Podcasts about v2i

In 2018, Brian was a U.S. Air Force MSgt (E-7) just starting to prepare for retirement. He was attending transition assistance programs, learning about different retirement options, and trying to navigate how to transition from military member to civilian. But one seemingly innocuous LinkedIn post went viral and changed the trajectory of his path!   Brian started Vets2Industry (V2I) in 2019 as a free resource library for the military community – active, guard, reserve, veteran, military-spouse, dependent children, Blue-Star & Gold-Star Families, and caregivers. V2I serves to connect companies who have opportunities for veterans, those that have specific military hiring programs, those that are on the 100 Military Friendly companies list, and those that selflessly provide Fortune 500 mentors with transitioning service members.  Brian is married with 6 children, resides in Atlanta, is an active alumnus of Centurion Military Alliance, Hiring our Heroes Corporate Fellowship Program, FourBlock, American Corporate Partners, volunteers with VETLANTA, the National Black MBA Association Atlanta Chapter, and is a student veteran leader and student ambassador at Syracuse University where he is currently pursuing his MBA. To connect with Brian and Vets2Industry:Vets2Industry: https://vets2industry.org/Vets2Industry YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCvDZxtWk4keXaRuA14D87NgVets2Industry Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vets2industry/Career Assistance Resource email: operations@vets2industry.orgFinancial Assistance Resource email: support@vets2industry.orgLinkedIn page: https://www.linkedin.com/company/vets2industry/Veterati: https://www.veterati.com/Four Block: https://fourblock.org/Bunker Labs: https://bunkerlabs.org/You can also find Vets2Industry on Twitter and Clubhouse.To connect with Erin:Life After the Uniform Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/661998918501440Instagram Page: https://www.instagram.com/erinsilverpodcast/

Our passion is to help the military community…I started Vets2Industry to provide a free resource library for the military community – active, guard, reserve, veteran, military-spouse, dependent children, Blue-Star & Gold-Star Families, and caregivers – so they know which organizations provide free services and benefits. V2I also serves to break the circle of ignorance by listing companies that have opportunities for veterans, those that have specific military hiring programs, those that are on the 100 Military Friendly companies list, and those that selflessly provide Fortune 500 mentors for a year to transitioning service members through their partnership with American Corporate Partners. The goal is to educate all 220,000 to 240,000 transitioning service members each year and their dependents on free resources to ease their transition and life needs, and more importantly, provide hope.https://www.vets2industry.orghttps://www.veterati.orgSupport the show (https://www.podfan.com/sisters-in-service)

If you've heard it once, you've heard it 100 times, its all about who you know! On todays show, we talk with Bruce Thompson, Vice President of Vets2Industry. Vets2Industry provides a free resource library for the military community – active, guard, reserve, veteran, military-spouse, dependent children, Blue-Star & Gold-Star Families, and caregivers – so they know which organizations provide free services and benefits. V2I also serves to break the circle of ignorance by listing companies that have opportunities for veterans, those that have specific military hiring programs, those that are on the 100 Military Friendly companies list, and those that selflessly provide Fortune 500 mentors for a year to transitioning service members through their partnership with American Corporate Partners. #HOW_CAN_I_HELP #PAY_IT_FORWARD

Brian Arrington committed 20 years of his life to the Air Force, but one of his biggest challenges was leaving the service. As the Founder and CEO of Vets 2 Industry Brian has built a free repository of every Veteran Service Organization, as well as mentorship and career development opportunities for Vets. Hear how his own transition from service prompted him to found V2I, how he landed his first job out of the military, and his advice for transitioning service members.

⚠️TRIGGER WARNING⚠️In this episode, there is a discussion containing details of sexual assault and suicide. If you are sensitive to these topics, I encourage you to proceed with caution and only listen if you feel as though you are able to do so. Lakeydra Houston | Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex | Sexual Assault Prevention Advocate | Public Speaker | K.E.Y. Fit Company | HR Recruiting Manager | Mental Resiliency Advocate | YouthMentor Meet Air Force veteran Master Sergeant Lakeydra Houston of the Dallas, Texas area. Lakeydra entered into the military as a Security Forces Airman, became an Enlisted Accessions Recruiter, and is currently serving as a Recruitment Manager. She’s a volunteer for VETS2INDUSTRY and is a Sexual Assault Prevention & Mental Health Advocate. With Key Fitness Company, she is found empowering people and businesses to create a connection between physical and mental fitness. "My goal is to empower our military and civilian community to become fit mind, body, and spirit through veteran assistance, wellness resources, resiliency workshops, mental sharpness techniques, and mentorship. Our focus should be on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion; we all matter.  I am a SURVIVOR of suicide, sexual assault, and a wellness/mental health advocate. This is the driving force behind the vision of my business, KEY (Knowledge/Empowerment/You-nity) Fit, to help others understand there is hope." Features include Dateline NBC, Live at the Table, VCV, and V2I. “My past has not defined me, destroyed me, deterred me, or defeated me; it has only strengthened me.” Dr. Steve Maraboli Let’s heal mind, body, and soul. Knowledge • Empowering • You-nity  LINKEDIN     https://www.linkedin.com/in/lakeydra-houston-405926b6/  COMPANY WEBSITE: keyfit.life/ Air Force Veteran Brian Arrington, the CEO, and Founder of Vets2Industry was a guest on the Mettle of Honor (S1:E5)  VETS2INDUSTRY: https://vets2industry.com Brian Arrington:  --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mettle-of-honor/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/mettle-of-honor/support

Listen in as the VETS – Beyond the Uniform team discuss with Brian Arrington the story behind Vets2Industry (V2I). Join Paul and Dave as they talk with Brian Arrington (Founder/President of Vets2Industry) about  his transition experience and how that led to the foundation of V2I.  Brian shares how he provides a living repository of Free resources and benefits, and directly connects Corporate America, Veteran Service Organizations, and colleges with transitioning service members, veterans, military spouses, dependent children, Blue Star and Gold Star Family members, and caregivers.    For more information on Vets2Industry: WebsiteFacebookLinkedInInstagramTwitter For more information on VETS - Beyond the Uniform: WebsiteEmailFacebookInstagramLinkedIn  

DAVID TRENHOLM Assistant Vice President | Veteran & Military Spouse Advocate | Navy Veteran | "The Succesful Goose" U.S. Navy Veteran David Trenholm retired as a Naval Aviation Officer after working with the P-3 Orion amongst many other roles he accomplished. Proven operations leader who excels in fast-paced, rapidly changing environments. A detailed-orientated planner who effectively leads multiple-sized teams internationally. dedicated to driving success through teamwork and building efficient processes. David was selected into Bank of America’s Military Leadership Development Program, which provides former military officers with an opportunity to perform in leadership positions within the bank’s technology and operational lines of business prior to receiving a permanent role in the bank. First role: OPS 2021 Project Management Support. I supported the Ops2021 program strategy for Wealth Management Banking Operations (WMBO). Manage materials, coordinate meetings, complete research, reporting, and metrics.  provide transitioning service members, veterans, and military spouses with a free consultation on how to obtain meaningful employment. This is achieved by teaching, coaching, and mentoring the greater veteran community on preparing and network building for their next chapter. And it cost them $0. It is FREE! Vets2Industry (V2I) provides a single site library that is completely FREE to access, browse, and discover at www.vets2industry.com of all the FREE VETERAN and DEPENDENT resources and Veteran Service Organizations (VSO) nationwide (updated weekly). V2I also provides a list of Top 100 Military-Friendly Companies from the preceding year (with direct access to the military hiring pages), and tons of valuable info through articles and videos for Active Duty, National Guard, Reserves, former service-members, retirees, and all of their dependents. David Trenholm's Contact Information: LINKEDIN PROFILE: http://linkedin.com/in/david-Trenholm Google Hangouts trenholm77 (Google Talk) https://www.youtube.com/user/trenholm77   --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mettle-of-honor/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/mettle-of-honor/support

"When somebody says I can't do something I say, hold my rip it, watch this." - Brian Arrington Our recent guests, yes that is plural, were from the infamous Vets2Industry (V2I) non-profit that has been all the rage among the Veteran community lately. V2I went live with their website in March 2019 and now has 24K Followers and climbing. They have already taught at some Military Transition classes and they have a train the trainer mentality. Where they freely give information, tools, and resources for the Veteran Community, and you know here at The Weekly J, We LOVE go-givers. According to the V2I team we had on the show, they gain another 1,000 followers every 9 days.Every 3 weeks they have virtual networking events that fill up quickly. COVID hasn't kept this group down, in fact they have flourished in providing goodness and value to our military community.Right now they need more to learn about V2I, they need more volunteers, and they need help share their message and they need sponsors to continue to help them grow.You can email support@vets2industry.com to become a sponsor or volunteer.Connect and engage with Brian Arrington, Alex Mimms, and Jason Keller today to learn more about V2I and how this world dominating organization might be able to help you or someone you know today. Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brianarrington933 / https://www.linkedin.com/in/alex-mimms / https://www.linkedin.com/in/jkeller977Email: support@vets2industry.comWebsite: https://vets2industry.com/ Connect and Engage with Jason C. (Boom) Scott today for more education about your VA Home Loan Benefit. Jason C. Scott (NMLS: 1160791)Phone: (808) 798-9054Web: https://www.rate.com/jasonsLinkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasoncboomscott

FII Fácil Entrevista: Cynthia Sisconetto e Felipe Moura da VINCI Partners #VIGT11Tópicos:FIP IE - VIGTInstruções e Cenário econômico que motivou a VINCI a iniciar Esse FIPEvolução dos FIPs no BrasilVIGT é um FIP com Visão de Geração e Transmissão (mas no Atual portfólio tem apenas Transmissão)Viabilidade do VIGT. Aquisição da LEST através da V2i transmissãoTributaçãoCCEE e os contratos de energia#fiifacil #cashtfacil #fiitalk

