green fleet magazine november/december 2011

GOOGLE’S CORPORATE DNA p20 ● MAMMOTH PROPANE SHUTTLES p22 ● AT&T REACHES MILESTONES p24

Eminently Efficient:Eminently Efficient:Alt-Fuel Vehicles Reach Alt-Fuel Vehicles Reach

Tipping PointTipping Point

Kansas City, Mo., Kansas City, Mo., InvestsInvests in CNG Vehiclesin CNG Vehicles

‘Big Easy’ Rolls out‘Big Easy’ Rolls outthe the ‘Green’‘Green’ Carpet Carpet

VOL. 1, NO. 4

A BOBIT PUBLICATION WWW.GREENFLEETMAGAZINE.COM NOVEMBER / DECEMBER 2011

TO CREATE FLEET ECO-DRIVERSSTEPSSTEPS

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CONTENTS

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www.fleetsforchange.com

CONTENTS

GRN1111donlen.indd 1 10/14/11 9:58:18 AM

NOVEMBER / DECEMBER 2011 ■ GREEN FLEET 1

6 Eminently Effi cientMY-2012 could be a turning point in the mix of hybrid, electric, and fuel-effi cient

vehicles available from OEMs. Alt-fuel vehicles are no longer exotic curiosities,

but full-fl edged members of the automotive community.

12 8 Steps to Create Fuel-Saving Eco-DriversMost studies agree that at least one-third of a fl eet’s overall fuel effi ciency is directly

impacted by a driver’s actions behind the wheel. An eff ective driver behavior

modifi cation program can help tap the fuel savings of improved driver habits.

16 Kansas City Gets Motivated for Natural GasTh e City of Kansas City, Mo., once had a pilot program of just 12 CNG-powered

fl eet units. Today, through dedicated grant seeking, the CNG fl eet now nears 300

units — roughly 8 percent of its total fl eet.

20 Google’s Corporate DNAInternet giant Google pioneered its Gfl eet car-share program in 2007 with a fl eet of

Prius vehicles. It recently traded those in for Chevrolet’s Volt and Nissan’s LEAF.

22 Mammoth Cave National Park: Balancing Sustainability & FunctionalityTraveling up to 475 miles and utilizing around 80 gallons of fuel per day during

its peak season, the national park depends on propane autogas to help reduce its

carbon footprint.

24 AT&T Reaches Milestones in 10-Year Alt-Fuel ProgramTh e telecommunications company purchased its 4,000th alternative-fuel vehicle and

its 3,000th compressed natural gas-fueled vehicle this year. AT&T is now well on its

way toward meeting its 15,000 alt-fuel vehicle goal by 2018.

28 ‘Big Easy’ Rolls Out Red Carpet for Renewable FuelsSoutheast Louisiana Clean Fuel Partnership (SLCFP) brings biodiesel and ethanol

to local fi lm productions.

2 Letters

4 Industry News

30 Transit Showcase

32 Editorial

departments

22

20

24

16

featuresN O V E M B E R / D E C E M B E R 2 0 1 1 ● V O L U M E 1 ● N O. . 4

On the Cover: ©istockphoto.com/ enjoynzenjoynz

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Speaking Directly to MeIt seems like your editorial in

the September/October 2011 issue

on modifying driver behavior to

green a fl eet was speaking direct-

ly to me. I have been touting the

benefi ts of driver behavior mod-

ifi cation to reduce fuel consump-

tion for several years now.

Th ere are three great bene-

fi ts of this:

1. It doesn’t matter what vehicles

are in your fl eet, this works across the board.

2. You receive immediate results.

3. It is ongoing. Once a driver changes his

or her behavior, this becomes a part of his or

her typical driving habits and the benefi cial re-

sults do not end.

You mentioned the safety benefi ts of this

method of fuel preservation. Again, you are

right on the mark for all of the reasons you

stated. Also, driving economically requires

the driver to be more aware of his or her driv-

ing actions and surroundings. For example,

scanning ahead allows you to see a red light

well in advance and ease off the gas sooner.

Th is reduces fuel consumption, saves wear

on the brakes, and decreases the risk of be-

ing struck from behind because you are com-

ing to a gradual, versus an abrupt, stop. Th is

is an example of a driver who is paying atten-

tion to the task of driving. Paying attention is

the absolute key to safe driving, and eco-driv-

ing helps drivers to remain focused when they

are behind the wheel.

