Electric vehicle demand – has the world got enough lithium?

As the auto industry shifts away from fossil fuels and toward battery power, lithium is in the spotlight. Demand for the metal has skyrocketed recently, as has its price.

The bad news for the world is that it potentially has nowhere near enough of it to power all the electric vehicle (EV) batteries it wants – and needs.

Global EV purchases jumped to 6.6 million in 2021 from 3 million a year earlier, meaning that EVs made up 9% of the market, according to the International Energy Agency (IEA). They accounted for all the growth in worldwide car sales, which rose to 66.7 million last year, up from 63.8 million in 2020. This implies that non-EV sales fell by 700,000.

How much lithium does an EV need?

A lithium-ion battery pack for a single electric car contains about 8 kilograms (kg) of lithium, according to figures from US Department of Energy science and engineering research center Argonne National Laboratory.

Global lithium production totaled 100,000 tons (90.7 million kg) last year, while worldwide reserves stand at about 22 million tons (20 billion kg), according to the US Geological Survey. 

Dividing lithium production by the amount required per battery shows that enough lithium was mined last year to make just under 11.4 million EV batteries.

What are car companies doing about it?

Uncertainty around the supply of lithium has pushed automakers to go straight to the source and secure their own supplies. Ford announced agreements with lithium companies that will allow it to build 600,000 electric vehicles per year starting in 2023. General Motors has made similar deals. 

Both have made a point of inking deals with US-based suppliers. After being burned by the ongoing computer-chip shortage, automakers want to avoid becoming over reliant on imports. Most of the current lithium supply is mined in South America or Australia and processed in China. Tesla has said it’s looking into processing lithium itself.

Securing enough battery-grade lithium is one of the most difficult challenges automakers face in the near term. Sources of the metal are still fairly limited because there wasn’t much demand for it until EVs started taking off. But the industry is working to grow supply.

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Common causes of semi-truck breakdowns

While semi truck towing is an option available at your disposal in the event of a breakdown, it is ideal that you know the most prevalent causes of semi-truck breakdowns, so you can prepare accordingly.

Tire Blowout

When hauling heavy loads across vast distances, tire blowouts can be a significant concern. To minimize the risk of a blowout, you should always stay up to date with rotation and other relevant maintenance needs. Driving with correct tire pressure can also help to prevent blowouts.

Overheating

Overheating can be caused by a variety of problems. Oftentimes, this is due to a bad radiator cap or leaking coolant. If there’s coolant bubbling up around a head gasket, then there’s a good chance that your head gasket will need to be replaced. Moreover, overheating could result from a thermostat that isn’t properly opening and closing.

Oil Leak

With an oil leak, insufficient lubrication could result in metal-on-metal contact, causing moving parts to fail. Oil leaks should be addressed soon after they’re identified. And by always keeping current with your truck’s oil changes, you’ll greatly reduce the risk of damage occurring due to friction.

Battery or Alternator

Your truck’s battery or alternator can be very prone to breakdowns. Fortunately, you will always notice warning signs if there are any issues with the battery or the alternator.

For instance, when you notice your light flickering while your truck is idle, you need to check your truck’s alternator or battery right away.

That is why preventive maintenance is essential for keeping a fleet on the road. By using a maintenance schedule and regularly inspecting essential vehicle components, fleet managers can extend the lifespan of their fleet vehicles and reduce unplanned downtime.

Increasingly, longer-term preventative and predictive maintenance is the preferred answer. For managers, knowing how to streamline this maintenance approach will make it easier to avoid disruptions without making inspections or repairs less effective.

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How to improve fleet productivity with telematics

Fleet companies have relied on telematics solutions to track and monitor vehicles, improve safety and enhance productivity in the last couple of years. According to a survey by Bobit Business Media, fleet businesses that have deployed telematics technology witnessed a decrease in accident costs and fuel consumption by 21% and 10%, respectively. Further, the telematics industry projects to grow by more than $62 billion by 2025.

Now let’s share some tips to improve your productivity with telematics:

Job schedule and paper work

Fleet managers typically spend 80% of their work time on phone calls matching drivers to jobs. It can be exhausting to understand which drivers are available, which are closest to the job destination, and where they are currently. 

Companies that bring in a telematics solution should use it to tap into information on historic journeys, real-time traffic status, and other crucial highlights that can be used to find the closest vehicle available. By effectively planning and dispatching jobs, fleet businesses can also offer accurate ETA (estimated time of arrival) to customers and team members, ensuring smooth operations.