Part 2 picks up with: What else does V2I do: - More than getting people hired, it is a full support of veterans.  Providing resources and direction, handing off to the right people and following up. - Helping people find themselves and industry fit - Helping them market themselves and manager personal brand - Put meaning in life after the military, that may or may not be job related - Help them build relationship and share stories The future: - Began launch of Virtual Networking Circuit to help people learn and grow - Get your V2I gear!  Online store coming - Updated version adding 162 more resources (special thanks to the volunteers who have made this happen) --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/viewfromtheskies/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/viewfromtheskies/support

Brian Arrington and his Vets2Industry team (https://vets2industry.com/) join me to explain who they are individually and as an organization. V2I: - are Connector - a library of resources and information - a network - a volunteer force or problem solvers with a passion for veterans - provide knowledge and hope - provides mentorship and coaching Networking: - How they interact with companies, veterans, each other, and have a passion for true support and placement of veterans to live a fulfilling life The Map: - A detailed, easy to navigate resource that shows you the finest detail, with simplicity, organizations that support veterans across the US and how they do so. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/viewfromtheskies/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/viewfromtheskies/support

Show #472   Good morning, good afternoon and good evening wherever you are in the world, welcome to EV News Daily for Wednesday 15th May 2019. It’s Martyn Lee here and I’ve been through every EV story I could find today to save you time.   Thank you to MYEV.com for helping make this show, they’ve built the first marketplace specifically for Electric Vehicles. It’s a totally free marketplace that simplifies the buying and selling process, and help you learn about EVs along the way too.   ONE YEAR INTO ELECTRIFY AMERICA There's a great, long-read CNBC article all about Electrify America which I recommend today. "Almost a year to the day after opening its first charging station, Electrify America says it is rolling out the country's fastest-growing network of fast chargers. Funded by $2 billion from Volkswagen's 2016 diesel emissions settlement, it has a goal of building hundreds of stations and putting nearly 2,000 chargers in place by the end of this year." says CNBC: "Setting up a nationwide infrastructure is the next big challenge, according to many analysts. An August study by McKinsey & Co. projected it will cost as much as $50 billion to ensure public charging stations are as easily accessible as gas stations in three key markets — the U.S., Europe and China. The U.S. alone is expected to require an investment of as much as $11 billion, McKinsey estimated."   But why replicate the gas station model? Shouldn't we charge at home and work?   "Electrify America's new Level 3 systems will almost all provide a minimum of 150 kilowatts at 400 volts and many will push even further, taking that up to 250 kW and 800 volts. That's far more than most of the current crop of electric cars can handle. The new Porsche Taycan will be the first to be able to make full use of the technology, which can add about 20 miles of range per minute.To make things easier and speed up the charging process, Electrify America this week is rolling out a new smartphone app that can be used to locate its charging stations and see how long it will take for someone already hooked up to finish charging."   https://www.cnbc.com/amp/2019/05/10/vws-2-billion-penalty-for-diesel-scam-builds-ev-charging-network-across-us.html   PORSCHE TAYCAN'S INTERIOR SEEN FOR THE FIRST TIME IN SPY PHOTOS "In these two spy images taken from the Taycan Forum, you can see that the cabin of the first all-electric Porsche is almost the same as what the Mission E concept had in its debut three years ago." says Motor1.com today: "The resemblance starts at the dashboard layout, which is crowned by a horizontal digital display that flanks across the dashboard. Moreover, the touchscreen control panel by the center console has been carried over from the concept."   https://www.motor1.com/news/349137/porsche-taycan-interior-spy-shots/   AUDI NETWORKS WITH TRAFFIC LIGHTS IN EUROPE Audi is introducing the vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I) service “Traffic Light Information” to Europe. From July Audi will network new models with the traffic lights in Ingolstadt/Germany; further European cities will follow from 2020 onwards. Then cars will be more likely to catch a “green wave” in the city: Audi drivers will see in the cockpit what speed is required to reach the next traffic light on green. If that is not possible within the permitted speed limit, there will be a countdown to the next green phase. Driving in cities will thus become more relaxed and efficient. In the USA, Audi customers have already been using this service since late 2016. Audi is the first manufacturer worldwide to network its series-production models with traffic lights in cities. In the USA, Audi customers have been using the “Time-to-Green” function for two years: if the driver will reach the lights on red, a countdown in the Audi virtual cockpit or head-up display counts the seconds to the next green phase. This service is now available at more than 5,000 intersections in the USA, for example in cities including Denver, Houston, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Portland and Washington D.C. In the US capital alone, about 1,000 intersections are linked to the Traffic Light Information function.   Since February Audi has offered a further function in North America. The purpose of this is especially to enable driving on the “green wave”. “Green Light Optimized Speed Advisory” (GLOSA) shows to the driver in the ideal speed for reaching the next traffic light on green.   Audi etron will get this function.   SK INNOVATION TO INVEST $490 MLN IN 2ND CHINESE CAR BATTERY PLANT "South Korea’s SK Innovation said on Wednesday that it plans to invest 579.9 billion won ($488.30 million) to build its second China factory for electric vehicle batteries, in a bet that China will open up its market to Korean battery makers." reports Reuters today: "The latecomer to the battery market is aggressively expanding its production capacity globally, starting to build new factories in Hungary, China and the United States since last year with a total investment of 5 trillion won. SK Innovation said its second China factory aims to meet rising orders for EV batteries globally, without elaborating on its Chinese partner, the site and capacity of the proposed plant."   