Chris Brown

Associate Publisher

As associate publisher of Automotive Fleet, Auto Rental News, and Fleet Forward, Chris Brown covers all aspects of fleets, transportation, and mobility. Chris produces and emcees the annual International Car Rental Show, the largest event serving the auto rental industry worldwide. Chris also created and produces the Fleet Forward Conference along with regional Tour stops, the Fleet Safety Conference, and DeliveryCon, for the last-mile delivery fleet market.

Chris has won publishing awards for editorial excellence including a Jesse H. Neal Award, three Folio: Eddie Awards, and three Maggie Awards. As an internationally recognized expert on fleets, auto rental and mobility, Chris has spoken at industry events in the U.S., Brazil, Ireland, and China. He has appeared on Good Morning America and has been sourced and quoted in national media such as Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, New York Times, and National Public Radio.

Articles•by Chris Brown•March 10, 2021

Indigo Introduces an EV Built for the Gig Economy

How do you produce an electric commercial vehicle for $20,000? Make it lightweight and use patented robotic wheels to deliver a smooth ride. Then create a fintech ecosystem to lower delivery drivers’ cost per mile.

Articles•by Chris Brown•March 2, 2021

Electric Models: Depreciation Still Drags Down Ownership Costs

A lifecycle analysis by Vincentric found that total cost of ownership (TCO) for electric vehicles underperforms plug-in hybrid electric and traditional hybrid model counterparts. Running EVs more miles per year has a substantive positive impact on TCO.

Articles•by Chris Brown•February 16, 2021

Understanding Effects of Payload and Towing on Commercial EV Range

As fleet operators adjust duty cycles for commercial electric vehicles, they must consider weight, vehicle modifications, environment, and EV-specific factors. How will published and projected specs compare to the real world?

Articles•by Chris Brown•February 1, 2021

How GM’s New BrightDrop EV Business Will Work with Fleets

With BrightDrop, GM is creating a new business to develop the commercial electric vehicle ecosystem. This includes a new electric delivery vehicle and support for infrastructure, logistics, and service planning — as well as an entirely new sales and service network.

Articles•by Chris Brown•January 15, 2021

Can Vehicle-to-Grid Technology Benefit EV Fleets?

With V2G, your electric fleet vehicles could act as backup energy when the grid goes down, and you may even be compensated for the power they give back. What are we waiting for?

Articles•by Chris Brown•January 4, 2021

Assessing the Ford F-150 Hybrid for Fleets

Our test of the new F-150 PowerBoost netted an extraordinary 19.2 average mpg with a 1,732-lb. payload and 25.1 mpg without. Adding PowerBoost’s 12,700 lbs. of max towing, is it blasphemy to finally turn our backs on diesel for true work applications?

Articles•by Chris Brown•November 16, 2020

Fleet Forward Experience Wrap: IoT, Electric Infrastructure, and the Supply Chain

Panelists during Day 4 and 5 of the Fleet Forward Experience explored how technology is enabling smart mapping and a more efficient supply chain, while others stressed the considerable planning involved to implement electric infrastructure and IoT networks.

Articles•by Chris Brown•November 10, 2020