Wow, saving fuel and being safe. Th at is tru-

ly a win-win.

Phil Moser Vice President

Advanced Driver Training Services Trooper, Pa.

Low-Cost, High-Impact Opportunity for Green Fleets

Th e September/October issue editorial on

modifying driver behavior to green a fl eet was a

great article! Th is is truly a low-cost, high-impact

opportunity for fl eet managers. Dave Head in

Sonoma County, Calif., and Bob Stanton, when

he worked for Polk County, Fla., (now director

of fl eet management for Hillsborough County,

Fla.) have pioneered in this area, which is oft en

overlooked in pursuit of more “glamorous”

fuel-savings programs. At UC

Davis, we also noticed the distinct

overlap in safe-driving and eco-

driving techniques when producing

online training modules in these

categories last year. It’s a win-

win scenario that off ers multiple

avenues to encourage and train on

the same basic practices.

Richard BattersbyDirector of Fleet Services

University of California, DavisDavis, Calif.

Pretend You Have No BrakesI read the September/October editorial

about modifying driver behavior and want to

let you know it was really to the point. When I

was learning to drive trucks, the instructor said

the most important thing to do was “pretend

you don’t have any brakes.” He said that one

act alone would make us all safer drivers and

more conscious of the right way to drive in

traffi c, unfamiliar surroundings, bad-weather

conditions, etc. So, now let’s add the “eco-

factor” to his list!

It made a lot of sense to me then, and it

makes a lot more sense now.

Louis Pastras IIDirector, Key Account Development &

Government Business Automotive Resources

International (ARI) Mt. Laurel, N.J.

Industry Needs to Support the 2025 CAFE Standard

Any time the president of the United States

sets a mandate for better fuel economy, the

auto industry does rise to the occasion, albeit

with slow progress. I’m sure the technology is

already in its hands. I support the government

increasing the CAFE mandate.

Submitted via e-mail by Chet

LETTERS

GREEN FLEET ■ NOVEMBER / DECEMBER 20112

www.greenfl eetmagazine.com

Vice PresidentGroup Publisher, Auto GroupSherb Brown

EditorMike Antich(310) 533-2467

Managing EditorLauren Fletcher(310) 533-2415

Senior EditorGrace L. Suizo(310) 533-2414

Associate EditorChris Wolski(310) 533-2442

Web EditorGreg Basich(310) 533-2572

Field EditorAl Cavalli

Production DirectorKelly Bracken

Production ManagerBrian Peach(310) 533-2548

Art DirectorArmie Bautista

Subscription Inquiries(310) 533-2440

www.GreenFleetMagazine.com/Subscription

[email protected]

National Sales ManagerSherb Brown(310) 533-2451

District Advertising Managers

Regional Sales ManagerEric Bearly(310) [email protected]

West Coast Sales Manager/Associate PublisherJoni Owens(310) [email protected]

Great LakesRobert Brown Jr.1000 W. University Dr., Ste. 209Rochester, MI 48307(248) 601-2005 • Fax (248) [email protected]

Sales & Marketing CoordinatorTracey Tremblay

ChairmanEdward J. Bobit

CEOTy F. Bobit

CFORichard E. Johnson

Editorial ConsultantHoward Rauch

Business and Editorial Offi ceBobit Business Media3520 Challenger St.Torrance, CA 90503-1640Fax: (310) 533-2503Printed in U.S.A.

Autom

otive Fleet

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CAFE INCREASES TO 54.5 MPG p8 ● KRYSTAL INFINITY’S EVOLUTION p26 ● ‘THE LAST MILE’ ECO-DRIVING p36

SLUGGERSSUSTAINABILITYSUSTAINABILITY

ACHIEVE ALL-STAR FAMEACHIEVE ALL-STAR FAME

Digging out Fromthe Data Avalanche

Why Medium-Duty Trucks are Prime Candidates for All-Electric Models

Sprint/Nextel GreensFleet the ‘SmartWay’

A BOBIT PUBLICATION WWW.GREENFLEETMAGAZINE.COM SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 2011

VOL.1, NO. 3

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9/9/11 7:42:18 AM

Green Fleet wants to hear from you! E-mail [email protected] with your letters,

thoughts, story ideas, and more.

