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Aaron Marsh, Fleet Owner / April 6, 2017 Electric power in trucks and trucking: it’s such a neo-modern, 2000s and 2010s kind of concept. Isn’t it? Or maybe, actually, it’s something much older, stretching back to the turn of the 20th century and the very earliest days of commercial and passenger automobiles. What might surprise some advocates and others interested in electric trucks is how closely what was said about them more than a century ago mirrors what’s being said still today. The earliest internal combustion engines had to be cranked, weren’t particularly reliable, weren’t particularly powerful, and could often be noisy and dirty. Meanwhile, in the early 1900s, homes were still being electrically wired; electricity brought and was full of new possibility. Large battery technology—as in batteries used in applications like vehicles—was expensive, but respectably capable. An October 1915 article in the New York Times noted that “the largest transportation delivery fleets in the world are chiefly composed of electric vehicles.” Businesses like department stores, bakeries, breweries and laundry service providers all, in various percentages, had been purchasing and using electric trucks going back to the turn of the century as the first automobiles trickled into society. The article, “Electric Proves Value in Laundry Service,” profiled Henry Sieminski of Jersey City, NJ, and his laundry business. The company had replaced a number of horses and wagons used in city laundry service pickups and deliveries with eighteen 1,000-lb. electric delivery trucks, running them successfully for three years. “The 18 electrics have not only done the work of the 40 horses which I formerly owned, but also take care of an unusually heavy increase in business,” Sieminski stated. The laundry burned coal in generating its own electricity, which it used to heat large amounts of water used for industrial-load washing. Sieminski said he considered it a “by-product” to charge the electric trucks at night as well, since the company had to use much more electricity in heating water anyway. He also considered it a by-product that the company got distilled water it used in the trucks’ batteries from steam that collected above the company’s hot laundry tanks. Sieminski pointed out a number of advantages of the electric trucks for his business, including very low cost. He figured that the electricity needed to charge the trucks cost $71/month, or $4 per vehicle per month (and with the distance each truck covered, it worked out to about six-tenths of a cent per mile to charge and run the vehicles). Maintenance of the electric trucks was “negligible,” Sieminski said, and didn’t amount to much, and what parts were on the trucks were standard and easy enough to get and replace, even if a manufacturer went out of business. While tires on the laundry business’s gasoline trucks would last 3-4 months, tires on the electric trucks lasted much longer at 1.5-2 years, and the electric vehicles themselves would last perhaps 15 years or more, since they had little need for maintenance and few parts generally. Electrics got a “legendary” reputation for working almost indefinitely, and there seemed also to be a matter of them getting better traction in inclement weather. “During the most severe snowstorms last winter, our electrics made their usual number of trips in the same average time. Several times our gas cars were stalled and had to be towed in,” said Sieminski. That was backed up seven years later in the Edison Monthly published by the New York Edison Co.: “Ice on the asphalt has no terrors for electric trucks. Their traction is sure and their control is positive, and they can pick their way in and out of traffic without the least inconvenience.” Relics of the past or ahead of their time? The other benefit, in very a noticeable way, was image. Sieminski stated in the Times that he felt that having the electric trucks hauling through the streets of Jersey City boosted his company’s appearance out among the public. “A clean, attractively painted, smooth-running, silent electric is the best advertiser in the world for the laundry business,” he contended. “I am fully convinced that for laundry delivery service, the electric is the most efficient and economic vehicle.” In May 1922, the Edison Monthly reported that “the future of the electric vehicle is assured because good transportation is based on economy and reliability—and the electric has both.” Speakers at an electric vehicle convention the prior month in New York had “showed beyond question that in their proper fields, electrics far outclass any other type of delivery equipment.” Into the 1920s, 1930s and beyond, businesses making various kinds of deliveries—including United Parcel Service— ran electric trucks, well after electric vehicles had been eclipsed by gasoline- and diesel-powered ones, particularly in the commercial vehicle arena. But at long last, electric trucks faded into memory and were relegated to more and more obscure use, and the decades marched on. Hurricane of the present And suddenly, we’ve arrived at the present alternative fuels use in trucking in 2017, and electric trucks seem to have wrestled a spotlight all to themselves. For the past several years as gas and diesel prices have been very low in the United States, natural gas used in trucking—most often compressed natural gas, but also liquid natural gas—has been sidelined somewhat. At the same time, though, last year and this year have somehow continued to bring quite a flurry of news about electric trucks. Part of the evidence of a surge in electric vehicles is the growing noise coming from the competition. Reuters reported on Feb. 21, for example, of a U.S. biofuels lobbying group joining forces with an oil industry group, though they’d been longtime rivals, “noting electric vehicles as one area where both sides have concerns.” That concern in particular was about government subsidies for electric vehicles and other vehicle types losing ground. What’s notable with electric power in trucking is how widespread the news has been. There’s been activity from heavy Class 8 electric yard trucks and waste trucks to medium-duty delivery vehicles—a particularly promising use—with some light- and medium-duty electrics used for last-mile delivery operations. But there’ve also been light- and heavy-duty electric trucks released by Daimler and a dramatic-looking heavy-duty electric truck from Nikola among new electric trucks bursting onto the scene. A study by the Consumer Federation of America (CFA) in September last year found that consumer interest and acceptance of electric vehicles is growing. When asked if that increasing consumer familiarity with EVs might help drive EVs in trucking, a CFA representative told Fleet Owner it’s more likely to be the other way around: that EVs in trucking will help drive consumer use and adoption of EVs in the passenger car world. And meanwhile, a January report from Navigant Research estimates global sales of electric medium- and heavy-duty trucks will reach a significant 332,000 in 2026. Workhorse In the medium-duty segment, Workhorse Group Inc. has built up some steam over the last year or so with improvements, sales and new technology demonstrations with its hybrid electric trucks. The company’s E-GEN delivery truck got a smaller, more fuel-efficient BMW gasoline engine that comes on to charge the batteries and extend the truck’s range when charge is drained. UPS is testing delivery innovations with Workhorse electric trucks and drones. Further, however, Workhorse also builds drones. UPS, which announced purchases of 325 of Workhorse’s delivery trucks, also in February this year showcased its testing of a Workhorse truck and HorseFly octocopter drone. The drone can supplement a driver and/or other workers delivering packages up to 10 lbs. on delivery flights up to half an hour long. “It has implications for future deliveries, especially in rural locations where our package cars often have to travel miles to make a single delivery,” said Mark Wallace, senior vice president of global engineering and sustainability at UPS. “Imagine a triangular delivery route where the stops are miles apart by road; sending a drone from a package car to make just one of those deliveries can reduce costly miles driven.” Workhorse has been blazing some new trails in medium-duty vehicles in terms of fuel efficiency. The company drew from telematics data that its trucks generate to calculate that the E-GEN is achieving the equivalent of 30-plus mpg