To date, only four of our 50 states and the District of Columbia have passed laws that expressly allow driverless vehicle testing on public roads. However, they require special license plates, insurance packages and driver certification, stipulating that a certified driver must remain behind the wheel ready to assume control of the vehicle if the computer system fails.  [1] Other states are currently considering legislations.

Weather

As of August 2014, the latest prototype driverless vehicle had not been tested in heavy rain or snow because of safety concerns. [2]

Construction Zones, Debris and Human Interaction

Because driverless cars rely primarily on pre-programmed route data, they do not obey temporary traffic lights nor do they recognize construction zone routing. There are also concerns that the cars may revert to a slower, extra-cautious mode to complex unmapped intersections. Because they have difficulty identifying harmless road debris, the vehicles often swerve unnecessarily. And, the LIDAR technology cannot spot some types of potholes or discern when a human such as a police officer is signaling the car to stop.

Speed and Control

The current Google-produced driverless car has a top speed of 25 miles per hour, a threshold with some potential problems. Initially, it also lacked a steering wheel and brake pedal, resulting in an experience akin to an amusement park ride. Later models have since added brake pedals and steering to comply with the regulations of the four states that permit driverless cars.[3]

Motion Sickness

A recent study from the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute warned that as many as 12% of passengers may experience motion sickness while riding in driverless cars.[4] While there are no remedies, the study suggested that passengers who are susceptible to motion sickness might want to try closing their eyes or sleeping, a solution demanding a great deal of confidence in driverless technology!

Accidents

As of July 2015, 23 of Google’s driverless cars had been involved in 14 minor traffic accidents on public roads, although Google maintains the driverless vehicle was not to blame in any of the incidents. Eight were rear-ended, two were side-swiped, one involved another driver rolling through a stop sign, and one was being manually driven by a Google employee. In one of the rear-end accidents, three Google employees suffered minor injuries, a first in driverless car history.[5]

What Lies Ahead?

Although it gets most of the buzz, Google’s driverless car isn’t the only one on the horizon. Several manufacturers are exploring the possibilities. Volvo, for example, has indicated they will test driverless cars in their headquarter city of Gothenburg, Sweden by 2017. German auto makers Daimler Benz, BMW and Volkswagen chipped in to buy Nokia’s “HERE” GPS system as a counter to Google. Those are serious players and encouraging news for fans of a driverless future. But let’s put this in perspective. Even if the price of driverless technology drops radically (say by 50%) as technology frequently does, by 2020 you could possibly buy a driverless car for $100,000. That’s more than three times the cost of an average new car today, more than enough to pay for taxis for several years, and the technology probably still won’t be perfect. Couple the high price tag with the fact that the average American car on the road today is 11.5 years old, and it’s safe to guess that we have a long  wait before driverless vehicles go mainstream. More likely, given the limitations of the present technology, driverless cars may initially find a use as taxis in congested urban areas like New York City where slow moving traffic is the norm.

[1] https://businessjournalism.org/2015/04/technology-and-money-3-things-to-know-about-driverless-cars/

[2] http://www.technologyreview.com/news/530276/hidden-obstacles-for-googles-self-driving-cars/

[3] http://www.carmagazine.co.uk/car-news/first-official-pictures/google/10-things-you-might-not-know-about-googles-driverless-car/

[4] http://observer.com/2015/06/self-driving-cars-will-cause-motion-sickness-often-to-always-study-finds/

[5] http://www.govtech.com/transportation/Google-Autonomous-Car-Experiences-Another-Crash.html

Filed Under: News Tagged With: BMW, Google Self Driving Cars, Lexus, Mercedes, Toyota, Volkswagen, Volvo

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