COMMENTS? THOUGHTS? OPINIONS?

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ARI & ROUSH Team to Demonstrate Propane Autogas Fleet OptionMT. LAUREL, NJ – Automotive Resources International (ARI), which provides fl eet manage-

ment and leasing services, has unveiled its ROUSH CleanTech propane autogas demo vehicle to

provide in-house demonstrations of this technology to clients.

ARI has an extensive in-house demonstration center at its headquarters in Mt. Laurel, N.J. Cli-

ents and vendors are encouraged to watch sustainability, soft ware, telematics, training, and equip-

ment demonstrations to help them make educated decisions based on their unique needs. Th e

center has a variety of green technologies, and the addition of the ROUSH CleanTech vehicle will

play an important role, ARI said.

ROUSH CleanTech propane autogas technology burns cleaner in engines, resulting in the

potential for longer engine life and reduced maintenance costs, with 60 percent less carbon

monoxide, up to 24-percent less greenhouse gas emissions, and fewer particulate emissions when

compared to gasoline.

Ryder Introduces New Green Fleet Lease OfferingMIAMI – Ryder System Inc. has launched a new “Flex-to-Green” lease off ering, providing fl eet

operators the option of incorporating alternative-fuel vehicles into their fl eets.

Ryder’s alternative-fuel fl eet includes compressed and liquid natural gas vehicles, which are of-

fered in select markets, as well as hybrid vehicles, which are available in most U.S. markets. Ryder

currently supports natural gas vehicles in Southern California and Arizona. As Ryder expands its

infrastructure to support natural gas vehicles, the Flex-to-Green lease option will be off ered to

customers in those new markets.

In April 2010, the San Bernardino Associated Governments (SANBAG) Board collaborated

with Ryder in a groundbreaking ceremony for its

heavy-duty natural gas truck rental and leasing project.

As part of the project, 202 heavy-duty natural gas-

powered trucks are being deployed into Ryder’s south-

ern California operations network. Ryder customers

can access these natural gas-powered vehicles through

short-term rentals, long-term leases, or Ryder’s dedi-

cated logistics services.

In addition, Ryder has constructed new natural gas

refueling stations and will maintain vehicles at three

California-based maintenance shops in Fontana, Or-

ange, and Rancho Dominguez.

350Green & Walgreens Bringing More EV Charging Stations to L.A.LOS ANGELES – Electric vehicle charging station developer 350Green

and drugstore chain Walgreens announced plans to bring more than 100

public charging stations, including 35 DC fast chargers, to the greater Los

Angeles area.

Th e goal is to make charging an electric vehicle convenient, while paving

the way for rapid adoption of EVs in the region, the companies said.

Th is network of EV charging stations is part of an eff ort to create the infrastructure necessary

to ensure EV drivers can confi dently drive their vehicles around the region without worrying

about running low on a charge.

A network of public charging stations, widely and conveniently located near where residents

live and work, makes EV ownership a realistic option for thousands more residents, according to

the companies.

350Green also has projects in Illinois, Pennsylvania, and New York.

TORRANCE, CA – The all-new 2012 Honda Civic Natural Gas (formally known as the Civic GX), the only dedicated natural gas-powered pas-senger vehicle manufactured and sold in the U.S., became available nationwide in Octo-ber through 200 new dealers in 38 states. Concurrently, the Honda Civic Natural Gas had its second-ever debut at the Green Fleet Conference in early October.

Previously, retail sales of the natural gas-powered Civic had been limited to four states — California, New York, Utah, and Oklahoma.

The Civic Natural Gas has an EPA-rated city/highway/combined fuel economy of 27/38/31 miles per gallon (gasoline-gallon equivalent), and a manufacturer’s sug-gested retail price (MSRP) starting at $26,155.

HONDA CIVIC NATURAL GAS TO BE AVAILABLE NATIONWIDE

DETROIT – General Motors will sell a compressed natural gas (CNG) bi-fuel version of the Sierra and Silverado pickup trucks early in the fourth quarter of 2012.