during stop-and-go parcel, bakery and uniform delivery routes. The vehicles, Workhorse claims, can offer a saving of as much as $165,000 in total cost of ownership vs. gasoline or diesel trucks. A final but significant note for Workhorse is the company’s forthcoming W-15 electric pickup, which right now can be seen only via a few dramatic-looking sketches. Workhorse says it will feature plenty of advanced safety technology and was designed to be “the safest pickup ever built,” offering 4WD, 2,200-lb. payload, 5,000-lb. towing capability, 80-mi. battery-only range, and unlimited extended range via its BMW gas-powered generator motor. With an order for 500 of the W-15 electric pickups just in from Clean Fuels Ohio, Workhorse says it also has commitments from Duke Energy, Portland General Electric, the City of Orlando (FL), and Southern California Public Power Authority for the trucks. Nikola Possibly the biggest splash to have hit the news lately regarding electric trucks was made by the Nikola One hydrogen-electric Class 8 tractor officially unveiled in December. This thing uses high-density lithium batteries and generates additional energy via hydrogen fuel cell; Nikola Motor Co. says the truck will have a range between 800 and 1,200 mi. Very notably also, the Nikola One’s electric drive system is expected to deliver a massive 1,000 hp. and 2,000 lbs.-ft. of torque. Because all that power and torque is available from the electric drive system immediately, the truck is estimated to take off and blow through a 0-60 mph run in 30 sec., which means it’s twice as fast off the line as a conventional diesel heavy truck, Nikola estimates. One of the first customers to step up and say it’s ordering the Nikola One was U.S. Xpress Enterprises Inc., which said it plans to add an unspecified number of the tractors to its fleet when they go into production in 2020. “U.S. Xpress drivers are going to have one of the most environmentally sound trucks on the road that they are going to love to drive,” said Nikola Motor CEO Trevor Milton. “America is looking for a change,” Milton wrote in a column for Fleet Owner. “Zero tailpipe emissions from commercial trucks is incredibly important. America is tired of loud, dirty and smelly diesel trucks polluting our environment.” He contends Nikola has orders for more than 8,000 of the hydrogen-electric tractors and plans to construct over 360 hydrogen stations nationwide. “As diesel fleets are retired, America’s operators will be able to turn to hydrogen and electricity to power their trucks,” Milton predicts, if overly optimistically. “Diesel engines will always have a place in America, but they will suffer a slow, painful death similar to what Kodak experienced with its film business with the debut of digital cameras.” Daimler / Mercedes-Benz At IAA 2016 in Hannover, Germany, the world’s largest commercial vehicle show, Daimler’s truck group showed off the Mercedes-Benz Urban eTruck, a fully electric cabover with refrigerated body and 26-ton GVW. The futuristically sleek, somewhat narrow-profiled truck appears designed to navigate through the tightest European roadways. “We are currently talking to around 20 potential customers from the disposal, foodstuffs and logistics sector,” noted Stefan Buchner, head of Mercedes-Benz Trucks worldwide, of the Urban eTruck’s future sales potential. As he continued, the pitch carried elements electric truck proponents claimed over a century ago: “Zero emissions, quiet as a whisper and with a payload of 12.9 ton, the Urban eTruck offers an impressive, economical and environmentally friendly concept.” Dipping its toe ever so slightly into the water, Daimler says it will deliver the first handfuls of Urban eTrucks this year. “The vehicle will initially go in a low two-figure number of units to customers in Germany, and later in Europe, too,” Buchner stated. “It will be used in real transportation applications there.” Daimler also offered up the Mercedes-Benz Vision van, an electrically powered, zero-emission, almost liquid-sculpted work van. It’s a last-mile-type delivery van and can carry one or more drones capable of helping deliver packages, just as others are looking to test and implement. In the light-to-medium sweet spot, the Class 4 Mitsubishi Fuso eCanter all-electric truck is coming to the U.S. market this year. Rather counter to what we’re seeing in EVs from Daimler, Wolfgang Bernhard, formerly the head of Daimler Trucks, noted recently that a decade ago, he saw “no market” for electric trucks. However, battery technology advanced about 2.5-fold and costs went down by roughly that same factor since then. And that brings us to this year, when the Fuso eCanter will simultaneously arrive in “small-scale production” numbers in the United States, Japan and Germany and is likely to find itself in a range of urban delivery scenarios. Orange EV big yard trucks Late last summer, Orange EV announced it’s accepting orders for its Class 8 T-Series electric terminal truck, a.k.a. yard mule, hostler or spotter truck. The trucks, which can carry a price tag in the mid-to-high $200,000s each, also are eligible for big discounts courtesy of California’s Hybrid and Zero-Emission Truck and Bus Voucher Incentive Project. Incentive funds can reduce the cost per T-Series truck by up to $140,000, re­sulting in a net cost as low as $105,000 per truck. That enables fleets “to purchase electric trucks with the same funds earmarked for diesels, and then operate for significantly less, saving up to 90% net in fuel and more in a broad range of other areas,” according to Mike Saxton, chief commercial officer at Orange EV. Saxton spoke with Fleet Owner about why fleets consider switching to the electric yard mules. He said it was about “getting the job done while eliminating diesel fuel and emissions.” Using incentives such as those noted above, fleets can minimize equipment costs of electric trucks and then save considerably in the long run. Saxton explained that compared with fuel costs for diesel yard trucks and accounting for the costs to recharge the Orange EV trucks, purchasers can expect to save a net of 80-90%. Also, much of the mechanical systems on diesel trucks—things like engine, transmission and emission/exhaust systems—are replaced by batteries and a maintenance-free, brushless induction motor. That reduces maintenance costs for electric trucks to a relative minimum compared with diesel truck maintenance, Saxton said. In the longer term, fleets that invest in electric trucks like the T-Series yard mules can expect typical electric vehicle durability and very low operating costs. Electric refuse trucks The municipal waste truck sector is another that’s had some attention paid to it by electrification. It makes sense: if, for point of argument, range remains a big challenge for electric trucks and must be overcome in the case of products like the Nikola One over-the-road semi-truck, shorter local delivery routes have been a natural fit for electric trucks back since Sieminski’s Jersey City laundry business and others ran them in the early 1900s. And along with a pickup-and-delivery-type business like a uniform service, for instance, there’s also that omnipresent municipal pickup service: waste and recyclables collection. Clipping door-to-door often in the early hours of the morning, could a clean, whisper-quiet, electric waste truck going about its business offer city residents any appeal? Mack Trucks thinks so, and showed off one of its Class 8 LR model refuse trucks outfitted with an electric driveline last summer. The electric driveline was supplied by Wrightspeed, whose Route 1000 powertrain uses electricity for 100% of vehicle propulsion and adds a multi-fuel-capable turbine regenerator engine that can recharge the batteries and provide “unlimited” range. Wrightspeed says the heavy-duty electric drivetrain is suited for refuse, delivery and mass transit applications. Finally, BYD and Wayne Engineering last fall announced an all-electric refuse truck that skirts that longtime EV issue of range: it’s said to cover 100 mi. per charge, and with quick-charge capability at that. It’s designed to offer wraparound visibility to assist in negotiating tight urban roads and alleyways. And Stella Li, president of BYD America, hearkened to those age-old benefits of electrics—that they’re much cleaner and environmentally friendly—in highlighting benefits of the new electric refuse truck. “This new 3.9-ton truck, which gets 100 mi. of charge in just 2.5 hours, is the chance to finally make cleaning our neighborhoods a clean prospect in and of itself,” Li said. .

