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The Black Car Fund (BCF), New York State's workers' compensation provider for independent contractor black car operators, has partnered with Nexar, a leading AI computer vision company, to place cameras in thousands of cars to protect their members in the case of an accident or assault. Nexar's AI-powered dual-camera dash cams detect collisions, immediately notify BCF, and then send a detailed reenactment of the crash within minutes, allowing BCF to begin processing their workers' comp claim.
"The Black Car Fund was formed by a New York State statute over 20 years ago to provide workers' comp for independent drivers who otherwise wouldn't be insured for on-the-job injuries,'' said BCF Executive Director Ira Goldstein. "Drivers are often unaware of their rights and the benefits available to them and may not know where to turn to if they are injured. Nexar's technology allows us to proactively reach out and support them when our help is most needed."
The Black Car Fund is funded entirely by passengers in the form of a small surcharge that is assessed on every ride dispatched by a member base. As per state law, The BCF uses a fraction of that surcharge to provide additional health-related benefits to its covered drivers (about 100,000 drivers).
Nexar was an obvious choice for the partnership as Nexar-powered dash cams enable new vision-based applications for better driving. When drivers pair these dash cams with the Nexar app, they join a network that powers new applications for driving and seeing the world. Using anonymous, aggregated data captured from this network, Nexar has developed a portfolio of vision-based data services for public and private sector partners to make roadways safer and more efficient.
Azam Hoosain is a Nexar camera user who was driving passengers when he was struck from behind. This caused his vehicle to flip over and seriously injure him. Nexar contacted Hoosaim, made him aware of the protections provided by BCF and assisted him with his claim, which, as a result of workers' comp, covered all medical expenses and saved him from a lawsuit.
Another driver, Ashish Sapkota, suffered injuries when a passenger violently assaulted him. The incident was captured by Nexar, and BCF was able to help the traumatized driver file a claim after the incident left him too scared to work.
"The Black Car Fund provides workers compensation along with free benefits such as basic dental and vision coverage along with other health-related benefits to approximately 100,000 drivers in New York, and we are so proud to work with them," said Nexar Co-founder & CEO Eran Shir. "Our first report of loss and unique scene reconstruction will be a game-changer for so many drivers who provide a tremendous service to millions of New Yorkers. The ability of Nexar's AI algorithms to 'understand' and report an incident in real-time allows us to make a difference in yet another sector.”
Visit nybcf.org for more information about the Black Car Fund or data.getnexar.com for more information about Nexar and its products.
[08.16.21]
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Lincoln collaborated with Detroit-based luxury lifestyle retailer Shinola to create an Aviator SUV concept that celebrates design and artistry. Lincoln drew inspiration from popular Shinola products—combining the approach of both brands to luxury and the finest of leathers—to create the Lincoln Aviator Shinola concept with design elements inspired by Shinola’s iconic leather silhouettes, Canfield sport watch, and Runwell bicycle. The vehicle was on display at Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, an annual car enthusiast show that took place in mid-August in the famous California setting.
After a visit to Shinola’s flagship showroom in Detroit, Lincoln designers set out to explore the brand’s popular lifestyle products on display, then found ways to incorporate some very compelling design elements into a unique theme. The result is an Aviator concept that blends the design principles of Lincoln with the modern aesthetic of Shinola.
“Shinola opened up their showroom to us as a playground—allowing us to explore how their brand’s lifestyle ethos could be woven into a new theme for one of our vehicles,” said Kemal Curic, design director, Lincoln. “Our designers were handed a rare gift, and they made the most of it. The fresh insights our team gained studying popular design motifs make this new Aviator concept a true celebration of craftsmanship.”
The collaboration was an opportunity for Lincoln to test and learn, while exploring the use of different colors and new materials in designing vehicles.
“After our initial meeting with the Lincoln team, it was clear we shared the same passion for well-designed, beautifully crafted products,” said Shinola CEO Shannon Washburn. “Designers from both brands came together to create an ultraluxe vehicle that still embodies Shinola’s aesthetic of approachable luxury with thoughtful details. You can see this in the touches of copper inspired by our bike seats and the brand strip incorporated into the leather seats.”
The Lincoln Aviator Shinola concept’s soft white exterior is inspired by Shinola’s iconic mother of pearl stone watch dials, with hints of blue. Copper accents, inspired by the copper-plated structure that attaches to a Shinola Runwell bike seat, give off a rose-gold hue, for an exterior that highlights progressive utility. The soft touch look and luxurious smell of Shinola whiskey leather appeal to the most refined of senses. The seats feature crème suede that beautifully matches the inserts, brightening up the cabin and giving off a pearl hue that mimics the unique exterior color. Taking cues from the Shinola brand stripe, a woven textile sewn into the seats in all three rows makes for a unique, textural look.