According to GM, the addi-tion of a bi-fuel CNG pickup will help satisfy a broader range of needs for commercial customers looking for a one-stop alternative fuel vehicle from the factory.

IMPCO Automotive is the tier-one supplier for integrating the CNG bi-fuel delivery and storage system into the pickups alongside the Express and Sa-vana CNG-dedicated cargo vans at IMPCO Automotive’s facility in Union City, Ind.

GM WILL SELL COMMERCIAL CNG BI-FUEL PICKUP IN 2012

INDUSTRY NEWS


V

g

Honda Civic Natural GasRyder’s “Flex-to-Green” lease offer-ing gives clients access to short-term rentals, long-term leases, or Ryder’s dedicated logistics services.

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INDUSTRY NEWS

Study Finds Benefi ts of Plug-in Vehicles Depend on Battery SizePITTSBURGH – According to a new study from Carnegie Mellon University, plug-in vehicles with

small battery packs and hybrid-electric vehicles (HEVs) that don’t plug in can reduce lifecycle

impacts from air emissions and enhance oil security at low or no additional cost over a lifetime.

However, plug-in vehicles with large battery packs are more costly and may have higher or lower

emissions than HEVs, depending on where and when they are plugged in.

Th e study appeared in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Carnegie Mellon

University’s Jeremy Michalek and his co-authors concluded that electrifi ed vehicles with smaller

battery packs are more effi cient in reducing societal costs for health care, environmental damage,

and oil consumption.

Michalek’s research is aimed at understanding tradeoff s in the capabilities of new technologies

and to predict what near- and long-term strategies should be. He recently received a $400,000

grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) to analyze how public policy could help

determine the types of vehicles built in coming years and how consumers might respond to these

vehicles.

DOE Awards $8.4 Million for Projects to Improve Engine and Powertrain Effi ciencyWASHINGTON – Secretary of Energy Steven Chu announced $8.4 million in grants over three to

four years for suppliers and vehicle manufacturers to develop and demonstrate technologies that

increase the effi ciency of engines and powertrain systems for future vehicles.

Four projects — located in Michigan, Massachusetts, and Wisconsin — will focus on new

innovations that achieve breakthrough thermal effi ciencies while meeting federal emissions stan-

dards for passenger vehicles as well as commercial vehicles, including long-haul tractor trailers.

Th e projects will focus on developing and testing new technologies for engines and power-

trains that could reduce cost and address technical barriers currently inhibiting the wider use

of advanced engine technologies in the mass market. Projects will also validate technologies

developed at the engine or system level to help ensure that these innovations can advance into

broad commercial use at a scale needed to reduce vehicle fuel consumption and greenhouse gas

emissions nationally, the DOE said.

Th e four grant awardees include: Filter Sensing Technologies Inc., Cambridge, Mass. ($2 mil-

lion); General Motors LLC, Pontiac, Mich. ($1.4 million); Eaton Corp., Milwaukee, Wis. ($2.5

million); and MAHLE Powertrain LLC, Novi, Mich. ($2.5 million).

SAIC & GM Sign Agreement for EV DevelopmentSHANGHAI, CHINA – SAIC Motor Corp. Chairman Hu Maoyuan and General Motors Co.

Chairman and CEO Dan Akerson have signed an agreement in Shanghai for the joint develop-

ment of a new electric vehicle architecture in China.

Th e Pan Asia Technical Automotive Center (PATAC) — SAIC and GM’s engineering and de-

sign joint venture in Shanghai — will serve as the development center for the architecture.

Th e electric vehicle architecture will be the fi rst to be co-developed by the two companies.

Th eir Shanghai GM joint venture introduced the Sail electric concept vehicle late last year.

Under the agreement, teams of SAIC, GM, and

PATAC engineers will work together to develop

key components, as well as vehicle structures and

architectures. Vehicles resulting from the part-

nership will be sold in China under Shanghai GM

and SAIC brands. SAIC and GM will also use the

architecture to build electric vehicles around the

globe for their own purposes. Product details and

timing will be announced at a later date.

Sail Electric Concept Vehicle

DEARBORN, MI – Seven automakers have agreed on a combined charging system as an international approach to charging electric vehicles in the U.S. and Europe. The automakers include Audi, BMW, Daimler, Ford, General Motors, Porsche, and Volk-swagen.