Bullseye

Truck News / April 18, 2017 Peterbilt is saluting Canada’s 150th anniversary through its special edition Model 389 with exclusive Canadian features. “Canadian owner-operators and premium carriers can honor Canada with the addition of Peterbilt’s Model 389 Canadian 150th Anniversary Edition,” says Kyle Quinn, Peterbilt General Manager and PACCAR Senior Vice President. “It delivers proven productivity, dependability and uptime combined with unique styling and understated elegance.” The Model 389 Canadian 150th Anniversary Edition is configured with a 131-inch BBC and can be spec’d in 72- and 78-inch sleeper configurations. Exterior features of the Model 389 Canadian 150th Anniversary Edition include: Exhaust Stacks etched with “Canada 150”; bumper with 150th Anniversary emblem; Polished battery box, fuel tanks and quarter fenders; Numbered Canadian 150th Anniversary Emblem on each side of the sleeper; and Special formulated Legendary Canadian red paint color. Inside the cab, Model 389 Canadian 150th Anniversary Edition has exclusive features and branding that includes: Platinum-level Arctic Gray interior with a dark top dash with blackwood finish accents on the dash, doors, manual transmission shifter knob and sleeper cabinet trim; Peterbilt Premium Leather Seats Featuring a Maple Leaf on the Headrest; and Stylized steering wheel. “The Model 389 Canadian 150th Anniversary Edition holds its own among Peterbilt’s most iconic trucks,” Quinn says. “Through unparalleled performance and unique design, it commands attention and furthers our tradition of providing trucks with industry-leading quality.” The Model 389 Canadian 150th Anniversary Edition is available now for order through Peterbilt dealerships with production scheduled for May 15, 2017. .