Optimized routing

Optimized routing works with job dispatching to complete more jobs in a day. Using GPS tracking, drivers can get information on road congestion, unexpected traffic, roadblocks, and much more. The telematics system can then recommend the best alternative route, circumvent delays, and ensure timely delivery to consumers.

Eliminate idling time

Many transportation companies worry about fuel and maintenance cost concerns due to fleet vehicle idling. Traffic, breakdowns and unexpected repairs are common reasons for this issue. Not only does idling cause fuel waste and pollute the air, but it also increases the wear and tear of the fleets.

Telematics systems can be used to deliver vehicle location, performance, and engine information. As a result, fleet managers can also check when a vehicle is on but not running, which can help them take necessary steps to reduce idle time. That can save a significant amount in repairs, while minimizing CO2 emissions and improving overall fleet productivity.

Investments in efficiency-driven solutions like telematics systems have one final and significant benefit: They can ultimately help to improve the customer experience, increasing business revenue and profitability.

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How technology can impact truck drivers

In the age of modernity and with easy access to information and benefits that technology is providing us, investing in innovation is what makes companies stand out in the market, creating great differentials.

Following this path, companies will certainly be able to increase their income, their productivity and reduce costs. Only positive points will come if they are well managed.

For a long time even communication was difficult between the truck driver and the company and also between family members. But today, with the cell phone in the palm of your hand, it’s much easier to call to solve a problem or to kill the homesickness.

However, this device doesn’t have to be used just for that, right? Technology is everywhere and could not be left out in the cargo transport segment. Improving routines is something that technology in the modern truck driver’s life does best.

Technological advances are increasingly benefiting the work of drivers, providing more safety, tranquility, agility and assertiveness in carrying out their tasks.

  • Having vehicles with GPS has several advantages, such as enhanced visibility of the fleet’s location. However, the reality is that the benefits of GPS fleet tracking extend far beyond identifying location, and include route optimization, increased security, more efficient dispatch, reduced cost, and enhanced customer experience.
  • By taking into account specific variables such as vehicle capacities, drivers’ schedules, driver coverage areas, and delivery window times, it can create the most efficient and safest route. Route optimization is vital to the growth of the business since it reduces delivery costs and increases productivity.
  • It is essential to identify bad driving habits such as excess acceleration, cornering, and hard braking. This information is vital for businesses since they can identify drivers with these habits, reducing potential liabilities and accidents. 
  • Loss of fuel, or fuel that goes unaccounted for, is a sometimes-overlooked expense. Fuel theft is nearly a $133 billion issue that includes stolen, adulterated, and defrauded products. But here’s the good news: Fuel loss can be prevented, and the bottom line can be protected. Card-locking control technology combats the potential of fuel theft by allowing only authorized individuals to access fuel.

Drivers are, in part, the glue that keeps the transportation industry together. While supply chain management and logistics can be complex webs to navigate, against the backdrop of such unprecedented disruption, it’s critical that fleets consider how to leverage technology to capitalize on existing driver talent, optimize delivery routes and streamline overall delivery workflows to help ensure success.

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Find ways to improve efficiency and cash flow in your fleet

Managing your fleet’s bottom line should always be very important – especially during times when budgets are tight. By identifying efficiency opportunities across the fleet, you can control costs while also meeting financial, safety, and other fleet performance goals. Here are some ways that your fleet can improve efficiencies and cash flow to stay moving while keeping the bottom line in sight.

 

Prioritize your safety program

One of the most significant advances in telematics and analytics-based fleet management systems is the ability to predict which drivers are most at risk for accidents, allowing fleet managers to proactively assign safety training to mitigate risk. The data also shows whether driver safety training programs are effective. Speeding, hard braking, and lack of turn signals are useful to identify risky driving behaviors, but if training and safe-driving reward programs reduce those bad habits and accident rates fail to fall as expected, managers can look at other potential issues such as fatigue or distracted driving. 

 

Put your fleet data to work

Cloud computing, big data, and connected vehicles are powering advances in-vehicle monitoring, and with each passing year, fleets have more options for capturing actionable information. One of the largest areas where fleets can drive efficiencies is through connected vehicle data, telematics, and driver behavior data. Armed with hard data about incidents such as hard braking, speeding, and harsh cornering, you can actively monitor which policies have the most significant impact on incident reduction. This focus can help you reduce the risk of accidents and drive down fuel and maintenance costs. 

