Technology Briefs - Jan. 6-13

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The Latest Headlines:

• ATA Teams With Other Trucking Groups on Recorder Issue
• Hydrogenics to Debut Fuel Cell Units in GM Trucks
• XM Satellite Boasts 360,000 Subscribers

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ATA Teams With Other Trucking Groups on Recorder Issue

The American Trucking Associations sent a letter dated Jan. 9 to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration raising some concerns about the proposed use of event data recorders, ATA said.

In its letter, ATA, along with the Truckload Carriers Association and the Distribution & LTL Carriers Association, said that it supports “reliability performance standards for safety related equipment” and “the voluntary use of technology and devices to enhance highway safety and productivity.”

ATA did say that by putting recorders on trucks, it would provide skewed data for use in incident reconstruction because only data from trucks would be available.

ATA also had concerns over who would analyze data taken from EDRs, and whether those EDRs could be taken from truck operators without their consent.

NHTSA had asked for public comment on the event data recorder issue in the Oct. 11, 2002 issue of the Federal Register. Transport Topics

(Click here for the ATA’s full comments to NHTSA.)

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Hydrogenics to Debut Fuel Cell Units in GM Trucks

Canadian fuel cell developer Hydrogenics Corp. said Jan. 10 that it has paired up with General Motors to equip a diesel hybrid military pickup truck for the U.S. Army with fuel cell auxiliary power units.

Fuel cells convert hydrogen and oxygen into water and power for vehicles. They have been touted as a way to reduce emissions from conventional fossil fuel-burning engines.

The new design, Hydrogenics said the truck could become the model for the Army’s new fleet of 30,000 light tactical vehicles by the end of the decade. Transport Topics

(Click here for the full press release.)

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XM Satellite Boasts 360,000 Subscribers

XM Satellite Radio Inc. said Jan. 8 that it has signed up more than 360,000 subscrib-ers for its digital radio service.

The commercial-free, long-range broadcasting service had aimed some of its prod-ucts at long-haul, over-the-road truckers.

The Washington-based company said it expects to have more than one million sub-scribers before the end of 2003. Transport Topics

(Click here for the full press release.)

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