Trump order to target foreign worker visa program BBC / April 18, 2017 President Donald Trump has signed an executive order to review a temporary visa program used to place foreign workers in high-skilled US jobs. The order directs agencies to enforce government rules on excluding foreign contractors from bids for government projects. He signed the so-called Buy America, Hire America order on a visit to a tool factory in the US state of Wisconsin. The order is aimed at fulfilling his "America First" campaign promises. But it falls way short of Mr Trump's campaign pledge to end the H-1B visa program. “I will end forever the use of the H-1B as a cheap labor program, and institute an absolute requirement to hire American workers first for every visa and immigration program,” Trump says on his website. “No exceptions.” (https://www.donaldjtrump.com/press-releases/donald-j.-trump-position-on-visas) Mr Trump will direct the departments of State, Justice, Homeland Security and Labour to propose reforms to the scheme, which allows American employers to bring foreign workers to fill US jobs. "With this action we are sending a powerful signal to the world that were going to defend our workers, protect our jobs and finally put America first," he said at the Snap-On Inc headquarters in Kenosha, Wisconsin. Mr Trump's wife Melania used an H-1B visa in her early days as a model in New York, says the BBC's Gary O'Donoghue in Washington. The administration's goal is to ensure such visas are given to the most qualified or highest-paid applicant, according to two senior officials. The four departments will then submit their findings to Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross and release a report in 220 days. Last year, Disney was accused of taking advantage of the H-1B visa scheme to lay off American technology workers, who were forced to train their foreign replacements. The government allows 85,000 immigrants each year through the H-1B visa program, which is reserved for foreign nationals in "specialty occupations" and is largely used by the technology industry. The government uses a lottery system to grant 65,000 visas every year and randomly distributes an additional 20,000 to graduate students. In recent years, the US has been overwhelmed by applications for the program. But the number of applicants fell to 199,000 this year, down from 236,000 in 2016, according to US Citizenship and Immigration Services. A senior Trump administration official argued on Monday that the H-1B visas are supposed to be awarded to highly qualified workers, but often bring in less skilled employees who earn lower wages than those they are meant to replace. Under the new order, the H-1B visa would no longer serve as a cheap way for companies to replace US workers, the official added. Tech companies contend the program is used to recruit top talent, but some of the H-1B visas are also used for outsourcing firms. Critics say these undercut unemployed Americans and fill lower-level information technology jobs. Indian nationals are the largest group of recipients of the H-1B visas issued each year. More than 15% of Facebook's US employees last year used a temporary work visa, according to a Reuters analysis of US Labor Department filings. The executive order will also focus on reviewing waivers in free-trade agreements and whether they allow foreign firms to undermine American companies in the global government procurement market. "If it turns out America is a net loser because of those free-trade agreement waivers, which apply to almost 60 countries, these waivers may be promptly renegotiated or revoked," a second official said.

Solely because of the Doolittle raid, the B-25 became relatively well known. But otherwise, the B-17 hogged the limelight (the problematic B-24 less well known) and the other twin-engined bombers are forgotten. But in fact, the twin-engined bombers including the Douglas A-20 Havoc, Martin B-26 Marauder and North American B-25 Mitchell played a very active part in the war. The Douglas A20 evolved into the highly successful A26 Invader which was used up to Vietnam. . . .

I know your not. We're cool. Ford made a mistake, in my opinion, when they put the nameplate on a much smaller Ranger-based truck, and then later on a full-size truck. The Bronco's original size was unique. It was larger than a CJ-5 or CJ-7, so four people could travel in comfort, but still lacked the full-size bulk of a Blazer/Jimmy or Ramcharger/Trail Duster. The Bronco created an all-new niche and had it all to itself. Today's Wrangler is larger and more comfortable than than a CJ-7, but it still lacks the interior space of the original Bronco form. To me, the Everest and Bronco (what we all perceive Bronco to be) are two completely different product lines. I've driven the Everest many times and really enjoy it, with either the 4-cyl 2.2L or the 5-cyl 3.2L diesels. Today's Explorer is like so many of today's alleged SUVs built on car platforms. It has many of the characteristics of a mini-van, but with the SUV face that so many Americans want. The Explorer is a car on stilts with a weak all-wheel drive system (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ford_D3_platform#D4), whereas the Everest, riding the global Ranger platform, is a real truck with body-on-frame architecture.

. . . . .

The Bronco is a great product, a Ford signature item they mistakenly walked away from, but the Everest is exactly what I want.

"We have tremendous trade deficits with everybody, but the big one is with China. ... And I told them, 'You want to make a great deal?' Solve the problem in North Korea. That's worth having deficits. And that's worth having not as good a trade deal as I would normally be able to make." President Donald Trump to The Wall Street Journal / April 12, 2017 https://www.wsj.com/articles/trump-says-he-offered-china-better-trade-terms-in-exchange-for-help-on-north-korea-1492027556 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- "We had made a pretty big point of making it clear that we weren't willing to sacrifice our domestic economic interests for the sake of some foreign policy issue. We should be careful about 'paying' China -- in terms of standing down on economic issues -- for doing what is in their interest already. Conceivably, they'd prefer not to see instability and military escalation on the Korean Peninsula." Michael Froman - US trade representative under Obama. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- We "never conceded a trade point with China to get assistance on a security topic." Robert Zoellick - George W. Bush's administration trade representative and later deputy secretary of state. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- "It opens up the thinking in everyone's mind around the world that they can haggle for a better deal and get the US to give up on longstanding positions. That is not going to instill confidence.Every administration since Nixon has not fallen for this, and it's the kind of ploy that I used to see on sophomore papers on East Asia in college. If you are Japan or Taiwan, you start to wonder if your interests might get traded. It introduces a level of uncertainty and suggests that there are no principles to US policy." Michael Green - George W. Bush's administration National Security Council senior director for Asia. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- "You want the Chinese to do the right on North Korea because it genuinely is a threat ... not as a favor. Evan Medeiros – Obama administration National Security Council's senior director for Asian affairs.

Sadly, America's interstates are falling apart due to decades of neglect. It's as though, once built, they were forgotten. True, the cement construction was incredibly durable, far more than asphalt. Correct me anywhere that I'm wrong, but I believe it was constructed over the 1956-1992 period. Really, the high quality of workmanship and design, leading to far more years of use than design-intended, is testimony to why it pays to do things right. The interstate system compares with the local roads that are repaved irregardless of need, as local pavers pay off (bribe) municipal officials, and use increasingly shoddy workmanship to ensure repeat business.

BC, I myself am still trying to interpret the two videos, and guess who their target audience is.