 

Since fuel represents a significant proportion of operating costs in the transportation sector the need to prevent fuel pilferage is extremely important, thus driving the adoption of fuel management systems. With fuel accounting for around 40% of the overall operating costs of fleets, fuel losses can cause significant financial losses. Fuel management systems also play a role in reducing errors that are possible during manual fueling. If you’re looking for a fuel management partner that can help you reduce your fleet’s expenses, contact us.

 

Embrace data and integrated fleet management systems

The ability to collect data, analyze that data and distill it down to provide a true picture of the total cost of ownership and identify trends (both good and bad), is essential for determining where there is room for improvement and cost savings. The analysis that comes from vehicle and driver behavior data collection should guide the path that organizations take, and fleet management solution providers should work with their clients to customize the systems to best meet organizations’ particular needs.

Link2Pump offers an open API for seamless and free integration with 3rd party software. Your fuel transactions and tank inventory data in the L2P system can interface via web service with basically any software platform, such as fleet fuel cards, billing programs, fleet maintenance, telematics, and much more. You can also export to text and spreadsheet files.

 

Monitor progress toward your goals

Set Your Goals: Deciding what data is most important will ultimately be driven by your organization’s goals. For example, if reducing speeding is a focus, data points such as miles per hour over the limit and the number of speeding incidents will be critical.

 

Run a Benchmark Period: Before rolling out a new program to the whole fleet, a small launch can be run for 60-90 days to gather initial data and better understand areas of opportunity. This data will essentially reveal your fleet’s “baseline.”

 

Track Performance: One of the most impactful ways to translate telematics data into action is through scorecards. Driver scorecards present information about key performance indicators, such as idling, speeding, harsh cornering, or harsh braking, to encourage changes in driver behavior.

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Logistics resolutions for 2022

A new year begins with new promises and newer visions. Like it or not, it is time to reassess your previous 365 days and try to figure out what worked and what didn’t.

As we flip the calendar over to 2022 and wave goodbye to 2021, truck driver shortages, supply chain interruptions, and port congestion will likely continue. Fuel prices, in all likelihood, will continue to trend upward and maintenance costs will ratchet higher due to more companies adopting extended replacement schedules. Fleet costs will not only continue to increase but, in all probability, they will accelerate.

The reality is that most expenses impacting the fleet are beyond the control of fleet managers. Fuel is the highest operating expense facing commercial fleet managers, with price volatility creating tremendous challenges to planning and budgeting for this variable expense. 

 

Tracking

Tracking has become the calling card for all major companies in the previous year. Some companies managed to get ahead of the curve, others barely managed to catch up. Whichever category you fall in, this is the time to boost the tracking potential of your company to the next level. Here are some major pointers that top entrepreneurs incorporated in their new year plans.

 

Integrate all you can 

Integration is something you hear a lot as a transportation business owner. The more complex your delivery operation, the greater a job it is to integrate all the systems you’re using. And yet it is precisely integration that will save you time and money from day one.

Link2Pump offers an open API for seamless and free integration with 3rd party software. Your fuel transactions and tank inventory data in the L2P system can interface via web service with basically any software platform, such as fleet fuel cards, billing programs, fleet maintenance, telematics, and much more. You can also export to text and spreadsheet files.

 

Budget Constraints

Fleet managers are facing tightening budgets, pressures to right-size their fleets and implement never-ending cost reduction initiatives in the pursuit of an overall reduction in total fleet costs. This is being complicated by increased acquisition costs from fleet service providers, upward pressures from unscheduled maintenance costs, higher fuel prices, and the lack of spare parts or delays in receiving shipments of components.

Link2Pump services account all across the US, helping businesses to save human and financial resources in the fuel tracking and reporting process. By automating and managing fuel dispensing from bulk storage tanks, we turn a complex process into a simple experience.

The Link2Pump Pedestal unit connects to your fuel dispenser, protecting your fuel from unauthorized use. The operator will be prompted for key information, like driver, vehicle number, and mileage. Only then the L2P unit activates the pump. While the operator fills up the tank, L2P records the gallons being pumped and uploads all fueling data to your online account once the transaction is over fueling data is available in real-time and you can see and manage it from any device. Cloud backup guarantees zero chance of data loss.