The system the automak-ers agreed on uses a com-bined charging approach that integrates all potential charging scenarios into a single charging connector. It uses identical means for the vehicle to communicate with the charging station. This allows electric vehicles from all seven automakers to share the same fast charging stations.

The harmonized electric vehicle charging solution is backward compatible with the J1772 connector stan-dard in the U.S. Backward compatibility also has been achieved in Europe where the system is based on the IEC 62196 Type 2.

The seven auto manufactur-ers also agreed to use HomePlug GreenPHY as the communication protocol. Automak-ers point to the success of level 1 and level 2 (for 220V charging in the U.S.) as an example of how standardization will increase the adoption of electric vehicles and increase customer satisfaction. The approval of the J1772 standard means electric ve-hicle owners can charge at all level 2 charging stations.

SEVEN AUTOMAKERS AGREE ON EV FAST-CHARGING SYSTEM

J1772 Charging

Station

GFLEET1111_news.indd 5GFLEET1111_news.indd 5 10/13/11 2:11:18 PM10/13/11 2:11:18 PM


MY-2012 could be a turning point in the mix of hybrid, electric, and fuel-effi cient vehicles available from OEMs. Alt-fuel vehicles are no longer exotic curiosities,

but full-fl edged members of the automotive community.

Just a few years ago, all-electric, hybrid,

and super fuel-effi cient vehicles were ideas

that resided on engineering drawing boards

and in the imaginations of fl eet managers.

Today, MY-2012 is packed with a plethora

of alt-fuel and super-effi cient gasoline-

powered vehicles, making the upcoming

model-year something of a tipping point

for green vehicles.

GASOLINEGasoline is the standard by which all other

fuel technologies are measured, and today’s

vehicles are becoming ever-more effi cient.

For instance, the Mazda3 SKYACTIV

enters 2012 off ering signifi cantly improved

fuel economy thanks to its SKYACTIV

technology, part of the Sustainable Zoom

Zoom initiative. Th e 2012 Mazda3 is the

fi rst vehicle to make use of this technology

in the United States, which is designed to

improve fuel economy and lower emissions

while, at the same time, improving driving

performance using standard gasoline. Th is

includes not only the 155 hp 2.0L engine and

transmission, which generates 148 lb.-ft . of

torque, but the body structure, platform,

suspension design, and all other elements of

the car are optimized for better performance.

Th e Mazda3 SKYACTIV has a fuel economy

of 28 mpg city/40 hwy for a 15-percent

improvement over the current 2.0L engine.

Th e next phase of the SKYACTIV initiative

will see the launch of a CX-5 crossover.

Th e Chrysler 300 is equipped with an

all-new 8-speed 3.6L Pentastar V-6 that is

50-state compatible for fl ex-fuel effi cien-

cy. It and the Dodge Charger, which is also

equipped with the Pentastar V-6, have a fuel

economy of 19 mpg on the EPA city cycle

— an increase of 5 percent over last year’s

5-speed automatic. With eight speeds, driv-

ing at a lower rpm in both city and highway

environments also eff ectively helps reduce

emissions by nearly 11 percent.

Th e 2012 Fiat 500 compact vehicle boasts

a world-class 1.4L engine with MultiAir

technology to reduce emissions while de-

livering up to 10-percent better power and

fuel effi ciency.

Th e Dodge Charger’s 8-speed 3.6L Pen-

tastar V-6 engine provides the Charger SE

with increased fuel economy when compared

to the previous entry-level 3.5L V-6 engine.

Th e Dodge Charger features more than 65

safety and security features, including stan-

dard Keyless Enter-N-Go and electronic sta-

bility control (ESC) with segment-exclusive

Ready Alert Braking and Rain Brake Sup-

port safety features to improve overall vehi-

cle handling and performance.

Th e Nissan Versa Sedan features a second-

generation 1.6L HR16DE four-cylinder

engine, which includes a range of cutting-

edge technologies such as a dual fuel injector

system, which allows a wider injection of fuel,

with the smaller nozzles delivering a fi ner spray

to help achieve more complete combustion.