DUBLIN, Ireland, Oct. 13, 1997 /PRNewswire/ -- [Dublin-based] CRH plc, the international building materials group, announces the purchase by the Oldcastle Materials Group of the assets of New York Trap Rock Corporation for a cash consideration of US$40 million (27.4 million Irish pounds sterling). The consideration is fully asset-backed and no goodwill arises. New York Trap Rock, which was founded in 1897, is a substantial aggregates supplier operating two major quarries in southern New York state with permitted aggregate reserves in excess of 330 million tons. The company services its local markets by truck and also ships aggregates along the Hudson river to the metropolitan New York/New Jersey, Connecticut and Long Island areas using an owned fleet of 116 barges. In 1996, New York Trap Rock sold 4.7 million tons of aggregates, and reported trading profit of US$3.6 million (2.5 million pounds) on sales revenues of US$48.2 million (33.0 million pounds). The southern New York region is one of the most heavily traveled areas in the United States and this, in conjunction with severe winters, creates strong demand in the region for highway expenditures. New York Trap Rock is an ideal complement to Tilcon New York, Oldcastle Materials Group's existing operation in this region, which produces approximately 3 million tons of aggregates annually. Following acquisition, New York Trap Rock will be combined with Tilcon's New York division, reporting to Joe Abate, President and Chief Executive Officer of Tilcon, Inc. This combination will yield significant synergies for the enlarged New York division allowing for greater efficiency of production, transportation, selling and administration. Commenting on the acquisition, Tom Hill, President of Oldcastle Materials Group, said: "With its excellently located reserves and its significant barging operations, New York Trap Rock represents an exciting opportunity for the Oldcastle Materials Group to expand its position in crushed stone in the important southern New York region, building on the strong base acquired with Tilcon in 1996. The combination of New York Trap Rock with Tilcon's existing operations in New York will achieve very sizable cost reductions through production and transport efficiencies and allow us to offer enhanced service to a broad customer base, thereby generating trading margins in the order of 10% to 12%. The expanded Oldcastle Materials Group will have an annual output of 45 million tons of aggregates, 15 million tons of asphalt and 2.7 million cubic yards of ready-mixed concrete. Liam O'Mahony, Chief Executive of Oldcastle, Inc., the holding company for CRH's North American operations, adds: "New York Trap Rock is the latest in a range of acquisitions completed in the United States over the last four weeks, representing significant additions to three of the five Oldcastle product groups. Total combined consideration for the eight separate deals announced amounts to almost US$200 million."

Federal V2V mandate meets growing resistance Bloomberg / April 17, 2017 A once-popular idea to equip cars with technology to communicate with one another and avoid collisions is encountering unexpected potholes in Washington. An array of forces, from free-market groups opposed to government mandates to cable providers angling for greater access to high-speed wireless airwaves, have mounted opposition to a proposal that all new cars have vehicle-to-vehicle communications systems. "This technology faces a huge number of hurdles, not the least of which is whether it’s even needed," said Mike Ramsey, an analyst with the technology research firm Gartner Inc. "There are a number of reasons why it may never get off the ground." The Obama administration proposed the rule in December, saying it could eliminate 80 percent of vehicle crashes involving unimpaired drivers. If the rule is finalized, all new light-duty vehicles would be required within four years to be equipped with vehicle-to-vehicle communication systems. The technology will work hand-in-hand with new automated safety devices, such as automatic braking, in another step toward making driverless vehicles a reality, the Department of Transportation said at the time. More than 400 people and organizations filed formal opinions with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration by last week’s deadline, reflecting a wide range of viewpoints. The proposal enjoys broad support from safety advocates, with the National Safety Council commenting that the technology adds a layer of awareness and redundancy to on-board vehicle sensors "that will be critical as higher levels of automation are deployed." But automakers are split on the virtues of the plan, with some voicing strong support and others pointing out flaws in the government’s approach. The Association of Global Automakers, a trade group that represents foreign-owned automakers including Toyota Motor Corp., Honda Motor Co. and Hyundai Motor Co., says that more than $1 billion in private and public funds have been spent developing the systems. The group says the mandate is "the best way to ensure nationwide deployment" as soon as possible, according to its filing with NHTSA. Major automotive industry companies, including General Motors, Denso Corp., Delphi Automotive and Toyota, have spent more than a decade developing vehicle-to-vehicle, or"V2V," communications systems. "The safety benefit of V2V is undeniable. It will save lives, and everybody knows that," said Harry Lightsey, executive director of federal affairs for connected cars at GM. "A delay in rolling out V2V will cost lives, and that’s a tragedy." GM, One of the mandate’s loudest cheerleaders, earlier this year launched the first V2V-equipped vehicle, the 2017 Cadillac CTS. NHTSA’s proposed mandate is the best way to quickly advance the technology and to put a dent in the number of car crashes, Lightsey said. The Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers, which represents a dozen automakers, including GM, Ford Motor Co. and Volkswagen AG, said NHTSA’s proposal needed additional clarity on several issues, including how security would be addressed, and asked for more time to implement the mandate than the proposal provides. In its comment, Tesla Inc. said policy guidance and industry cooperation would be a better approach for encouraging V2V, calling NHTSA’s V2V strategy "too antiquated and vague" to protect the privacy of V2V messages. Those messages are sent between cars 10 times per second using "dedicated short range communications" on airwaves reserved by the Federal Communications Commission in 1999. Alternative systems BMW AG says the proposal would require automakers to use those airwaves to comply with the rule, even as alternative systems using cellular networks emerge. In its comment, the automaker urged NHTSA to take a technology-neutral approach, saying "many of the shortcomings of DSRC can be efficiently and cost effectively addressed" using cellular-based systems. One company offering such as system is Israel-based startup Nexar Ltd. It began operating a smartphone app-based V2V network in New York City that now includes about 2,500 vehicles, CEO Eran Shir said. Data collected from the phone’s camera, GPS and internal gyroscope are analyzed in Nexar’s cloud system to warn drivers of impending collisions. Shir says that NHTSA’s mandate would put cellular-based V2V technology like Nexar’s at a disadvantage because companies would prioritize investments to comply with the rule. "I would totally understand if NHTSA said, ‘We’re interested in safety and we want these safety features,’" Shir said. "There are millions of lives at stake. What I think is less reasonable is if NHTSA comes and says we want to regulate the technology. That doesn’t make sense." Old technology The failure to consider alternative technologies is a significant shortcoming of the proposal, says Marc Scribner, a senior fellow at the Competitive Enterprise Institute, who co-authored a letter with four other free-market advocacy groups asking regulators to suspend the proceeding. "You’re betting on something that at its core is 10-year-old technology that isn’t going to have much of a difference on safety for 20 years," Scribner said. "By the time it’s effective it will be out of date by 30 years." The Internet and Television Association, the primary cable industry trade group, criticized the proposal for overstepping NHTSA’s authority by seeking to indirectly influence wireless spectrum policy overseen by the Federal Communications Commission. That agency is studying how vehicles and other Wi-Fi-enabled devices could share airwaves amid a lobbying push by cable and tech companies hungry for additional wireless bandwidth. "NHTSA proposes to race to impose new regulations without developing a full record on alternatives, all in the hopes of narrowing the regulatory options available to the FCC," the cable group said. Whether the proposal advances is now up to the Trump administration, which has erected hurdles to new regulations, including issuing an executive order requiring the cost of new rules be offset by savings from repealing others. The administration also hasn’t nominated a leader for NHTSA, the Transportation Department agency responsible for the rule. Transportation Department spokeswoman Allison Moore said the proposed rule is still under "careful review," adding that "all views will be considered in the decision-making process."