https://uk.reuters.com/article/sk-innovation-china-batteries/sk-innovation-to-invest-490-mln-in-2nd-chinese-car-battery-plant-idUKL4N22R03B   SCANIA TO PURCHASE BATTERIES FROM NORTHVOLT "Scania, the Swedish truck and bus manufacturer (part of Volkswagen Group), signed a battery supply deal with Northvolt, according to what Chief Executive Henrik Henriksson told Reuters." according to InsideEVs today: "Northvolt, founded by former Tesla executive Peter Carlsson, plans to build a battery gigafactory in Skellefteå in Sweden, which will cost some €3 billion ($3.36 billion). The first step will be raising €1.5 billion ($1.68 billion) split equally between debt and equity. There is also the potential for a second factory in Germany.   According to the article, Scania (and many other known companies) is in talks with Northvolt about equity investment. Northvolt already raised €80-100 million. The list of investors includes Scania, ABB, Vestas, Vattenfall, Siemens and BMW. Various customers are currently in talks about the volume of batteries: Atlas Copco, Husqvarna, Vestas, Volvo Cars, Jaguar Land Rover, Daimler, BMW."   VOLVO TAPS ASIA'S LG CHEM, CATL FOR LONG-TERM BATTERY SUPPLIES "Swedish carmaker Volvo said on Wednesday it had signed long-term battery supply deals with Asian firms LG Chem and Contemporary Amperex Technology Co Ltd (CATL), as it pushes its EV target of 50 percent of sales by 2025." as reported by the New York Times: "The agreements follow a series of pacts between Asia-based battery companies and global carmakers, who are planning a $300 billion (232 billion pounds) surge in spending on electric vehicle (EV) technology over the decade."   https://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2019/05/15/business/15reuters-lg-chem-volvo.html   AUDI GOES AFTER TESLA SUPERCHARGER V3: ‘SUSTAINED POWER BEATS TOP POWER’ "With the launch of Supercharger V3, Tesla pushed the industry to higher charge rates, but Audi argues that it doesn’t mean much if they can’t sustain it for a decent period of time. Charging speed is seen as one of the main features that need to be improved in order to facilitate the widespread adoption of electric vehicles." writes Fred at Electrek: "When combining its new Supercharger V3 and the Model 3, Tesla pushed the charge rate to 250 kW, which is a new high for electric vehicles currently in production. Audi’s e-tron is able to maintain a 140 kW+ charge rate until a much higher state of charge. The German automaker claims that it is able to do this due to its battery cooling technology and its bigger than average energy buffer. The e-tron has a 95 kWh battery pack, but the pack has an 8% reserve at the bottom and 4% at the top."   https://electrek.co/2019/05/15/audi-vs-tesla-supercharger-v3/     COMMUNITY And thanks to MYEV.com they’ve set us another Question Of The Week. Keep your comments coming in on email and YouTube…   What’s more important – hardware or software?   I want to say a heartfelt thank you to the 212 patrons of this podcast whose generosity means I get to keep making this show, which aims to entertain and inform thousands of listeners every day about a brighter future. By no means do you have to check out Patreon but if it’s something you’ve been thinking about, by all means look at patreon.com/evnewsdaily     PHIL ROBERTS / ELECTRIC FUTURE (PREMIUM PARTNER) BRAD CROSBY (PREMIUM PARTNER)   DAVID ALLEN (PARTNER) OEM AUDIO OF NEW ZEALAND AND EVPOWER.CO.NZ (PARTNER) PAUL O’CONNER (PARTNER) ALAN ROBSON (EXECUTIVE PRODUCER) ALEX BANAHENE (EXECUTIVE PRODUCER) ALEXANDER FRANK @ https://www.youtube.com/c/alexsuniverse42 ANDERS HOVE (EXECUTIVE PRODUCER) ARILD GEIR SKAALSVEEN (EXECUTIVE PRODUCER) ASHLEY HILL (EXECUTIVE PRODUCER) BÅRD FJUKSTAD (EXECUTIVE PRODUCER) BARRY PENISTON (EXECUTIVE PRODUCER) BOB MUIR / GINGERCOMPUTERS.COM IN DUNDEE (EXECUTIVE PRODUCER) BORISLAV BORISOV (EXECUTIVE PRODUCER) BRENT KINGSFORD (EXECUTIVE PRODUCER) BRIAN THOMPSON (EXECUTIVE PRODUCER) BRIAN WEATHERALL (EXECUTIVE PRODUCER) CESAR TRUJILLO (EXECUTIVE PRODUCER) CHRIS BENSON (EXECUTIVE PRODUCER) CHRIS HOPKINS (EXECUTIVE PRODUCER) CRAIG COLES (EXECUTIVE PRODUCER) CRAIG ROGERS (EXECUTIVE PRODUCER) DAMIEN DAVIS (EXECUTIVE PRODUCER) DARREN BYRD (EXECUTIVE PRODUCER) DARREN SANT FROM YORKSHIRE EV CLUB (EXECUTIVE PRODUCER) DAVE DEWSON (EXECUTIVE PRODUCER) DAVID BARKMAN (EXECUTIVE PRODUCER) DAVID FINCH (EXECUTIVE PRODUCER) DAVID PARTINGTON (EXECUTIVE PRODUCER) DAVID PRESCOTT (EXECUTIVE PRODUCER) DERRICK LIKES (EXECUTIVE PRODUCER) DIRK RUTSATZ (EXECUTIVE PRODUCER) DON MCALLISTER / SCREENCASTSONLINE.COM (EXECUTIVE PRODUCER) ENRICO STEPHAN-SCHILOW (EXECUTIVE PRODUCER) FREDRIK ROVIK (EXECUTIVE PRODUCER) FREEJOULE AKA JAMES (EXECUTIVE PRODUCER) GEORGE CLARGO (EXECUTIVE PRODUCER) JACK OAKLEY (EXECUTIVE PRODUCER) JAMES STORR (EXECUTIVE PRODUCER) JASON FAN (EXECUTIVE PRODUCER) JEFF ERBES (EXECUTIVE PRODUCER) JERRY ALLISON (EXECUTIVE PRODUCER) JILL SMITH (EXECUTIVE PRODUCER) JOHN BAILEY (EXECUTIVE PRODUCER) JON AKA BEARDY MCBEARDFACE FROM KENT EVS (EXECUTIVE PRODUCER) JON KNODEL (EXECUTIVE PRODUCER) JON TIMMIS (EXECUTIVE PRODUCER) JUAN GONZALEZ (EXECUTIVE PRODUCER) KEN MORRIS (EXECUTIVE PRODUCER) KEVIN MEYERSON (EXECUTIVE PRODUCER) LARS DAHLAGER (EXECUTIVE PRODUCER) LAURENCE D ALLEN (EXECUTIVE PRODUCER) LEO (EXECUTIVE PRODUCER) LESZEK GRZYL (EXECUTIVE PRODUCER) LOUIS HOPKIN (EXECUTIVE PRODUCER) LUKE CULLEY (EXECUTIVE PRODUCER) MARCEL LOHMANN (EXECUTIVE PRODUCER) MARCEL WARD (EXECUTIVE PRODUCER) MARLIN SCHELL (EXECUTIVE PRODUCER) MARTIN CROFT (EXECUTIVE PRODUCER) MATT PISCIONE (EXECUTIVE PRODUCER) MATTHEW ELLIS (EXECUTIVE PRODUCER) MATTHEW GROOBY (EXECUTIVE PRODUCER) MAZ SHAR (EXECUTIVE PRODUCER) MIA OPPELSTRUP (EXECUTIVE PRODUCER) MICHAEL PASTRONE (EXECUTIVE PRODUCER) MIKE ROGERS (EXECUTIVE PRODUCER) MIKE WINTER (EXECUTIVE PRODUCER) NATHAN GORE-BROWN (EXECUTIVE PRODUCER) NEIL E ROBERTS FROM SUSSEX EVS (EXECUTIVE PRODUCER) OHAD ASTON (EXECUTIVE PRODUCER) PAUL SEAGER-SMITH (EXECUTIVE PRODUCER) PAUL STEPHENSON (EXECUTIVE PRODUCER) PETE GLASS (EXECUTIVE PRODUCER)  PHIL MOUCHET (EXECUTIVE PRODUCER) PHILIPPE CALVE (EXECUTIVE PRODUCER) RAJ BADWAL (EXECUTIVE PRODUCER) RAJEEV NARAYAN (EXECUTIVE PRODUCER) RALPH JENSON (EXECUTIVE PRODUCER) RENÉ SCHNEIDER (EXECUTIVE PRODUCER) ROB COOLING / HTTP://WWW.APPLEDRIVING.CO.UK/ (EXECUTIVE PRODUCER) RUPERT MITCHELL (EXECUTIVE PRODUCER) SARAH MCCANN (EXECUTIVE PRODUCER) SARI KANGASOJA (EXECUTIVE PRODUCER) SEIKI PAYNE (EXECUTIVE PRODUCER) STEVE JOHN (EXECUTIVE PRODUCER) STUART HANNAH (EXECUTIVE PRODUCER) THE LIMOUSINE LINE SYDNEY (EXECUTIVE PRODUCER) TIM GUTTERIDGE (EXECUTIVE PRODUCER) WALTER MACVANE (EXECUTIVE PRODUCER) ZACK HURST (EXECUTIVE PRODUCER)   You can listen to all 471 previous episodes of this this for free, where you get your podcasts from, plus the blog https://www.evnewsdaily.com/ – remember to subscribe, which means you don’t have to think about downloading the show each day, plus you get it first and free and automatically. It would mean a lot if you could take 2mins to leave a quick review on whichever platform you download the podcast. And if you have an Amazon Echo, download our Alexa Skill, search for EV News Daily and add it as a flash briefing. Come and say hi on Facebook, LinkedIn or Twitter just search EV News Daily, have a wonderful day, I’ll catch you tomorrow and remember…there’s no such thing as a self-charging hybrid.   CONNECT WITH ME! EVne.ws/itunes EVne.ws/tunein EVne.ws/googleplay EVne.ws/stitcher EVne.ws/youtube EVne.ws/iheart EVne.ws/blog EVne.ws/patreon   Check out MYEV.com for more details:

EP007 - Executive Editor at Bobit Business Media, Chris Brown http://www.vehicle2.getspiffy.com Episode 7 is an interview with Chris Brown, Executive Editor at Bobit Business Media; recorded on Friday, April 5th, 2019. Chris and Scot discuss a variety of topics, including: Chris’ journey to being the editor of three publications and producer of two tradeshows. The impact of car and ridesharing on the car rental industry. Weighing the changing ownership models for an idea of potential winners with consumers. How electric and autonomous vehicles will affect car rentals and auctions alike. What the future holds for the existing dealership and OEM framework. The road for convenient in-app connectivity to simplify the car rental process. Be sure to follow Chris on Twitter and LinkedIn! If you enjoyed this episode, please write us a review on iTunes! The four pillars of Vehicle 2.0 are electrification, connectivity, autonomy, and changing ownership models. In the Vehicle 2.0 Podcast, we will look at the future of the auto industry through guest expert interviews, deep dives into specific topics, news coverage, and hot takes with instant analysis on what the latest breaking news means for today and in time to come. This episode was produced and sound engineered by Jackson Balling, and hosted by Scot Wingo.   Transcript:   Scot: [00:51] Welcome to the Vehicle 2.0 Podcast! This is episode seven and it's being recorded Friday, April 5th, 2019. Welcome back, Vehicle 2.0 listeners! As I've been personally learning all I can about the changing ownership models for cars and how the real car industry works, I found the content from auto rental news to be really important and awesome. My favorite items are the blog posts from the executive editor, Chris Brown, who we're excited to have on the show. Auto rental news is owned by Bobit Bbusiness Media and they have over 20 publications and trade shows that cover fleets, rentals, dealers, and oddly enough salons. Chris Brown is executive editor of business fleet, auto rental news and fleet forward and he also produces the international car rental show and the fleet forward conference. Chris, welcome to the show. Chris: [01:46] Thanks for having me Scott. Scot: [01:48] With all those responsibilities that you must be extremely busy, so we really appreciate you taking time to talk to us about your view of the future of your vehicles. Chris: [01:59] Sure. Well, my position kind of affords me having my fingers in a whole bunch of different pies and where transportation is going and yeah, we're just a little busy over here. Scot: [02:11] I have to ask what's the intersection? Was Salons, I was super curious about that. Chris: [02:15] You know, it, it's basically was a diversification strategy. In typical B2B media company fashion, not our eggs are in the transportation basket. And two of our biggest magazines in the company are a modern salon and nails magazine. Scot: [02:35] Cool. You get to, you get to learn all about, if you get burned out on cars, you can go learn about a whole other topic. Chris: [02:41] There's plenty of nail polish around for us to take advantage of. Scot: [02:47] Cool. I definitely want to jump into, you've, you got a lot of really good views on where we're going in the car industry, but before we jump into that, would love to give listeners a little bit of background on how you got to where you are? Chris: [02:59] Sure. Well I joined Bobit over 15 years ago, jumped in as the editor of Business Fleet magazine, which is goes out to small commercial fleets. soon after that, I took control editorially of auto rental news and, between the intersection of auto world news and business fleet can kind of triangulate what's going on and different parts of the transportation space. And along with the auto world news comes, you know, managing the international car rental show, which is convening and a week and a half. So that's been a huge part of what I do. And then, as well, we're really getting into how fleets are looking at new mobility solutions and, we have the fleet forward conference in that regard. That's happening in November in San Jose and we will be launching a brand, a website fleetforward.com in May. Scot: [04:08] Oh Wow. I look forward to seeing what you, what you guys put on there. Yeah. So, so to give listeners an idea of kind of the, the scope of, of your reach there, how many readers, and if there's anything you don't feel comfortable sharing, obviously that's, that's fine. But, you know, how many readers do you guys have on the publications and how many folks come to the conferences? Chris: [04:29] Well, you know, the, the best way to look at Bobit that is that we're the largest fleet publisher and authority and have been for over 50 years. Perhaps in the world actually. We reached over 250,000 commercial and government fleets and small business fleets and work trucks and heavy duty trucks. Heavy duty trucking being, our, our largest publication. And the whole universe, ends up to be 18 million vehicles. And, you know, in typical B2B fashion, we do that through news industry trends, market intelligence, you know, events, great articles and you know, the car rental show is you only show specific to the the auto rental industry in its entirety. And we'll get over 800 people this year, in April, April 14th through 16th in Vegas. And we draw folks from all over the world. Fleet forward is really just kind of a baby right now. We'll get 200 plus in its second year, come, come November in San Jose. And that's really a for the forward looking fleets that is commercial and government fleets that are looking at, you know, new mobility solutions to implement their fleets. Scot: [05:47] Very cool. So definitely encourage listeners to check those out. I know a full disclosure, we're going to be exhibiting at the show next week, so we're excited to be first time at that. Chris: [05:58] Yeah, well we're attendance is looking great. There's a ton of energy. I'm really glad that we've kind of both a really a great show for for 2019. Scot: [06:08] Awesome. So thanks for the background. I think that really helps set the stage for the main discussion. and a here on the podcast we look at a framework that we call vehicle 2.0 where we look at kind of these four ways of innovation that are kind of sloshing through the industry, connectivity, new ownership models, electrification and automation. and you've written a lot of really great content lately around the changing ownership models and I know that's near and dear to your heart. we'd love to start there. so when we look at the rental car industry, when I talked to folks I spend a lot of time talking to venture capitalists and stuff. I think they have this intuition that rental cars would be down like 10, 20, 30%, but they're actually up. why do you think that is? People assume it's down because they think Uber and Lyft are taking pretty serious share from the rental car companies. but apparently, you know, is that happening and why are the rental car sales up? Chris: [07:05] Well, I think we have to look at the market and say that Uber and Lyft have definitely taken a bite out of the rental car market, but, it's mostly in certain certain areas that we'll talk about. And, and also, it certain rental lengths, the shorter rental lengths, like the one day rentals is more where it's affected. and those are the least profitable, rentals as you can imagine, just because you have to turn over a car for a one day rental like you do for a five day rental and all the attendant costs there. You know, urban markets have certainly been affected, as well. That being said, I mean we did see, a strong demand that led to a record year for car rental, last year in the USeclipsing 30 billion in total revenues. And that was done on a overall fleet size. Chris: [08:10] That is, means that there was more revenue per unit, which is a really good sign for rental to, you know, I mean the, the, the more traditional rentals of, you know, multiple people have family, you know, needing, needing access to, you know, places that are more than 40 miles away, and, and of triplink's that are greater than a day is still very real and still very growing. It's growing with a good economy. So, I think that's really what's keeping the rental industry afloat in terms of the demand side. Now let me add one more thing. certainly, where, you know, if you can't beat them, join them. there is an insatiable need for Uber and Lyft drivers to have reliable transportation and rental has been playing a part there in, in renting cars to Uber and Lyft drivers. and that's, it's a growing segment as well. Scot: [09:17] Interesting. Do you know, do you happen to know, so 30 billion is pretty impressive. Do you know the year over year growth rate of that is kind of like GDP and that three to 4% range or is it kind of different? Chris: [09:28] So the growth rate, I know that the growth rate is accelerated, believe it or not, over the growth rate from 2017 to 16 and 2017 to 2018 so that's healthy. In other words, I had sort of intuitively a expected a growth rate to, to shrink there and you know, I do know it at what, what percentage? I don't know off the top of my head, but I do know that that was a slight acceleration over previous years. Recently. Scot: [10:02] Yeah. Accelerating growth and improved, unit profits is kind of the, that's the sweet spot. So that's good for the industry. Yeah, it certainly is. Cool. So, appreciate your perspective on that. And if we kind of go to the 30,000 foot view around ownership, do you have a point of view where you think ownership around vehicles is going to go in the next five to 10 years? Chris: [10:23] Well, really it's, it's really a tale of environments, I think. I mean, you look at major cities compared to suburban, rural ex urban environments. And you know, it's no secret that the changes are coming in in cities a lot quicker. you know, every major us city is having these conversations right now around smart transportation planning. And I think this is really kind of accelerating the change in cities in 10 years from now, in suburban environments. and certainly rural environments. I don't see really much change in terms of ownership. Yeah. We could talk perhaps a growth of a subscription model that, that may change in those areas, but I don't see people giving up their cars. although I do see, I was actually surprised that some reports that have said that car ownership and cities in particular, haven't changed as much as we thought in terms of asset light households, certain in certain cities it has in others like Los Angeles, it really hasn't, not yet. Scot: [11:44] Interesting. So if we, if we peel the onion on that, there's all these different flavors of, of some of these new ownership models. There's you kind of mentioned subscription, there's obviously rental. there's the car shares where you have like Zipcar and then, we had a guest on the show that talked about an ungated car share where, you know, you can kind of pick it up and drop it off wherever we've got the Lyft Uber ride sharing. We've got kind of the Airbnb model, like person to person like Toro and get around. Do you think there's kind of a winner in there or do you think it's going to be, you know, a mix of those kind of based on what people want to do and, and the length of rental for example? Chris: [12:23] Well, I think we are moving into a mode or a way of thinking where use the acid that's best suited for that type of exactly what you want to do with it. And, I mean, I can see benefits and issues with each one of those models. I mean, we can really look at what's going on in each one. And, I mean, I, I, I, I don't think that we've seen the, end of penetration for ride sharing. I think that is still going to grow. I think that P2P car sharing is on a definite growth curve. I think in terms of, the, the Zipcar model of car sharing it, I would probably say that we're not seeing quite as much of an acceleration and those in the car sharing community would really point to, you know, an ungated, model as being, better for, or easier to access to vehicles and you know, car subscription has issues as well. And one of the main issues is, is coming up with a price point that that works for everyone. And also, how soon you can flip the cars, you know, if you want to get in a car rental, we can certainly get into that too. But I really see there's a lot of growth still happening in ride share, in peer to peer. Scot: [13:59] Yeah. And the rental car companies are, are pretty active in all these spaces. Maybe. I'm, I think I have a pretty good handle on it because I've been reading a lot of your content, but maybe for listeners, highlight what hertz and Avis have done kind of around the areas of, you know, or what we know them for their traditional rental car, but they're all very active in some of these other models. Chris: [14:21] Well, certainly Avis. but Zipcar, gosh, must be nine years ago at this point. And that's really where the sort of, we'll call it traditional car share has a hold. you know, Hertz, the funny thing about car sharing and the rental traditional rental companies, the large rental companies, they're sort of pulled back. I mean, enterprise car share still exists on college campuses. A in Zipcar is, it's growing incrementally and Avis is growing in incrementally. Works, has pulled back essentially from car share divisions. Let's say if you want to talk Europe, a Europe cars, doing some, some cool things with mobility. and six test, some mobility programs to, you know, one other thing to mention with car sharing and that is should it or real growth potential for car sharing is gated. I mean, I, well let me back up there. a real growth potential for car sharing is in specific programs that would be offered, say as an amenity in, various properties, you know, on various corporate campuses or in, in, residential buildings. that is, that is a growth area, but car rental per se is, you know, zipcars where it's at, in terms of the majors in the u s Scot: [15:58] Cool. And then, I think some of the programs, some of the big guys, they, they have relationships with like the Ubers and Lyfts, right? Where they're, they're providing cars into the ride sharing market. that works. Chris: [16:11] Hertz in particular is playing a really big part in this market right now. I mean, their growth in that market is, has been substantial year of year. I think they've got 40,000 cars that they're putting into, into the ride share market. And, I know it's driven a 300 million to their, and this is public figures, 300 million to their bottom line revenue and they expect to grow it even further. And you know, we started with trying to understand what the model is to rent to Uber and Lyft drivers. Like what is that, what is a model that is profitable? And I think the market has come to the conclusion that it's not a new car, to rent to these guys. It, it's, I say it's not for the faint of heart because it's high mileage. you know, a lot of scrapes and dings on these cars, but you know, where it really works, at least where it really works for her is you get out of a Toyota Camry at 40,000 miles in the rental fleet and that's flipped to the Uber drivers for 30,000 miles. And then they, they take those cars out at 70,000 miles, hurts does, and they can run them through auctions or even run them through their, their used car lots. And that's a very attractive price point for used car buyer. So they've had success with that and they're kind of leading the charge there. Scot: [17:47] Cool. Is it like formal partnership with Uber or they just kind of advertised Uber drivers on their own? Chris: [17:54] I believe it's a formal, I mean they do have, you know, I, I, I, I don't know the answer to that question definitively to be honest with you. I want to say, and you know, probably in the editing we can figure this out, but I want to say that they do have an, at least an informal agreement, but they do, I know they definitely rent to both Uber and Lyft drivers. Scot: [18:19] Got It. Very cool. So it, one argument, you know, with Lyft going public, this is top of mind because their valuation is so high. It's kind of interesting. You could almost like, you know, invest in some of the rental car companies and as kind of a secondary, you know, if you'd believe in car riding as a cheaper way to almost invest in the trends, oddly enough, I don't, I don't think people connect those two things. But it's interesting to think about that. Chris: [18:39] Well, the whole idea of providing wheels to Uber and Lyft drivers has become one of the biggest industry trends and challenges. And Uber certainly saw this challenge with their leasing division that they essentially failed miserably at and lost a lot of money, it per car, an astounding amount per vehicle before they shuttered the their program and sold that off, which really speaks to the core competency of fleet managers of, of basically how to manage an asset. And I think the world is kind of waking up to, how fleet can do that and, and also how it can leverage this advantage and the, the, these environments moving forward on their way to autonomy. Scot: [19:31] Very cool. one thing that's near and dear to our heart at spiffy that when everyone gets excited about all these new ownership models, but what they forget about is more, more drivers, more riders, more miles means more services. and I know you've written a fair amount about this kind of fleet management as a service, which is, , you know, Kudos on a cool name there. were, where do you think that's going? It seems like the rental car companies have, they're kind of coming into it. it seems like the dealers may want to come into it and it feels like there's this collision course with a lot of different players, you know, so for example, Cox has an initiative to do this. so who's going to own this fleet management aspect of things? Chris: [20:16] Yeah. And you know, I'll, I'll go ahead and just take credit for f Mohs right now. I mean, I know, , you know, we had all had Sarah from Avis budget, at our fleet forward conference talking about fleet management as a service. But, but you, you know, it's, it's a budding, discipline, whatever you want to call it, but it is under the heading of, as assets get utilized more than 5% percent. They're going to have to be serviced in ways that are mobile and, you know, around the clock. And that's why, you know, we've seen spiffy and some really cool new outfits coming in that, you know, also perhaps lead us down this path to autonomy. when, you know, autonomous vehicles are going to have to be serviced at some point at night. Car rental really does see a future here as a service provider. Chris: [21:22] And you know, let's make sure, you know, this is separate from being the, the, the, the provider of the service of the vehicle to the end user, but more of the back end servicing of the vehicle. they, they will have competition from the fleet management companies, which are really kind of unknown or the consumers. But fleet management companies know how to, they know depreciation, they know how to manage vehicles, for commercial fleets equally as well as car rental companies. So I see, potential, you know, a potential, a little war here happening about who's going to win there. And then of course, like you said, I mean, you know, Cox Automotive owns Manheim, the largest auction in the US and, and if there's another area of disruption, it's going to be a auctions and, Cox certainly knows how to service vehicles and they're looking to leverage that position and in their fleet management of vehicles as well. Scot: [22:33] Cool. so let's pull on that thread a little bit. Why you think so auctions will be disrupted because you think they go online or you think just less cars we're going to turn over in this, this new world or why, why will they get disruptive? Chris: [22:46] Yeah, so, you know, the car rental companies right now are making no bones about the fact that they want to sell those vehicles upstream, directs whether it's direct to the consumer directed dealers and, they're enjoying better margins by doing that, and are willing to put together the effort, in terms of the infrastructure. So that's, that's happening now. The auction market is really needing the, the, the, the movement that time to sale is critical. You know, because a car depreciates, you can look at it at a daily depreciation of a car and it takes time to move a car to auction, run it through the auction at a certain day, get it to the end user and be done with it and get paid. auctions know this and they've certainly, they have their hand in, in online auctions, virtual auctions too. Chris: [23:51] So, but there are also diversifying. Now if we look at a world that is autonomous world, well that world looks a lot different and it looks a lot different for everyone, obviously including auctions. we expect much fewer vehicles, you know, potential, hopefully more, more, less vehicles on the road than there are today. And, and hopefully there, there'll be shared, but those vehicles, they're not going to get in accidents. I mean, that's the idea. And their, their length of service, they're going to be electric vehicles. Generally. Their length of service is going to be three times as long and with, with cars not turning over as much, that's just a lot less cars through auction lanes. Interesting. Scot: [24:43] Cool. so that's been good to get your view on ownership. Let's, let's kind of move into the connectivity side of things. I always come at it from a consumer perspective where there's all this cool stuff. I'm I'm a Tesla driver, so you know, being connected gives me real time maps and traffic and streaming and a lot of things in the cabin for the consumer. but you've done a lot of really interesting, riding around how rental cars are going to leverage the rental car companies are going to leverage connectivity. What are you seeing there? Chris: [25:13] Yeah, sure. And that's a huge area of driving efficiencies for a rental car. Companies and commercial fleets have been enjoying the benefits of telematics. that, penetration is, has come sooner for commercial fleets and it has for rental. One of the issues for rental has been, you know, the rental vehicle is turned over a lot quicker. And at this point we are still most, of what this play is right now is telematics and it's an aftermarket install. Oh, of course. That's changing. we're, we're moving into a OEM partnerships with telematics companies at the factories that make this a lot easier and hopefully, and in three years, maybe it'll be standardized, where all we're doing is, is pulling data off cars and we won't need to install black boxes anywhere in the car and we can pull this data off of, vehicles no matter what the manufacturer. Chris: [26:23] Now, in terms of the, the benefits of connectivity, at least for a rental companies, simple fleet management, fleet movement, understanding that your a rental vehicle has been impounded for some reason you can't get of the renter if you can get notification at that vehicle is found in an impound yard by locating it, using gps tracking. If you save a day on that, I mean that, that's times how many days of rental vehicles you find an important yards. That's a very tangible example, but just fleet movements in general, you can inform heat maps in terms of, so where am I, where are these rental renters going in aggregate? You know, it turns out that most of them are, are, are going to the shore. in October, we'll, gosh, what's that all about? You know, and these, these answers may not be quite apparent as well. Chris: [27:26] There's a festival there, but these, these micro movements and even even looking at, the ability of a rental company to know that the renter who's supposed to have the vehicle backed by five is nowhere near the rental office. So that vehicle won't be available to next renter. They can make arrangements right away at either put that the next renter and another vehicle or make sure another rental office can transfer a vehicle. So those are just some of the efficiencies, but you know, telemetry in the car is going to be big. you know, right now I'm measuring fuel is a thorn in the side of rental companies, but now being able to measure fuel precisely would allow, the rental company to, you know, charge a renter for the exact amount of fuel that's that they don't have in the tank from when they started the rental and, and possibly have an upcharge on it. Chris: [28:27] as a convenience. I mean, that's going to be a big one. And then we also have to look at, you know, geo located push notifications around, marketing opportunities. I mean, there's, certainly, you know, off mentioned one where you're driving by a Starbucks and then Starbucks coupon punches up, you know, on your head unit. So those are just some of the things where, connectivity is really going to play a major role on coronal. And this is not even a talking about say V2X like vehicle to infrastructure technology and, and that gets into some that's coming as well. And that gets into some really cool, you know, futuristic stuff where Avis has a pilot program with Kansas City where they're sharing data with, with the city. and the, the city itself is using that data to, you know, plan, you know, events better, to understand movements in and out of different areas of the city. and of course there's a safety aspect to all this too, whether it's telematics, simply understanding that an accident has occurred right away. And is the, is the renters safe to a vehicle to infrastructure play that little bit later out where, you know, vehicles talk to each other and can tell where were an accident this happened and alert other vehicles, that type of thing. Scot: [30:03] Cool. You said V2X, is that kind of the slang that you use for vehicle to infrastructure? Chris: [30:09] That's good. It certainly, yeah, it is. That is exactly it. You could say V2I or I've heard V2X. Scot: [30:17] Okay, cool. I also, whenever I read your stuff, I learned a whole new set of acronyms, so it's always helpful, right? Yeah. Though when you go from industry to industry, you have to learn all the different lingo. Chris: [30:29] Oh yeah. Tell me about it. Yeah. Scot: [30:31] Yeah. Speaking in acronyms, electric vehicles or EVs, they're starting to make a dent in certain segments of new car sales. Like the model three has kind of taken over it's category a. And then if we look at China and some of the Nordic countries, it's starting to be pretty material percentage of those sales. but yet, you know, when I go run a car, I don't see any electric vehicles there. Do you think we're gonna see EVs kind of available at Reynolds at some point and then, you know, we'll, there it seems like there'd be a huge amount of infrastructure they're going to have to have around charging. And you know, what happens to me if I get beyond my range, all that kind of stuff. Chris: [31:06] Yeah, you're absolutely right. The infrastructure issue is the major issue for a car rental when it comes to electric vehicles. where you're seeing the penetration right now is in car sharing schemes. You know, General Motors, a division Maven, has, various schemes that this is a prominent place for, General Motors to, you know, offer a Chevy bolt to potentially new buyers through their maven car sharing scheme. And, you know, we see this certainly offered in, in cities. It's where Maven as is found mostly in cities, would have a greater infrastructure. you know, in along with car sharing, you know, we've got a company here in La called envoy, in envoy is, offering cars as amenities in their electric vehicles. in, in, you know, real estate, situations, whether they're corporate campuses are buildings and they're all electric vehicles and they come back to, you know, they're good to go out for, you know, half a day and then come back to a parking lot where they can charge. I would see, really when the infrastructural rollout is more prevalent in terms of public charging, because obviously Evie renters, you know, right, right now Evie buyers charge mostly at home, but renters wouldn't necessarily have the rental that the infrastructure at their house. so they'd need it essentially solely to either charge it there at the rental place, which they don't want to be at. They're going to be doing some or, or out in the field. so that's probably the major issue for penetration of EVs in traditional rental right now. Scot: [33:14] Do