Walmart plans to double fleet efficiency by 2015 and has revealed its new concept truck and trailer called the Walmart Advanced Vehicle Experience–or WAVE. The new fleet vehicle is a collaboration between Capstone Turbine, Great Dane Trailers, and Peterbilt. The WAVE is a “prototype advanced turbine-powered, range-extending series hybrid powertrain (or microturbine-hybrid powertrain) combined with […]
A new bill could limit police use of GPS tracking in criminal investigations. “From your phone to the GPS system built into your car, the devices you use every day can reveal a surprising amount of detailed information most of us believe should stay private,” says State Senator Daniel Biss, “The legislation I’ve introduced balances […]
Thriev has just released their fleet of 20 electric mini cabs, the Chinese built BYD E6, in London with plans to introduce 30 more to the fleet by May. The founder of Thriev, Arvind Vij, says he plans to release 20-30 each month and hopes the reduced operating costs in addition to the lower fare will […]
Istanbul will become one of the only major cities worldwide to operate a fully electric bus fleet according to a statement released by the Municipal Bus Transport Authority of Istanbul (IETT). “Istanbul’s IETT plans to establish a small fleet of electrical buses in 2014 as part of the institution’s 4E philosophy (Energy, Ecology, Efficiency and […]
A resident of Bowling Green, KY, conducted his own sting operation using a GPS tracking device. After a package was stolen off his front porch during Christmastime, the man set up a camera in the shrubs of his front yard and placed a decoy package on the porch with a GPS tracking device inside. When […]
Lions in Nairobi with a penchant for going after livestock will be fitted with GPS collars. Livestock farmers track and kill lions who poach their herd, putting 35-40 lions in Nairobi National Park at risk. The GPS collar will alert park rangers when the lion has wandered out of the park situated on the outskirts […]
The GPS Shoe, originally launched two years ago, can expect to see a resurgence of interest as the number of Alzheimer’s patients grows with experts predicting numbers to double by 2030. The shoe contains a GPS tracker built in the heel allowing caretakers to keep tabs on patients or loved-ones without the risk of patients […]
Kennedy cousin Michael Sakel, currently awaiting a new trial in the 1975 death of a neighbor, will have his GPS tracking device relocated from his ankle while at his son’s upcoming ski competition. At a competition earlier in the month, Sakel was unable to fit the ankle device in a ski boot requiring him to […]
Commercial truck fleets will welcome an estimated 350,000 environmentally friendly vehicles by 2030. Although electric vehicles have successfully entered the market and been embraced by consumers, commercial fleets have been more challenging. According to Navigant Research, “Government stimulus spending from 2008 to 2011 spurred R&D, production, and deployment of hybrid and plug-in commercial trucks, but […]
If you’ve noticed a drone flying around the slopes at this year’s Winter Olympics, don’t be alarmed. The drone, equipped with GPS technology for navigation and video recording, is transmitting live video from ski jump and snowboard events. Drones with GPS like this one resemble a large flying insect and are becoming more and more […]
District court judge, Katherine Forrest, ruled it does not violate fourth amendment rights to use GPS tracking on cabs to ensure customers aren’t overcharged. The same technology that lets riders pay with credit cards also tracks the beginning and end of every trip, location, and number of passengers. Last year, a taxi driver sued the […]
“MyStop” is a new program launched in South Bend, Indiana, using GPS devices to track school buses and allows parents to check on bus arrival times and routes using an app on either a smartphone or computer. For some students, this means waiting in the warmth of their home instead of out in the cold. […]
A recently introduced bill, the Federal Leadership Energy Efficient Transportation (FLEET) Act, would allow the USPS to use energy savings performance contracts (ESPCs) to improve fleet efficiency. The USPS operates the nation’s largest civilian fleet and using ESPC’s to improve fleet efficiency would save nearly 150 million gallons of fuel a year. “The Postal Service […]
New York City has launched “Plow NYC,” an interactive GPS tracking system that tracks more than 1,700 salt spreaders and snow plows working tirelessly to clear streets in the five boroughs. Residents can input their address to track snow plows on their street in real time. Chief Shari Pardini of the Department of Sanitation says, […]
Bandera City Council unanimously approved installing GPS tracking systems in every vehicle in the city’s fleet. The idea first arose last year and was quickly shutdown by council members concerned the tracking systems were glorified spy tools. However, the suggestion was revisited and council member Jim Hannah calls it “a good analysis tool” that protects […]
São Paulo is looking to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions through the improvement of the transportation system and is ready to launch a fleet of all electric buses. Ideally, the entire municipal bus fleet will use renewable fuels by 2018. In 2011, SPTrans began testing various technologies including sugarcane diesel and biodiesel, trolleybuses, and ethanol […]
Six Snow Leopards in India will be outfitted with GPS collars to track their behavior. The state wildlife department is hoping the study will provide valuable insight to better understanding these elusive cats. The leopards receiving the GPS tracking device live in the cold, northern Indian state of Himachal Pradesh located in the Himalayas. The […]
Brazilian company, Nastek Tecnologia, is launching the Yon Bike Lamp, a bike taillight embedded with a GPS tracker. The tracker uses Telit’s GL865-Quad and connects to an app on both Android and iPhone allowing users access to riding statistics like time, distance, average speed, and calories burned. In addition to the GPS tracker, the light […]