The instrument panel highlights the importance of texture. Woven metal mesh, which also appears on the second-row console, imparts industrial luxury with the same copper accents as the exterior—a direct representation of a Shinola watch band. Every surface is wrapped with soft materials that make the cabin warm and inviting.
While the Shinola concept isn’t available for retail, the Aviator is the newest SUV in the Lincoln Limousine & Livery lineup.
Visit lincoln.com for more information.
[08.16.21]
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Lightning eMotors, a provider of specialty commercial electric vehicles for fleets, and Forest River announced they have entered into a strategic partnership agreement to deploy up to 7,500 zero-emission shuttle buses.
The agreement, with a potential estimated value of up to $850 million, calls for Lightning eMotors to build fully electric powertrains and provide charging products, and services for Forest River over the next four and a half years. Lightning eMotors will manufacture the zero-emission-vehicle (ZEV) powertrain systems at their 231,000 square foot facility in Loveland, Colo., and ship the powertrains to Forest River’s factory in Goshen, Ind., for final assembly of the Class 4 and 5 all-electric passenger buses. Forest River is the leading shuttle bus market leader in North America, with eight manufacturing buildings and more than 500,000 square feet of production space. The Elkhart, Ind.-based company has plans to dedicate 100,000 square feet to install Lightning eMotors’ powertrains.
“This has the potential to be the largest contract ever in the electric shuttle bus market, and we believe it will be the catalyst for other large commercial vehicle OEMs and fleets to accelerate their adoption of commercial electric vehicles,” said Lightning eMotors CEO Tim Reeser. “Forest River’s family of shuttle bus companies, including top name brands like Starcraft, Glaval, and Champion, maintain a dominant market position selling over 10,000 units per year in the Class 4 to 6 shuttle-bus space. Forest River’s sales volumes allow us to provide a price point to their dealers and customers that results in a very compelling ROI. We believe this commitment from the largest shuttle bus manufacturer in the U.S. demonstrates that they believe that commercial vehicle customers are now demanding Lightning eMotors’ zero-emission vehicles over ICE vehicles.”
The vehicles that Forest River and Lightning eMotors will co-produce are Class 4 and 5 shuttle buses with gross vehicle weight ratings ranging from 14,500 to 19,500 pounds. The buses will feature battery configurations from 80kWh to more than 160kWh using industry-leading battery thermal management systems. These vehicles support ranges on a single charge between 80 and 160 miles and can recharge over a lunch break using Lightning eMotors’ DC fast charge infrastructure with integrated vehicle-to-grid (V2G) capabilities. Available configurations will have between 12 and 33 passenger seats with ADA options available, and bus lengths of 20 to 34 feet. Other features include a modern digital-dash display, hill-hold functionality for safety, advanced telematics, analytics, and a mobile app for drivers and fleet managers. All vehicles will be compliant with the Federal Transit Administration’s “Buy America” and the Federal Aviation Administration’s “Buy American” guidelines.
“We decided to work with Lightning eMotors after several years of extensive research because of their market and technology leadership in the commercial EV segment,” said David Wright, president of Forest River’s bus divisions. “I was especially impressed after visiting their manufacturing facility in Colorado, driving their vehicles, and talking to their customers. It is clear why Lightning eMotors is at the forefront of fleet electrification. We’ll be providing our customers with a factory-installed electric powertrain that has proven technology relied upon by major fleets, at a price point no one else has been able to achieve. We believe this will be a game changer for shuttle-bus operators.”
Kash Sethi, chief revenue officer of Lightning eMotors, said that the partnership between the companies is important for several reasons.
“Transit agencies and other shuttle operators, including airports, parking lots, hotels, and corporate and university campuses, have had an increasing selection of options for large full-size electric buses,” Sethi said. “However, supply for medium-duty electric buses has been limited to smaller EV companies working with regional dealerships to retrofit buses. This model has proven to be neither cost-efficient nor scalable. Now, Forest River is demonstrating it will continue being the leader in the commercial bus market by offering sustainable zero-emission buses as part of their core product portfolio. We believe that will greatly improve the availability of premium-quality, cost-effective electric buses. We look forward to working with Forest River, and their dealer network, in leading the industry through this transformation.”
Forest River’s 100-plus bus dealership locations throughout the U.S. and Canada will have the opportunity to sell and service these vehicles. Manufacturing of Forest River Lightning EV shuttles has already begun, and Forest River expects to deliver several dozens of the new electric shuttle buses to its dealerships by the end of this year.
Lightning eMotors’ charging division, Lightning Energy, will offer a comprehensive suite of charging and charging infrastructure related products and services to Forest River dealers and shuttle-bus operators.
Visit forestriverinc.com or lightningemotors.com for more information.
[08.13.21]