you think the range has to increase? So like, you know, the volts, the leafs and those kinds of guys have about a hundred mile range, which is probably way too small for rentals. But the Teslas are getting up kind of around 300, which is about, you know, I would guess that's well within the daily range that rental car companies have. Chris: [33:32] Yeah. So the, the bolt, the bolt actually, has over 200 mile range, which is actually pretty good. And, and the leaf, the next generation leaf as well. And I think, it, the coming soon, you know, we do have an onslaught of Evie models and I think the benchmark really at this point is 200 mile range there. There's one other factor which is often overlooked when it comes to, whether it's in commercial fleets or in rental fleets. And that is the x factor when it comes to depreciation and how much that vehicle is going to be worth when you take it out of the fleet. And we're just starting to wrap our heads around some numbers that allow for, what those vehicles are going to be valued and sold that. And the secondary market. And these are, the, the main total cost of ownership is the main issue. Chris: [34:32] so we can't discount that at that point. so if a rental company, if ava spies 500 Chevy bolts, they're going to have them in their fleet for, traditionally, like less than 18 months, what can those Chevy bolts be sold for in the aftermarket? Right now? That's enough of a question mark that would, they wouldn't, would they avoid a flooding up in addition to the infrastructure issue? Of course, as in chicken and egg fashion, we build more infrastructure. we get more people buying them and more wholesale values. so more comfort with a total cost of ownership. Scot: [35:16] Cool. Yeah. I know like a Prius is, for example, the most of these things, the lithium ion batteries have a defined life, right? And then it has to be replaced and that probably throws the whole, the valuation of the depreciation and to, chaos versus an internal combustion engine. Chris: [35:33] Well, you know, and here's the, here's the funny thing about that. And, so there was a company called test loop out here in California, which, you know, great concept that they shuttered. but it was essentially a shuttle service between various points. La in San Diego, in La and in Palm Springs, La and Vegas. And you would essentially rent a seat in a shuttle and it would pick you up at a certain point and it would take you at a certain point. So famously they had a Tesla model last the Hawk or whatever that I actually wrote in and that was high mileage in four years. They put on over 400,000 miles and the battery life held up pretty well. So I think we're getting to a point where we're seeing that these batteries and let's not discount the issue with batteries and the environmental issues of what we do with those batteries after the vehicle is gone. But the batteries hold up a lot better than expected. And you know, battery degradation is being solved, thankfully. So I, I think, I don't think we're looking at like, oh, this electric vehicles is just going to fail on us in, in three years and we're going to have to spend $15,000 on a new battery. I think there's a lot more that, this is probably still an issue, but I think the comfort level is a lot better on that point today than it was. Scot: [37:10] Cool. and then, the last kind of leg of the stool we haven't talked about is autonomous vehicles. And you touched on it a little bit. what, what's your prediction on, on AVs is this, a lot of people are pretty aggressive with kind of 10 years away if, you know, I kind of get the feeling you think it's a little bit further out. Chris: [37:29] Well, you know, people ask me where, when are we to see autonomous vehicles? In my answer is like, well, where really it's going to be where cause we're going to see penetration in different areas a lot sooner than we'll see. Just sort of general consumer penetration. And, we are starting to see a closed campus, trials. and, that's pretty obvious. You know, like the shuttles, local motors has has a shuttle and closed campus seems like it is certainly a natural deliveries without a passengers in them. They're still like a lot less of a liability issue. And I think you'll see a autonomous delivery shuttles for goods and services being rolled out quicker. and then in Geo fenced areas and cities, a very defined area in Manhattan that allows for autonomous vehicles and we can kind of keep an eye on them, they're a lot easier, and kind of manage them, you know, those that. Chris: [38:41] So, so the third leg would be that sort of Geo fence thing. And I could see that coming to pass within five years and then a pretty long tail before the world is autonomous. and we see, you know, just mass adoption of autonomous vehicles say to just to get to work. Now, one other thing we can look at perhaps is dedicated lanes on freeways where we see big trucks that would run a autonomous, where they, what would have been a driver and is now like a load manager in an autonomous truck, running cross country that goes into driver mode when they get off an exit essentially. But that long stretch could even be maybe even be a dedicated lane. I mean, I can see that going to pass within seven or eight years, but you know, full autonomy, it's going to be need based and and, and, and certainly, you know, the, I think that the regulatory environment, that I know is really not formed yet. So outside of these geo fenced areas, I think that that's one barrier. And so 2030 is sort of a boogie man. I mean, I, I, we really don't know. It seems like a signpost, you know, but I think it's anyone's gas. Scot: [40:21] Yeah. Let, let's say it's 20 something. 20 X. Oh yeah. And, and we have, you know, a fair number of these autonomous vehicles around. Who Do you think is owning them and news taking care of them? Chris: [40:35] Yeah, that's a really good question. Who has the right to win? There are, I mean, obviously the Uber wants to have that right to win. I can tell you that some interesting data and looking at, and, disengagements in California testing of autonomous vehicles is really interesting. First data points that are coming out about who's further along at the very least, who's further along with the technology. and, it's, so disengagements are essentially like in the testing in California, this has to be reported to the Department of motor vehicles, which, which, how many times does the driver have to grab the steering wheel is called a disengagement. And Google's Waymo, and GMS, Cruz, General Motors, autonomous unit crews are way ahead of any other company. Tesla's not even on the map because test is not really doing autonomous vehicle testing. Chris: [41:49] I mean they're testing, you know, through there, through consumer use there they're testing sort of level two autonomy and going on a level three autonomy. But I found that really interesting that the amount of miles traveled and the amount of disengagement, the percentages are a Waymo and Cruz are absolutely the best and they have half of all the autonomous miles travel. This is just in California. I mean, but we do have some serious testing here now. So who wins in terms of being the provider? it's going to be partnerships. I mean, I think that the, jury is still out of rental is going to be, if you're going to open up your app and it's going to say Avis and then you're going to get a VUS is going to be the provider, but GM you know, a cruise vehicle is going to show up at your door. Chris: [42:47] is it going to be Uber? you know, I think we, we have to consider Uber as a player, but then like, so, you know, Waymo how is Waymo going to rollout there? Their system, you know, how are they going to roll out the retail experience, retail consumer experience? we don't know. Are they going to seek partners? It's still up in the air now. I think General Motors, we have to consider that General Motors is going to be there. they're the producer of the vehicle and they have their maven unit is, essentially their test ground for these types of things only with internal combustion engine. So they're going to be a player for it as well. I mean, I think Ford's behind Waymo in terms of autonomous testing, but they are certainly actively looking at how ecosystems are forming or on autonomous vehicles. Scot: [43:50] Yeah. And, I come from the ecommerce world and you know, when I, when it kind of look at the landscape, the, in the ecommerce world, the companies that were the least nimble, we're the ones that kinda couldn't really get it out of what we call the innovator's dilemma. And it sometimes feels like the kind of the dealer framework we have today is so antiquated and, you know, Tesla's showing how quickly they can disrupt it. do you think those guys kind of have a place in the future or do you think though eoms kind of have to start going around them or, or are they essentially the service bureau? How does that shake out? Chris: [44:21] Well, there's one thing, powerful thing that we can't really discount when it comes to the world of dealerships. And that is that there, you know, the dealer lobby is a very powerful force in Washington and the OEMs are not ready to say anything except give hugs and kisses to their franchise dealers. and it's been a good relationship and you're right that, a more efficient model ultimately wins out. But the dealerships can change in ways that I think will for sure see more consolidation after 2009 and the, the recession, you know, we've seen a consolidation of dealers to sort of mega dealerships that will continue, but the alerts are sitting on some very valuable real estate within cities. And we are seeing right now that they're becoming hubs in interesting ways, in their, becoming hubs for a ride ride sharing where, it's a place for them to pick up a car for a ride hailing drivers to come and pick up a car for Uber and Lyft and, even a potential sale at this point. Chris: [45:49] I know the few dealerships are actually creating hubs for ride share drivers to come and get a car and they're creating almost like, you know, in the showroom carving out a part of a showroom that's the specific to ride hailing. So that's and you know, as as as a hub for servicing, you know, a lot of these, it perhaps even for autonomous vehicles, as a hub for servicing. I think dealers you don't want to play in that. In that world the servicing will be a lot different. Obviously it will be less about repairs and you know, the, the brain gets scrambled trying to think of, you know exactly what that entails. But I think that their dealerships are hubs for market intelligence and vehicle intelligence right now. And the smart ones will be able to hold on to that advantage in the future. Scot: [46:52] Cool. Yeah. I think the only thing we can guarantee is there's going to be more changed than, than there ever has been coming up. Chris: [46:58] Yeah, absolutely. I mean it certainly car rental, is has faces similar challenges in terms of having to reinvent their, their business model, but I even read reinvented, but make it just make it more efficient to poise itself for the future. Scot: [47:15] Yeah. Any, we're running up against time and I want to be cognizant of, of your time. were any other thoughts of where we're going to be, around either rental car ownership or any of these topics in five to 10 years that you want to close on? Chris: [47:28] Well, I, that we are finally coming to a spot that we've been talking about for years with car rental and that is a, a, a much more efficient car rental process that is app based, that involves a direct access to a vehicle. the first shoot green shoots of that would be, you know, avoiding a car won't align at the airport. I mean that process as it stands today of getting off a plane, getting on a shuttle, going to a physical location, accessing a car, waiting in line for 20 minutes and then getting your car, it just doesn't work for today's transportation needs. So the first step there is to put the ability to lock and unlock the car, and in access to car essentially through an APP. And that, that is happening now. I think you'll see a completely connected car rental fleet of the major colonel companies, within three years. Chris: [48:29] It's sooner for most of the vehicles. The next step from that I think would be, and this is a harder step, frankly, that is to decentralize the fleet, but I think that that is going to happen with strong partnerships that need to be made. And we'll call it kind of like the, the Starbucks Starbucks suffocation of, of transportation modes where there's not one central hub. But you know, we find Starbucks in airports and in city centers and in hotels. so cars will be let's say strategically placed in that way and access through an APP. I think that will finally happen. And you know, like I said, I mean this is what's going to happen in the cities is going to happen a lot quicker than what's going to happen in the suburbs. I think 10 years from now will outside of city centers, I think people will still own their pickup trucks and, and they'll still be internal combustion engines for the most part. Scot: [49:34] Cool. One last question for listeners. I follow you closely on auto rental news.com and I recommend everyone subscribed to that. aside from that, are you a frequent Twitter, Instagram or snap chatter link dinner, where, where can people find you? Chris: [49:48] Let's put it on Twitter. You can find me @fleetchrisbrown and I am always priding myself. I need a tweet more so, but a fleet, Chris Brown is where you can find me on Twitter and linkedin. Just look up Chris Brown, Bobit business media. And I, I post most of my blogs there and certainly, go to fleetforwardconference.com, for info about our upcoming shell. And as you said, auto weren't all news. You can find us online autoworldnews.com and if you're into this small commercial fleet world businessfleet.com awesome. Pretty much covers it. Scot: [50:26] Cool. Well we really appreciate you taking time out of your busy schedule, running all these shows and putting out all these publications, and sometimes tweeting. So really appreciate you coming on the podcast. Chris: [50:38] Yeah, not a problem. Thanks a lot. Appreciate it. Scott.