 

If you want to learn more about our solution and are looking for alternatives to improve the bottom line and productivity, please, get in touch.

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Clean air filter: reduction in fuel consumption

Truck and road are the perfect match. Unfortunately, road and dust, too. When managing fleets traveling on different highways, the conditions of each route need to be considered. Good scripting is essential in the logistics process, but it is not always possible to avoid places that could harm the vehicle’s health or that could bring unexpected costs.

So it is with the dirt accumulated in truck systems, the air filter is a great accumulator of this dirt. Filters are one of the most important parts of truck mechanics. The correct maintenance of the components ensures, in addition to longer service life for the engine, to avoid some problems, such as:

 

– Filter clogging

– Entry of dust, earth, and other particles into the engine’s combustion chamber

– Engine overheating

 

The last item is linked to fuel consumption, as the hotter the engine, the more performance can be harmed, thus stimulating a greater expenditure on fuel. Cleaning the air filters well brings safety and economy. However, as a fleet manager you must be aware of the conditions of all vehicles, and to take care of the filter, only specialized professionals must do the maintenance. As the filter is what helps to regulate the air intake for the fuel, cleaning and periodically changing it will also make a final difference in your fuel costs.

For each gallon of fuel burned, the engine uses up to 10,000 gallons of air; thus it is easy to understand how vital a clean air filter is to the proper operation of a car. So here we listed some benefits of changing your air filter regularly: 

 

  1. Increased fuel efficiency

One of the biggest reasons to change your air filter regularly. Some studies indicate that replacing a dirty air filter increases fuel mileage on older, carbureted cars by as much as 14 percent if the filter is so dirty it affects driveability. In addition, changing a clogged air filter can potentially increase acceleration by 6 to 11 percent on modern fuel-injected cars. Other studies claim a 10 percent increase in gas mileage and up to 15¢ per gallon fuel savings. 

  1. Prolongs engine life

Changing the air filter regularly helps prolong engine life because the air filter is designed to trap damaging dirt and debris that can damage internal engine parts such as the cylinders and pistons. Engine damage can occur from particles as small as a grain of salt and result in costly repairs. 

 

  1. Inexpensive and quick fix

An air filter is one of the least expensive maintenance components to replace and can be done by doing it yourself. It is important to make certain the replacement air filter is designed for your exact make and model of car.

In addition to taking care of filter cleaning, there are other ways to regulate and reduce fuel consumption in your fleet. One of them is with Link2Pump. We made fuel tracking and reporting simple. In the era of data and connectivity, Link2Pump empowers businesses to take control of their fuel usage. Our solution combines a web portal and a device connected to your fuel dispenser.

Link2Pump also offers an open API for seamless and free integration with 3rd party softwaresYour fuel transactions and tank inventory data in the L2P system can interface via web service with basically any software platform, such as fleet fuel cards, billing programs, fleet maintenance, telematics, and much more. You can also export to text and spreadsheet files. 

 

Our company has solutions for several industries, such as agriculture, aviation, construction, government, marinas, manufacturing, mining, transportation, and utilities. If you want to learn more about our solution and are looking for alternatives to improve the bottom line and productivity, please get in touch.

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Fuel Management System Market to rise at CAGR of 8.9% through 2030

The COVID-19 outbreak has possessed a significant impact on the fuel management system market. Worldwide factories have struggled in integrating new fuel management systems as workers are staying at home that in turn has disrupted the supply chains across the globe. As the situation improves, supply chains, production, and also the demand for such products are likely to increase gradually. The present scenario is likely to offer opportunities for organizations to think about ways of increasing their production, improving current products, and research technologies.

Increasing the adoption of fuel management systems in logistics and transportation applications will offer robust opportunities for the market. With rising investments being made in logistics and transportation sectors, the use of fuel management systems has automatically increased for the increase in efficiency, security, productivity, and the reduction in overall costs.

Fuel management systems are developed to attain optimum fuel utilization and also minimum fuel wastage as oil reserves over the globe are depleting. Besides, the increased transportation services by sectors that use oil and gas to operate various operations need fuel monitoring and control systems which are likely to boost the market growth.

 

According to a comprehensive research report by Market Research Future (MRFR), “Fuel Management System Market Research Report, Type and Application, and Region – Forecast till 2030”, the market is expected to grow at a CAGR of more than 8.9% during the forecast period (2022-2030).

