Fleet Vehicle Leasing August Newsletter
Tire Prices Go Up 
Bridgestone Americas Tire Operations LLC raised Bridgestone and Firestone truck tire prices, according to Modern Tire Dealer. Truck and bus tires in the U.S. and Canada are affected. So are Bandag retreads and related retreading materials.
The price of other Bridgestone, Firestone, and Continuum OTR tire products and retread rubber will also increase effective August 1. According to Bridgestone, the total average increase for all of the products will be 11%.
New Engine Under Way
According to a release from Westport Innovations, General Motors and Westport Innovations entered into an agreement to develop “advanced natural gas engine technology” for light-duty vehicles.
Westport will be opening a new technical center in Michigan and plans to add more people and invest in facilities as the demand increases for natural-gas-fueled vehicles. In addition, the company plans to add research and developmental facilities to develop natural gas vehicles technologies for fleet use.
Saab Restarts Production
Saab announced it plans to restart production in Europe on August 9. The news comes on the heals of the close of a deal the automaker signed with Swedish real estate investors to sell and lease back the company’s property for $40 million.
Short Notes 
General Motors’ Chevrolet division confirmed that it plans to add a diesel variant to its Cruze lineup in North America in calendar-year 2013. The company already sells diesel versions of the Cruze in Europe. More details to come.
U.S. News & World Report named the 2011 Ram 1500 the best full-size pickup, according to a news release from Chrysler. Among the eight pickup trucks listed in the article, the Ram 1500 achieved the highest score.
Rhode Island Gov. Lincoln Chafee signed a primary seat belt bill into law this past June 30. As reported by the Providence Journal, law enforcement officers in the state can now pull over adult drivers and fine them $75 solely for failing to wear a seat belt.
NYC Approves Altima
Nissan Americas said in a news release that New York City’s Taxi & Limousine Commission (TLC) approved the Nissan Altima for use in the city’s taxi cab fleet. TLC officials extended the approval to include the non-HEV version of the Altima.
Nissan was selected as the exclusive provider of the city’s “Taxi of Tomorrow.” Nissan added that as part of this program, the automaker will work with the city and taxi owners on a pilot program to study the use of electric vehicles as taxis.
Average Emissions Down
A new study from the University of Michigan shows that greenhouse gas emissions per driver of a newly purchased vehicle are down 14% since 2007. Called the Eco-Driving Index (EDI), this record of emissions statistics was at 0.86 in April of 2011, compared to the baseline score of 1.0 established in October of 2007.
The EDI is calculated by cross-multiplying the average amount of fuel used by newly purchased vehicles when driving over a given distance and the distance driven by an individual. A lower EDI value has a smaller environmental impact.
Ford Switch Recall
Ford Motor Co. is recalling 26,715 trucks and SUVs because of a potential problem with a multi-function switch. The problem could lead to malfunction of turn signals, tail lights, hazard warning flashers, and brake lights.
This recall affects certain 2011 model-year Ranger Trucks, 2004-2011 MY Ranger trucks, 2002-2005 MY Excursion SUVs, and 2002-2007 MY F-250, F-350, F-450, and F-550 trucks. The safety recall begins mid-August and owners can reach Ford at (866) 436-7332.
DOT Pilot Looks Good 
Two Department of Transportation pilot projects showed that increased enforcement efforts by law enforcement, plus public education programs, reduced incidents of distracted driving, according to a news release from the National Highway Traffic Safety Ad-ministration. Each program was supported by $200,000 in federal funds and $100,000 from the state of New York.
Preventing Crashes
The Highway Loss Data Institute (HLDI) studied a collision avoidance feature on the Volvo XC60, called City Safety, which reduced the total number of low-speed crashes drivers experienced when compared with similar vehicle models. Volvo stated that the system is standard on several models.
The study showed that individuals filed 27% fewer property damage liability claims for being hit by vehicles that had this technology, compared with vehicles without this technology. The HLDI said that XC60 in the study had fewer claims, but when owners did seek payment under property damage liability, the average claim cost was $3,058, which is higher than in the control groups.
AAA Unveils EV-Charger
AAA has unveiled a roadside assistance truck that can provide Level 2 and Level 3 charging to electric vehicles. AAA said it will initially deploy the trucks with mobile electric vehicle charging capability in six metro areas across the U.S. as part of a pilot program.
The phased rollout will begin later this summer and continue into the fall. Cities include Portland, Seattle, the San Francisco Bay area, Los Angeles, Knoxville, and the Tampa Bay area.
The truck, unveiled at Plug-In 2011, is powered by Green Charge Networks. The vehicle features a removable lithium-ion battery pack for mobile charging. Other vehicles will be equipped with generators powered by alternative fuels and other power sources.