If you love the car and it's in great condition, I would just keep it. If the DPF plugs again, replace it with a pipe from an earlier non-DPF model.

The Economic Times / April 15, 2017 A pair of Chinese brand self-driving trucks have passed a navigation test, heralding a new era of intelligent, automated heavy vehicles. Changchun, China-based FAW Jiefang, a leading Chinese truck manufacturer, debuted self-driving tractor and construction models at the FAW R&D Center’s proving grounds. The trucks, which FAW Jiefang plans to commercialize as early as next year, were able to recognize obstacles, slow down, make a detour and speed up. The autonomous trucks reacted correctly to traffic lights, adaptive cruise control, remote commands and successfully overtook. FAW Jiefang head Mr. Hu Hanjie said the company has built a whole industry chain partnership to develop, manufacture, sell and service self-driving trucks. The truckmaker has signed strategic cooperation agreements with internet giant Baidu, Hengrun Hi-tech, Ericsson, China Mobile, Bosch, ZF and lithium battery maker Optimum Nano. The participation of more firms across the sector will accelerate the technology's use on heavy-duty vehicles, Hu said. .

Volkswagen patriarch Piëch sells stake amid intrigue The Financial Times / April 16, 2017 Grandson of Beetle designer exits after alleged dispute over diesel scandal It is the end of an era at Volkswagen. With former VW patriarch Ferdinand Piëch having recently agreed to sell the bulk of his shares in the German carmaker, two years after he resigned as chairman, most industry observers believe he will never regain influence at the company. Piëch, who turns 80 on Monday, is the grandson of VW Beetle designer Ferdinand Porsche and is the person most responsible for transforming the company into the world’s largest carmaker. Piëch’s genius has been renowned since the 1960s, just as his ruthlessness has been feared. To many industry watchers, from car enthusiasts to analysts, it looks like Piëch was pressured to sell his 14.7 per cent stake in Porsche SE, the family-run holding company that controls VW. Piëch’s agreement this month to dispose of these shares to other members of the Porsche and Piëch families that dominate Porsche SE comes after Piëch told prosecutors early this year that five VW supervisory board members had some knowledge of the company’s diesel emissions scandal six months before it became public. VW’s 20-member board put out a statement in February to “emphatically” repudiate the allegations that directors had any such prior knowledge, and to threaten legal action against Piëch. This is a highly sensitive matter, partly because prosecutors in Braunschweig have launched at least two criminal investigations into the scandal, including into whether former VW chief executive Martin Winterkorn knew of the fraud. The prosecutors are also probing the conduct of several other senior VW managers in relation to the question of should investors have been told sooner about the affair. It has never been adequately explained why Piëch battled with the VW supervisory board in April 2015, leading to his resignation as chairman. But days after the emissions scandal was revealed by US regulators in September of that year, Winterkorn stepped down as chief executive, saying he was not aware of wrongdoing on his part [now proven a lie]. The allegations that Piëch told prosecutors that certain VW board members had early knowledge of the cheating has prompted some people who have worked with him to speculate whether he deliberately masterminded his own demise before the scandal went public — in effect playing the role of a captain who renounces control of the ship, and letting his first mate go down with the sinking vessel. Bob Lutz, former vice-chairman of General Motors and one of the most influential car executives of the last 50 years, says it would “not surprise me if Piëch orchestrated his own departure to leave Winterkorn holding the bag". Piëch’s reputation as an incredibly ambitious, Machiavellian character with a singular drive and a flair for drama began in the 1960s when he led the race competition unit at sports car maker Porsche, which was founded by his grandfather Ferdinand Porsche. Piëch set out to dominate Le Mans, the prestigious 24-hour car race, and he invested massively in a project to create the Porsche 917, culminating in two big wins that transformed the company — but in the process nearly bankrupted it. He moved, in 1972, to Audi, where as head of technical development he launched the Quattro and oversaw a series of innovations that turned a lacklustre brand into a viable competitor for BMW and Mercedes. After rising to serve as Audi’s top manager, in 1993 Piëch became VW chief executive, where he is credited with saving the company from collapse and then launching an empire-building phase that involved acquiring luxury brands including Bentley. He became chairman in 2002, extending his influence further and playing a central role in the acquisition of Porsche. Richard A Johnston, in his 2005 book “Six Men Who Built the Modern Auto Industry”, says Piëch “more than any single individual, promoted and maintained Europe’s technical advantage over the rest of the automotive world in the second half of the 20th century”. But Johnston also describes Piëch as a “world class eccentric” and “an abuser of power”. Piëch gained a reputation for dislodging VW managers he fell out with by publicly using a few choice words against them. The widespread conclusion now, among analysts and industry executives, is that Piëch overplayed his hand in April 2015, when he attempted his tried-and-trusted method of turning a private quarrel public by telling Der Spiegel he was “at a distance” to Winterkorn. With senior VW directors siding with Winterkorn, Piëch resigned. The paranoid chatter among VW employees at the company’s Wolfsburg headquarters immediately after the emissions scandal broke was that Piëch had somehow leaked details of the affair to bring down Winterkorn. No evidence supports this, however. The German media stories stating that Piëch told prosecutors investigating the emissions scandal that five VW supervisory board members had early knowledge of the affair creates two possible scenarios, says a former company employee. First, Piëch went too far by accusing the supervisory board, the claims are without merit and the sale of his shares in Porsche SE signifies his final downfall. Or, second, he is sitting back, allowing the board members to protest their innocence before he releases evidence. It would be completely against Piëch’s nature to give in, adds the former VW employee. “As long as he’s alive, Piëch will try to come back,” says this person. .