What to know about V2V and V2L Technologies Thom Rickert is the Vice President for the Argo Group, serving also as its Emerging Risk Specialist. With over 3 decades of insurance industry experience, he is just the person to talk to about the emerging V2V and V2I technologies.

Our biggest episode yet, clocking in at a whopping 27 minutes! Today: We discuss vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) and vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I) communications; discuss why it's ok that Tesla's Autopilot will never be perfect; and briefly touch on Porsche's reservation system for its new Mission and Mercedes' upcoming EQS EV sedan. Please remember: If you like this podcast, share it with you friends and colleagues; if you're listening on iTunes Podcasts, leave 5 stars; you can leave me voicemails here on Achor.fm (I promise to reply!); and you can write me on Twitter @MarcHoag! Cheers! --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/autonomous-cars-with-marc-hoag/message

In the final segment, Peggy details her vision of the cars of the future. These vehicles will be packed with conversational AI, V2I (vehicle-to-infrastructure) capabilities, immersive in-cabin experiences, and, of course, will be fully autonomous. But what hurdles and consumer concerns will manufacturers need to overcome before these vehicles hit the road? Peggy delves into the need to beef up security before “bad actors” limit the ability to deliver these amazing computers on wheels.

In the final segment, Peggy details her vision of the cars of the future. These vehicles will be packed with conversational AI, V2I (vehicle-to-infrastructure) capabilities, immersive in-cabin experiences, and, of course, will be fully autonomous. But what hurdles and consumer concerns will manufacturers need to overcome before these vehicles hit the road? Peggy delves into the need to beef up security before “bad actors” limit the ability to deliver these amazing computers on wheels.

In the second podcast from the ITS World Congress in Montreal Smart Highways editor Paul Hutton learns more about the Smart Cities Pavilion with IBI, talks about a series of new autonomous pods being developed by HMI Technologies and about the huge test site in Contra Costa. You’ll also hear Steve Dellenback’s guide to Tuesday’s sessions at the congress and also an Australian viewpoint on standards in Connected and Automated Vehicles. Paul also takes a ride in a connected car around Montreal to see V2I and V2V technology. These podcasts are sponsored by SWARCO, HMI Technologies, Intelight and Q-Free.

Hello and welcome to Overdrive, a program that dabbles in the mystical world of cars and transport. I’m David Brown And in this program, we take a look at the latest news stories including: 1. Electric vehicle schemes 2. Autonomous vehicle’s impact on line marking 3. London mayor Sadiq Khan wants to introduce an Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) in April 2019. 4. Cycling - The Great Leveler 5. V2V capabilities to feature in over 50% of cars sold by 2022, as autonomous vehicles set to take off Dr Alexa Delbosc from Monash University talks about one of the most critical issues we have in transport planning. The biases we bring to our discussions about the best transport solutions. And we talk to Nissan Australia’s CEO Richard Amery about his view of what having autonomous cars will really mean. And in our panel discussion with Errol Smith we take jovial look at stories including: 1. Roger Moore Dead – Remembering his on-screen cars 2. Bear locks itself in car, sounds horn to wake up homeowners 3. Adelaide 'Wetern' suburbs spelling error spotted on new road sign 4. LAX rich persons lounge lets you watch misery of other customers Have a question or comment? Send it to overdrive@drivenmedia.com.au You can listen to longer segments of the each of the features by going to our web site at drivenmedia.com.au or podcast the whole program on iTunes or your favourite podcast service. Originally aired on 27 May 2017. For past programs and individual segments visit www.drivenmedia.com.au

“Connected cars” are increasingly a staple of modern life. Today, that might just mean that your car has a 4G connection to distract your kids during a long drive. But as the “Internet of Things” continues to grow, having a connected car will mean a lot more than streaming Netflix for your backseat passengers. How will cars communicate with the roads, highways, and with each other? Recently, the Federal Highway Administration issued guidelines on how connected vehicles should interact with connected infrastructure (V2I communications). Marc Scribner, Senior Fellow at the Competitive Enterprise Institute, joins the show to discuss. For more, see his blog post.

Chris Meering, senior director, social innovation and sustainability, HP Enterprise, talks about the connected car, V2V (vehicle-to-vehicle), V2I (vehicle-to-infrastructure), and V2C (vehicle-to-cloud) services. He points to an example of black ice and how realtime data about the ice can be sent to the cloud and send a warning to other vehicles on the road.

Chris Meering, senior director, social innovation and sustainability, HP Enterprise, talks about the connected car, V2V (vehicle-to-vehicle), V2I (vehicle-to-infrastructure), and V2C (vehicle-to-cloud) services. He points to an example of black ice and how realtime data about the ice can be sent to the cloud and send a warning to other vehicles on the road.

- VW Facing Criminal Charges from U.S. DoJ - GMC Bringing Back the Jimmy in 2020 - Cadillac Teases Pebble Beach Concept - Audi First to Launch V2I Technology - The End of the Auto Industry?

- VW Facing Criminal Charges from U.S. DoJ- GMC Bringing Back the Jimmy in 2020- Cadillac Teases Pebble Beach Concept- Audi First to Launch V2I Technology- The End of the Auto Industry?

Overdrive 6 Dec 2014. News stories including: Australia's Best Cars of 2014; Toyota self-driving car & new safety systems; Honda chief under pressure; Predicting travel patterns in disasters; and Dubai offering gold to bus users. In our feature interview we talk about three new Mercedes cars that are just on the market. We look at the new Ford Falcon - the last of the line. And in our offbeat discussion we look at the crazy vehicles at the LA motor show and a Ferrari owner sets a record price for a number plate.

Mobility seems to be the flavor of the month these days. Everyone from manufacturers to tier one suppliers to even academics are trying to discover secrets to the way people will move around in the future. Joining John McElroy on his panel to discuss the topic are Erica Klampfl, Global Future Mobility Lead, Ford; Kaye Ceille, president, Zipcar; Peter Sweatman, Director, University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute.

Mobility seems to be the flavor of the month these days. Everyone from manufacturers to tier one suppliers to even academics are trying to discover secrets to the way people will move around in the future. Joining John McElroy on his panel to discuss the topic are Erica Klampfl, Global Future Mobility Lead, Ford; Kaye Ceille, president, Zipcar; Peter Sweatman, Director, University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute.