Th e fuel economy is rated at 30 mpg city/38

hwy/33 comb with the CVT transmission,

and 27 mpg city/36 mpg hwy/30 comb. with

the 5-speed manual transmission. Th e next-

generation Xtronic CVT transmission adds

an auxiliary gearbox using planetary gearing,

helping to enhance effi ciency.

Ford’s EcoBoost technology and twin in-

dependent variable cam timing (Ti-VCT)

are featured on several of its vehicles, in-

cluding a 3.5L EcoBoost for its F-Series,

2.0L EcoBoost for its Edge and Explor-

er, and the company’s new Escape will be

introduced with 1.6L and 2.0L four-cyl-

inder EcoBoost. Th e Escape will also be

available with a 2.5L Ti-VCT four-cylin-

der. Th e 1.6L EcoBoost engine, which uses

turbocharging, Ti-VCT, and direct injec-

tion to deliver the same performance as a

larger engine, is making its North Amer-

By Chris Wolski

The MY-2012 OEM models are highlight-ing an increasing variety of alternative- and super-effi cient fuel technologies, in-cluding:

● Compressed natural gas.● All-electric and extend-range electric.● Hybrid-electric.

AT A GLANCE

Mazda3 SKYACTIV Fiat 500Dodge Charger Nissan Versa Sedan Ford Edge

GFLEET1111_altfuel.indd 6GFLEET1111_altfuel.indd 6 10/14/11 10:58:42 AM10/14/11 10:58:42 AM

Ford Super Duty


ican debut in the Escape. It is expected to

deliver even higher highway fuel economy

than the current Escape Hybrid, which is

EPA-rated at 31 mpg. Ford’s EcoBoost tech-

nology will be featured in 90 percent of its

vehicles by 2013. EcoBoost increases fuel

economy up to 20 percent while reducing

CO2 emissions by up to 15 percent.

DIESELDiesels are also getting more fuel effi -

cient.

Th e 2012-MY Audi A3 is available with a

2.0L TDI clean diesel engine, which produc-

es an outstanding 236 lb.-ft . of torque. Add-

ing to its credentials the Audi A3 TDI was re-

cently awarded the 2010 green vehicle of the

year. Additionally, the Audi A3 TDI has been

rated by the U.S. EPA at 30 mpg city/42 hwy,

making it one of the most fuel effi cient vehi-

cles available in today’s marketplace.

Th e Audi Q7 features a standard 8-speed

tiptronic transmission combined with a 3.0L

TDI engine that produces 225 hp and 406

lb.-ft . of torque. Th is combination provides

more torque than a conventional V-8. Th e

Audi Q7 is rated to pull 6,600 lbs. tongue

weight when equipped with the available tow

package. Both the Audi A3 and Q7 TDI of-

fer a 25-percent reduction in CO2 emissions

compared to their comparable gasoline coun-

terparts, making them a cleaner alternative

in all 50 states.

Th e Mercedes-Benz S350 BlueTEC

4MATIC sedan is equipped with a 3.0L V-6

turbocharged BlueTEC engine that delivers

240 hp, 455 lb.-ft . of torque and fuel econ-

omy of 20 mpg city/31 hwy — with a range

of up to 700 miles. Th e BlueTEC technolo-

gy, which is featured in other sedans and its

SUVs, controls emissions by driving exhaust

gases through fi lters to the catalytic converter,

emitting harmless nitrogen and water.

Mazda also off ers its Mazda3 SKYACTIV

in a diesel version.

CNGWhile trucks or transit vehicles are com-

monly powered with compressed natural

gas (CNG) or liquefi ed natural gas (LNG),

cars have rarely been powered with one of

these fuels.

Th e Honda Civic Natural Gas changed

that. Known as the Civic GX from 1998 until

2011, the Civic Natural Gas has a Honda-

estimated city/highway/combined fuel economy

ratio of 27/38/31 miles per gasoline-gallon

equivalent (GGE). Compared to the 2011

model, city fuel economy has been improved

by 12.5 percent and highway fuel economy

is up by 5.5 percent. Th e Civic Natural Gas

includes Honda’s ECO Assist technology, an

innovation that can enhance effi cient vehicle

operation at the touch of a button while also

providing visual feedback to promote and

confi rm an effi cient driving style.