 

Fuel is one of the top 3 expenses in any fleet’s cost structure. Tracking and reporting where it is being spent can be challenging and time-consuming. So how do you stay on top of it? 

Link2Pump offers a simple solution that automates the entire fueling and tracking process. This way, you will always know where every drop of fuel is going, keep your inventory under control and do much more to drive fuel efficiency and performance to your fleet.

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Trends for Fleet Maintenance Management

Fleet management keeps evolving as the industry moves away from paper and spreadsheets to modern fleet management platforms that help you gather and analyze vast amounts of data.

But even as the industry continues to grow, many of the earliest, underlying principles of fleet management are still shaping industry trends today. Regardless of any scenario, we have three key points: 

  • Safety
  • Reliability
  • Cost management

 

SAFETY

Safety is one of the most important aspects of any job and, as a fleet manager, you contribute to keeping your drivers safe. One of the best ways to do that is by keeping your vehicles well maintained. 

Fleet maintenance is the process of keeping your vehicles operating in a good enough condition so that they are safe, reliable, and can stay on the road longer. Developing a preventative maintenance program is an important part of managing a fleet and helps businesses reduce operating costs and improve vehicle inspection outcomes, among other benefits.

RELIABILITY

Reliability is crucial for fleet companies because customers are counting on you to show up and make deliveries on time. Every minute of vehicle downtime costs money, so it’s important to implement a fleet management strategy that emphasizes dependability.

The use of fleet control spreadsheets, parts stock control spreadsheets, and maintenance control spreadsheets, in general, is often quite complicated and unreliable, in addition to the fact that preparing and feeding these documents is time-consuming for employees.

With Link2Pump you can take control over everything related to fueling, improving delivery planning and fuel distribution, and also with a lifetime warranty. We offer a hassle-free parts replacement policy, where servicing is simple and easy and can be done quickly by the customer, reducing downtime to a minimum.

 

COST MANAGEMENT

Along with your drivers, your vehicles are your most important asset. Keeping them well maintained and regularly serviced prolongs their useful life and helps avoid expensive downtime. Having all the data at your fingertips lets you keep close control over their condition, allowing faults to be dealt with before they become major issues.

Also, fuel is one of the biggest and most unpredictable cost centers for fleets. While you might not be able to affect the price at the pump, you do have the ability to ensure your drivers are getting the most out of each mile per gallon.

As you can see, technology plays a crucial role in trends for fleet management. If you’re looking for a fuel management partner that can help you reduce your fleet’s expenses, contact us.

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Digitalization Trends in the Logistics Industry

As the world undergoes a change around us, traditional methods of doing business are making ways for tech-oriented methods for faster solutions, less paperwork, and better results. Data and analytics have transformed businesses, and logistics is not an exception. In fact, the dynamic nature of the transport sector makes it a perfect use case for data.

The logistics industry across the globe is entering a new era. The accelerated development of digital technologies, combined with recent pandemic events, is the biggest responsible for this change.

The existence of data in the logistics sector isn’t new, but the way it is used is evolving. The information-gathering exercise now finds multiple use cases and is it possible to leverage one single set of data in multiple actionable ways.

Right from the GPS to weather, fleet information, and the delivery schedules, all add to the system which is then used to predict the optimal route of delivery. It also brings cost-efficacy for the customers and better earning visibility for the truck drivers.

Like most businesses, the logistics industry is going through several changes and is adapting to the new digital environment.

If your company has a minimum demand, you can start thinking about enjoying the benefits of your fleet supply system. With automated supply, the logistics become much more agile: times are shortened and you no longer depend on external factors that reduce business efficiency. In addition to being able to be placed in strategic locations, a fuel management solution allows the entire fueling process, including vehicle identification and odometer reading, to be completed very quickly.

Fleet management systems provide everything you need to develop a preventative maintenance schedule, helping you manage maintenance costs. Kilometers traveled, engine hours, fuel usage. These are some of the data points that can be used to create a preventative maintenance schedule.

We made fuel tracking and reporting simple. In the era of data and connectivity, Link2Pump empowers businesses to take control of their fuel usage. Our solution combines a web portal and a device connected to your fuel dispenser.

 

If you want to learn more about our solution and are looking for alternatives to improve bottom line and productivity, please, get in touch.

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