The Newsletter for the City of Ann Arbor, Mich. • September 2012  • Volume 6 • Number 9A2 Open City Hall debutsAnn Arbor residents have a new way to share feedback with city staff and Council members with the debut of A2 Open City Hall. This new online forum will feature questions about specific projects and initiatives on a regular basis, inviting the public to give input from the convenience of their keyboards. The first topic on A2 Open City Hall is already underway and focuses on changes residents would like to see along the South State Street Corridor. Additional topics will be launched this fall.Fire restructure proposal meetings In March, Fire Chief Chuck Hubbard presented a fire department restructuring proposal to City Council, which would position the department to operate out of three fire stations. One station would be located on the north side of the city (Station 5), one on the south side of the city (Station 2) and one in downtown Ann Arbor (Station 1). However, before this proposal is considered further, community meetings have been scheduled in each of the city's five wards to give citizens the opportunity to hear more about the fire restructure proposal and ask specific questions pertaining to fire suppression coverage. Please consider attending one of these forums.Tuesday, Sept. 18, 6–8 p.m., Cobblestone Farm, 2781 Packard Road.Wednesday, Sept. 19, 6–8 p.m., Ann Arbor Senior Center, 1320 Baldwin Ave.   Thursday, Sept. 20, 6–8 p.m., Ann Arbor District Library Downtown Branch, 343 S. Fifth Ave., conference room A.    Tuesday, Sept. 25, 6–8 p.m. Ann Arbor District Library Traverwood Branch, 3333 Traverwood Drive, program room.Wednesday, Sept. 26, 6–8 p.m., Community Television Network, 2805 S. Industrial, Suite 200. This meeting will be taped and later replayed on CTN Channel 19 and available online to view on demand. More information about the fire restructure proposal is available on the city website. Be street savvyThe streets of Ann Arbor are again bustling with vehicles, bicycles and pedestrians as schools are back in session, and summer vacations have come to a close. Check out the rules-of-the-road reminders and resources on the city's “walk bike drive” Web page to help ensure safe travels for all, including: For those on foot, cross at marked crosswalks, and make sure to give motorists enough time to see you and stop.For bicyclists, ride on the road when possible — and obey the traffic signals. Use bike lanes when available.For motorists, be extra alert at crosswalks, and stop when pedestrians are present to cross. Drivers should also safely give bicyclists room on the road, ideally 3–4 feet of space.Fall/Winter registration now openRegistration for Ann Arbor Parks and Recreation fall/winter classes is now open. Find the new, 56-page, color guide at Larcom City Hall, local library branches, Ann Arbor Parks and Recreation Customer Service Center (at Cobblestone Farm, 2781 Packard Road) and all parks and recreation facilities. It's also posted on the parks website as a PDF that you can view or download. Classes include indoor swim lessons at Mack Pool, instructional skating, beginning hockey skills, yoga, cultural arts programs at the senior center and much more. The guide also features events at the canoe liveries and Leslie Science & Nature Center. Sign up is easy and convenient. Register in person, or use the online registration system.Solid waste plan updateThe City of Ann Arbor five-year Solid Waste Management Plan updating process is underway.  An advisory committee representing Ann Arbor residents, businesses, agencies and the University of Michigan has been working with staff, City Council, and city environmental commissioners over the last year to update the plan. Opportunities for residents to participate are now being offered as well.Take the solid waste planning survey online or use the printed version in the WasteWatcher newsletter (with a prepaid return mailer) that is delivered to all city residential addresses in September. All residential survey participants have the option to include their address to be eligible for three random drawings for a $50 gift certificate to a local restaurant or grocery store of your choice, or a $50 certificate for an Argo Livery canoe rental or from iTunes. Just respond by Friday, Oct. 5, 2012, to be included in the survey summary and prize drawings.After the survey is closed and tabulated, Solid Waste Management Plan updating process public forums and hearings will be held. The meetings will provide opportunities for small-group discussion about city solid waste program and policy areas, such as easier disposal options for specific materials, expanded recycling, waste-reduction strategies, composting expansion and Drop-off Station operations. Thursday, Oct. 18, 6:30–8:30 p.m. Ann Arbor District Library Traverwood Branch, 3333 Traverwood Drive.Tuesday, Oct. 30, 6:30–8:30 p.m. Community Television Network studio, 2805 S. Industrial. (The draft  Solid Waste Management Plan presentation and discussion group summaries will be taped for replay.)Public hearings will be held at Environmental Commission and City Council meetings, tentatively in December. Please visit the Solid Waste Management Plan Five-year Update Web page for project updates.CTN hours changeBeginning Sept. 1, Community Television Network will have new facility hours for the public and education channels. The new hours are:Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday: 11 a.m.–9 p.m.Wednesday: 4–9 p.m.CTN is located at 2805 S. Industrial Highway, suite 200, in Ann Arbor. Go online for more information. CERT Program registrationThe Ann Arbor Police Department Office of Emergency Management in conjunction with the Washtenaw County Emergency Management Division is accepting applications for the Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) training program. The application can be found online, or call Crime Prevention Specialist Adele El-Ayoubi, ICPS, with the Ann Arbor Police Department at 734.794.6933. A background investigation will be conducted on all applicants. The deadline to apply is 5 p.m. Friday, Sept. 14. The training will be held every Tuesday from Sept. 25 to Nov. 6, 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. Coursework is a combination of classroom sessions and hands-on training in scene assessment, fire safety, emergency medical response, team organization, disaster medical operations and light search and rescue. Attendance at all classes is required for certificate completion.The CERT program educates residents about disaster preparedness for hazards that may impact Washtenaw County and trains participants in basic disaster response skills. Using the training learned in the classroom and during exercises, CERT members can assist neighbors or fellow employees following an event when professional responders are not immediately available to help. CERT members also are encouraged to support emergency response agencies by taking a more active role in emergency preparedness projects in their community.A2 passes 2,000 mark with latest LED streetlightsAnn Arbor was one of the first cities in the world to convert conventional streetlights to light emitting diodes (LEDs) in an effort to contain costs, save energy and support Mayor Hieftje's Energy Challengeto reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the community. Since it began in 2007/2008, cities from across the country and the world are now moving to LEDs. Ann Arbor's latest batch of LEDs, funded through the U.S. Department of Energy's Energy Efficiency & Conservation Block Grant (EECBG) program, will go up at the Broadway Bridge, nearly completing the conversion of the over 2,000 city-owned streetlights. The Lumecon brand “Ring of Fire” LED series replicates the decorative acorn style of the lights now seen along Broadway Bridge. Detroit Edison owns and operates another 5,000-plus streetlights in Ann Arbor, and is beginning to pilot more LEDs, especially as they look to replace mercury-vapor streetlights that will no longer be manufactured.LED streetlights in the downtown, arterial streets and in neighborhoods use on average about half of the electricity of conventional lights and are reducing around 700,000 kilowatt hours (kWh) per year — or the equivalent annual electricity usage of 60 households. Two-thirds or more of the cost savings in converting city-owned lights to LEDs is in the deferred cost of not having to maintain the fixture (work hours to replace the light and components like ballasts and igniters). LEDs manufactured today are expected to last 10 times longer, if not more, than their metal halide, sodium and mercury-based predecessors. The long life of LEDs frees up city labor hours or the need to hire outside support to operate, maintain and replace fixtures. LEDs also contain zero mercury. Each LED fixture saves around $90 per year in energy and avoided maintenance, and, with over 2,000 lights, that is over $180,000 per year in potential costs. Previous grant support from the Downtown Development Authority for the nearly 1,000 downtown decorative globe lights, and federal grants for much of the remaining LED streetlights, have made this innovative energy solution a reality.Ann Arbor assists USDOT in vehicle crash-avoidance pilotAccording to the U.S. Department of Transportation, nearly 3,000 cars, trucks and buses equipped with “connected” Wi-Fi technology will enable vehicles and infrastructure throughout Ann Arbor to “talk” to each other, in real time. This initiative kicked off last month as part of a year-long safety pilot project by the USDOT. This innovative technology is designed to help avoid crashes and improve traffic flow.U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood recently joined elected officials and industry and community leaders on the University of Michigan campus to launch the second phase of the safety pilot, the largest road test to date of connected vehicle crash-avoidance technology. This study was also made possible with the assistance of City of Ann Arbor information technology and signs and signals staff who assisted USDOT and U-M's Transportation Research Institute with this first-of-its-kind test of connected vehicle technology in the real world. The test cars, trucks and buses, most of which have been supplied by volunteer participants, are equipped with vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) and vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I) communication devices that will gather extensive data about system operability and its effectiveness at reducing crashes. Read more about the project on the USDOT website. WATS public meetingThe Washtenaw Area Transportation Study (WATS) is hosting public meetings to discuss the 2040 Long-range Plan for Washtenaw County. On Wednesday, Sept. 12, 4–6 p.m., WATS will discuss the community values survey results and present draft goals and objectives for the plan. The meeting will take place at Larcom City Hall, 301 E. Huron St., in the Council chambers on the second floor. Visit the WATS website for more information on this initiative. Connecting William StreetJoin the Connecting William Street conversation. The Ann Arbor Downtown Development Authority is seeking input to shape the future of five city-owned sites downtown: the Library Lane lot, the Fifth and William lot, the ground floor of the Fourth and William Parking Structure, the Main and William lot, and the Ashley and William lot. Community survey feedback and a market analysis have been used to begin crafting strategies for transforming these five parking areas into uses that will better serve the community. Now, your help is needed to shape a more specific plan. Please join the community conversation, and provide input to help frame development strategies for these sites.To participate via an online venue, please pre register for a webinar taking place Wednesday, Sept. 5, 7–8 p.m.  Space is limited, but more dates will be added as the meeting fills. To participate in person, a public meeting is scheduled for Monday, Sept. 10, noon–1:30 p.m. at the Ann Arbor District Library Downtown Branch multipurpose room, 343 S. Fifth Ave.  Please pre register for this meeting.  At these events, the DDA will present an overview of the project and possible development scenarios. Please select the time and venue that works best for you. The same information will be provided at both the webinar and public meeting.Better Buildings for Michigan ProgramWith winter just a few months away (believe it or not), now is the ideal time to make sure your home has all the proper energy-efficient enhancements. This otherwise daunting task has just gotten a little easier, thanks to the Southeast Michigan Regional Energy Office (SEMREO).  The SEMREO Better Buildings for Michigan Program offers incentives and rebates for home energy improvements, including double the current rebates offered by DTE (up to $3,000). And the program has recently expanded, making residents of Ann Arbor and all of Washtenaw County eligible. Better Buildings for Michigan uses a community approach to deliver energy efficiency improvements for homes and businesses by providing access to incentives and affordable loans. The program is supported by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) and developed by the Michigan Energy Office; Michigan Saves; the City of Grand Rapids; the Economic Development Corporation of the City of Detroit; and the Southeast Michigan Regional Energy Office.The Better Buildings for Michigan Program is available for a limited time. Go online for more information.  High-rise lighting reminderAnn Arbor again joins other cities in helping migrating birds have a “Safe Passage” during seasonal migrations. From the middle of August through the end of October, migrating birds are flying over Ann Arbor on their way south from their northern breeding grounds. These birds are at risk of dying when they become confused at night by lighted windows of tall buildings. On clear nights, birds navigate by the stars, but on cloudy and foggy nights, they attempt to navigate using the lights of tall buildings. Birds either crash into lit windows or endlessly circle buildings until they are exhausted. Please ask occupants on floors five and above of your building to join the “Safe Passage” effort by pulling the drapes or closing the shades on windows in lit rooms between 11 p.m. and dawn. (These actions may help save energy, too.) For details, please see “safe passage" online.  In this issue: A2 Open City Hall * Fire restructure proposal meetings * Street safety * Fall/winter registration * Solid waste plan update * CTN hours change *  CERT program registration * LED streetlights * USDOT vehicle crash-avoidance pilot * WATS public meetings * Connecting William Street * Better Buildings for Michigan Program * High-rise lighting reminder * Dog Swim * West Nile Virus * Greenbelt Bus Tour * Game day traffic and parking * Urban and Community Forest Management Plan * Fall golf events *Golf for a good cause  * SEMCOG Regional Transportation Plan * Dates to rememberDog SwimAfter Buhr Park Outdoor Poolcloses for the season, it's your four-footed friend's turn to go for a swim. Register today for the annual dog swim, taking place Wednesday and Thursday, Sept. 5 and 6, from 3 to 8 p.m. Pre registration is required, and spaces go quickly. For one dog, the fee is $7.50/$6 for residents; for a second dog, the fee is an additional $3.75/$3 for residents. Call today:734.794.6234. Buhr Park Pool is located at 2751 Packard Road.  Prevent West Nile VirusWest Nile Virus cases are on the rise both nationally and in Michigan. And as Labor Day weekend is about to begin, Michigan residents are urged to take precautions against mosquitoes while spending time outdoors. A few simple steps can help prevent mosquito bites and potentially contracting West Nile Virus (WNV).Apply insect repellents that contain the active ingredient DEET, or other EPA approved repellent to exposed skin or clothing, especially during peak mosquito activity periods such as dusk and dawn. Maintain window and door screening to help keep mosquitoes outside. Empty water from mosquito-breeding sites such as buckets, unused kiddy pools or similar sites where mosquitoes lay eggs. Wear light-colored, long-sleeved shirts and long pants when outdoors. The unusually hot and dry summer has favored the mosquitoes that transmit WNV. These same conditions have led to a reduction in the number of "nuisance" mosquitoes, which are more abundant during wet summers. WNV-carrying mosquitoes breed in small collections of stagnant water, are common around people's homes and often bite people indoors. While few mosquitoes may be noticed outdoors, those that are present and biting are likely to be the type that potentially carry WNV.Most people bitten by a WNV-infected mosquito show no symptoms of illness. However, some become sick three to 15 days after exposure. WNV can cause serious neurological illnesses, such as meningitis and encephalitis and can have long-term health consequences. People 50 and older as well as people with weakened immune systems are more susceptible to severe WNV disease symptoms.When you're running out the door, remember to grab not only your sunscreen, but your insect repellent too. Go online  for more information and surveillance activity updates about WNV.All aboard the Greenbelt Bus Tour!Tour protected farm and open space properties, and learn about the Greenbelt Program, local agriculture and talk with local farmers during the 2012 Greenbelt Bus Tour on Saturday, Sept. 22. The tour's air-conditioned, luxury motor coach will depart at 10 a.m. from the 3700 Plymouth Road Park and Ride, and will return at 1 p.m. Light refreshments will be served.Pre registration is going on now, and closes on Friday, Sept. 14. The cost is $10 per person. To register, contact  Ginny T