IMF warnings of US protectionism ‘rubbish’, says Ross The Financial Times / April 16, 2017 Warnings of US protectionism by Christine Lagarde, head of the International Monetary Fund, and others are “rubbish”, Donald Trump’s top trade official has said in a new attack on the big trade surpluses of China, Europe and Japan. Speaking ahead of the arrival in Washington of global finance officials for this week’s International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank spring meetings, commerce secretary Wilbur Ross said those accusing the Trump administration of protectionism were firing at the wrong target. The billionaire investor, who Trump has put in charge of trade policy and tasked with finding ways to reduce the US’s $500 billion trade deficit, said veiled criticism by Lagarde and other defenders of multilateralism about rising protectionism were clearly aimed at the new administration. “It is! It is! And the response is very simple: we are the least protectionist of the major areas. We are far less protectionist than Europe. We are far less protectionist than Japan. We are far less protectionist than China,” Ross told the Financial Times. “We also have trade deficits with all three of those places. So they talk free trade. But in fact what they practise is protectionism. And every time we do anything to defend ourselves, even against the puny obligations that they have, they call that protectionism. It’s rubbish.” His remarks came amid signs that Trump is beginning to adopt a more moderate tone on trade, choosing last week not to label China a currency manipulator despite campaign threats to do so. That has been taken as evidence by some that the internationalists within his White House, such as former Goldman Sachs executive Gary Cohn, are winning hard-fought policy battles against the economic nationalists. But Ross, who straddles the two camps, insisted that, despite any apparent softening, the Trump administration remained intent on pursuing its “America first” agenda while shaking up Washington’s global trading relationships. Ross also made clear it saw the Bretton Woods system as partly responsible for what it considers to be the unfair state of things. He accused Lagarde and other defenders of the current multilateral system of “sloganeering” of trying to preserve a system that had contributed to the ballooning of the US trade deficit since the 1970s. “’We like it that way. So we don’t want you to disrupt it.’ That’s what they are really saying when you strip it away,” he said. “That’s the bottom line. But that’s not going to happen. Our tolerance for continuing to be the deficit that eats the surpluses of the whole rest of the world — the president is not tolerant of that any more.” Lagarde, World Bank president Jim Yong Kim and others have stepped up their public defence of multilateralism since Trump’s election. In a speech last week Lagarde called for a defence of the “global economic and financial architecture” while warning that the “sword of protectionism” hung over the world economy. Their calls reflect what is likely to be one of the main themes at this week’s IMF and World Bank meetings in Washington. Trump and his aides have sought to placate allies at meetings such as last month’s gathering of G20 finance ministers in Germany by insisting that the US remains committed to international institutions. But the new US president has nominated conservatives who are skeptical of multilateral institutions for key posts and proposed big cuts to US funding for the United Nations, as well as a $750 million annual cut in contributions to the World Bank and regional development banks. Trump’s administration also has signalled that it plans to take a more skeptical approach to the World Trade Organization (WTO), and particularly its dispute system. The intervention came ahead of a visit to Japan this week by Ross and vice-president Mike Pence for talks aimed partly at convincing Tokyo to open negotiations over a bilateral trade deal following the US withdrawal from the 12-country Trans- Pacific Partnership (TPP). Their trip follows the announcement earlier this month of negotiations with Beijing to draft a plan to address the US’s trade deficit with China. It also comes as Ross is preparing to launch a renegotiation of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) with Canada and Mexico. Ross said the “exploratory trip” to Japan was intended to see if Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who visited the US in February, would agree on a “path forward” for a bilateral agreement. “The question will be whether they are ready to consider the concept,” he said. Ross acknowledged that Abe had expended significant political capital on the TPP but he derided efforts to revive the agreement. “It doesn’t make that much sense to do a TPP without the US. We’re the biggest market after all,” he said. “And I think you folks are aware there is no political will in the US for a new TPP.” Any bilateral agreement with Japan would have to see Tokyo add to the concessions it made in the TPP, which he characterized as “minor gains” for the US in agriculture and intellectual property, and he said the US would not accept anything less. “A card laid is a card played. And even though that hand [the TPP] is cancelled, somebody has put something on the table in writing that is an agreed thing,” he said. “It will be our intention to make it very hard for them to go back.” .

