State Department Purpose Built Civilian Armored Vehicle (CAV)

The Suburban, one of the most popular executive vehicles, will join the list of Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEM) armored vehicles.

GM Defense was awarded a contract by the U.S. Department of State in August 2021 to create the next iteration of Armored Large Support Utility Vehicles for various federal agencies, including the Department of State.

A similar contract was awarded to Battelle Memorial Institute to develop an aftermarket armoring solution for the Ford Expedition.

Recently a prototype was tested at Summit Point and Pocono Raceway. We hope they publish the results of the tests.

What we found interesting is the following excerpt from the article:

"In the past, DSS had fulfilled its Suburban armored vehicle requirement through small third-party up-armoring vendors. These heavily modified vehicles never performed the same as an original model. They were less maneuverable, maintenance was difficult, and systems that were designed for standard vehicles did not wear well with the additional weight in the harsh austere environments where U.S. diplomats serve."

Read More from the Press Release on the State.Gov website

Some additional information

• The State Department's Armored Vehicle Program Is a Mess

• The Suburban HD Is Back, But You Can't Have One

• What it Takes to Make an Armored Car

How Much Does Your Car Know About You?

Modern cars produce up to 25 gigabytes of data per hour. The data includes drivers' full names, addresses, phone numbers, emails, and license numbers.  Automakers claim to use this data for driver and vehicle safety and to enhance driving efficiency. But without laws or regulations monitoring in-car consumer privacy, what automakers do with your data is speculation.

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More Information

• What Data Does Your Car Gather About You, and Where Does It Go? This Tool Shows You
  

• Information from the National Highway and Traffic Administration - Vehicle Data Privacy

Security Driving Is a Statement of Skill, Not a Marketing Term

We (ISDA) share this post periodically to emphasize the importance of recognizing Security Driving as a valuable and measurable skill.

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Vehicle Dynamics International

For those that are technically inclined, this is a great UK-based magazine. This issue has a poignant article on what the term good handling actually means. It is available online at no cost. 

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