Ex-Guard Q4 Newletter

N E W S L E T T E R

Let’s talk about one of the newest safety features to emerge within the last five years, collision-mitigation systems. To give you all some background, I rode in a new Kenworth T680 earlier this year with a buddy of mine who was test driving the unit. We took the Kenworth down the interstate and he showed me how the collision avoidance system worked. The T680 was equipped with a Bendix Wingman and the closer we got to the vehicle in front of us, the more the Kenworth slowed down. The truck actually kept pace with the vehicle - it was very comparable to the DISTRONIC Cruise Control system that Mercedes utilizes in their fine automobiles. I found it hard to get used to at first; but once I gave up the mindset that there was something wrong with the truck and the unit was performing the way it should, I could definitely see the advantage of the Wingman. (By the

way, all our guards are compatible with the Wingman unit). In doing some further research, I discovered this; the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety has found that such systems should reduce accidents by approximately 40%. Staggering! Of course, the next big jump into the future are trucks that run off electricity and alternative fuels. A new company called Nikola Motor Company is experimenting with a class 8 truck which is 100% electrically driven and hydrogen powered. It professes to have a range of 800 to 1200 miles before it needs to be refueled. Nikola plans to release this vehicle by 2021.

Tesla has also decided to tap into the Class 8 truck market. I’m sure all of you have heard of Tesla and their

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