This gentleman could have been me coming in off int'l thru Chicago transiting to Louisville for MATS. The man paid for a ticket, received an assigned seat and was buckled in waiting for his aircraft to be pushed back from the gate. When he was asked and then pressured to get off the aircraft, he calmly called United customer service who, to no surprise, couldn't do anything "on the spot". At that point, he said that he would not give up his purchased seat, because he (and his wife) couldn't wait until Monday for the next flight. He had no reason to give up his purchased seat.........and United had no right to make him. As was stated above, United's contract of carriage does NOT allow for removing a law-abiding boarded passenger under Sunday's circumstances. It wasn't a denied boarding situation.

Paul Muschick, The Morning Call (Allentown, PA) / April 15, 2017 From what I can tell, regulators have never seriously considered prohibiting overbooking or involuntary bumping [because they’re in bed with airline lobbyist…..literally]. They've always said airlines deserve flexibility in taking reservations. But some legislators now are calling for changes based on what happened last Sunday on United Flight 3411. The situation didn't occur because United overbooked the flight. It was booked at capacity, then the employees were added. The incident has brought needed attention to overbooking, though, because the result was the same, with a paying passenger bounced in favor of someone else. New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie asked the U.S. transportation secretary last week to "consider the immediate suspension" of overbooking until the issue can be reviewed. In his letter, he said New Jersey was "looking into appropriate action to be taken to curtail this abusive practice at NewarkAirport." U.S. Rep. Jan Schakowsky, a Democrat from Illinois, said she plans to introduce legislation that would prohibit involuntary bumping of passengers from overbooked flights. Airlines would have to negotiate until they got volunteers. "If an airline chooses to oversell a flight, or has to accommodate their crew on a fully booked flight, it is their responsibility to keep raising their offer until a customer chooses to give up their seat," she said. U.S. Sen. Chris Van Hollen, a Democrat from Maryland, said he will introduce legislation prohibiting airlines from making room by forcibly removing passengers already aboard. According to Arthur Wolk, an aviation attorney in Philadelphia, the practice already is prohibited. He said it violates the contract of carriage, which spells out the terms passengers agree to when they fly. United's contract, like those of other airlines, warns passengers they may be denied boarding due to overbooking. It also says United can refuse to transport a passenger or remove a boarded passenger for reasons including being disorderly or drunk, interfering with the flight crew or having a contagious illness. But, it doesn't allow for removing a law-abiding boarded passenger under the circumstances presented Sunday, Wolk said. "There is nothing in that contract that allows them to do this," he told me. "It's not a denied boarding situation." Wolk said it's virtually impossible for an airline to breach its contract because the terms are written so favorably, but United found a way to do it. Last year, 40,629 passengers were involuntarily bumped by U.S. airlines, according to the U.S. Transportation Department. The DOT says its overbooking regulations balance the right of passengers to obtain the services they paid for and the ability of airlines to operate efficiently [their position paid for thru lobbyist like “Airlines for America” by the airlines]. FYI - http://www.politico.com/story/2015/04/bill-shuster-admits-personal-relationship-with-lobbyist-117054 With more tickets today being non-refundable, or having $200 or $300 fees to change a reservation, airlines still make money on empty seats. "I think it needs to be revisited," said Paul Hudson, president of FlyersRights.org, a nonprofit consumer organization representing airline passengers. "The original justification for it is gone. There aren't many no-shows and when there is a no-show, the airline makes money. So what's the justification for this? It's gone." I wrote last year about Alaska, Southwest, American and United airlines being fined between $35,000 and $45,000 after the DOT alleged agents at boarding gates and ticket counters failed to provide proper copies of notices that spell out the rights of bumped passengers. In 2015, American Airlines was fined $20,000 after the DOT said it failed to compensate 11 passengers who were involuntarily bumped. The DOT also said American directed employees to report involuntarily bumps as voluntary. Those airlines settled the investigations without admitting or denying wrongdoing. Bumping data - Compensation for involuntarily bumping Substitute transportation reaches destination within 1 hour of your original scheduled time: $0 Substitute transportation reaches destination 1-2 hours (1-4 on international flights) late: 200% of your fare, up to $675 Substitute transportation reaches destination more than 2 hours (4 on international flights) late: 400% of your fare, up to $1,350 Original ticket remains valid for a future flight Source: U.S. Department of Transportation

The Washington Post / April 15, 2017 United Airlines has changed its policy to no longer allow crew members to displace passengers who are already seated on a plane. Under the new policy, airline crews are required to check in at least an hour before a flight leaves [as paying domestic flight customers are asked to do]. United spokeswoman Maggie Schmerin said the new policy is meant to ensure that incidents will "never happen again." Previously, crews could be booked up until the time of departure, Schmerin said. According to an internal email, crews who are not checked in within the 60-minute window will have to book the next available flight. No crew member "can displace a customer who has boarded an aircraft," according to the email, which was sent out Friday. United Airlines chief executive Oscar Munoz has also promised to review policies on how United handles overbooked flights, and to have a public report by April 30. In a statement issued Thursday, United said the company will no longer ask law enforcement officers to remove passengers from flights "unless it is a matter of safety and security."

C'mon Bob. "the Jap" ??? That kind of talk is not indicative of the high caliber person you are. (He's Vietnamese anyway) If United Airlines had thugs drag you out of your seat and smash your head against armrests as they pulled you down the aisle resulting in you getting a concussion, broken nose and two of your front teeth knocked out, all because you criminally wanted to remain in your ticketed seat and get back home and to work the next day, the entire BMT membership would be supporting you.