General Motors’ GMC Savana and Chevro-

let Express cargo vans are off ered with a CNG

option and come with a full five-year /100,000

mile powertrain warranty. Th e models are

available in either a three-tank design with a

16 GGE capacity or a four-tank design with a

23 GGE capacity. Th ey have a range of over

200 and 300 miles respectively. Th ese CNG

vans meet GM’s rigorous standards for safe-

ty, reliability, and durability. Th e vehicle, in-

cluding the CNG fuel system, are covered un-

der GM’s limited vehicle warranty.

Ford’s CNG emphasis is targeting the many

unique vocations and vehicle requirements of

the industry by off ering gaseous engine prep

packages on multiple vehicle lines, including

Transit Connect, E-Series, Super Duty and

the upcoming Medium-Duty with the 6.8L

engine. Collaborating with qualifi ed upfi tters

Ford has released guidelines to ensure con-

sistent and reliable performance. Th is strat-

egy provides the greatest fl exibility of com-

mercial applications.

ELECTRICAn exotic rarity just three or four years

ago, electric cars appear to be coming into

their own in 2012 with at least seven new or

returning models available for purchase and

more are in the works.

With output of 170 hp and maximum

torque of 184 lb.-ft ., the all-electric BMW

ActiveE accelerates from 0 to 60 mph in un-

der nine seconds (preliminary). Th e new-

ly developed lithium-ion batteries, with

active thermal management, facilitate a ve-

hicle range of around 100 miles in everyday

driving. Th e BMW ActiveE is based on the

body of the BMW 1-Series Coupe and can

be charged at virtually all public charging sta-

tions. Th e BMW ActiveE will be available for

lease in select markets, including Los Ange-

les, San Diego, San Francisco, Sacramento,

New York, and Boston, as well as the state

of Connecticut beginning in fall 2011. De-

liveries are scheduled to begin in late 2011,

as of press time.

Th e all-electric 2012 Mitsubishi i-car

Audi Q7 Honda Civic Natural Gas

Audi A3

Ford F-Series


is getting ready for its fi rst U.S. deliveries

starting in December 2011. Th e i-car is

powered by Mitsubishi innovative electric

vehicle (MiEV) technology. Th e vehicle’s

drive system features a 49 kW AC synchro-

nous electric motor and an 88 cell, 330v

lithium-ion battery pack with peak stor-

age of 16 kWh. Th e electric motor is capa-

ble of producing peak torque of 145 lb.-ft .

and the vehicle also has a top speed of ap-

proximately 80 mph. Th e vehicle’s packag-

ing makes comfortable accommodations

for four adult-size passengers. Th e Mit-

subishi i earned an EPA-rated 126 MPGe

in city driving and 99 MPGe on the high-

way. Additionally, the vehicle’s driving

range is stated at 62 to 98 miles, depend-

ing on driving characteristics.

To create the Ford Transit Connect Elec-

tric, Azure Dynamics integrated its Force

Drive electric powertrain into the automak-

er’s existing Transit Connect.

Utilizing an advanced lithium-ion bat-

tery from Johnson Controls-Saft , the Tran-

sit Connect Electric can achieve a range of

50 to 80 miles depending on auxiliary pow-

er usage and drive cycle and has a top speed

of 75 mph. Th e battery is rechargeable using

either a 240v or standard 120v outlet.

Joining its transit sibling, Ford’s Focus Elec-

tric is the company’s fi rst-ever all-electric pas-

senger car. Th e vehicle is a realization of the

company’s mid-range sustainability strate-

gy to implement all known energy technolo-

gy by 2020. Th e Focus Electric, which lever-

ages the company’s C-car platform, is one of

fi ve fuel-free, rechargeable passenger cars it

plans to deliver by 2012. Th e Focus Electric

can be fully recharged in three to four hours

at home using the available wall-mounted

240v charge station. Th e all-electric power-

train and single-speed transmission provide

immediate responsiveness and smooth ac-

celeration for a top speed of 84 mph.

Th e Mercedes-Benz F-Cell continues to

be available for lease in Southern California.

Th e fi ve-door, four-passenger hydrogen-

electric delivers 134 hp and 214 lb.-ft . and

is powered by fuel-cell technology with

an EPA-estimated range of 190 miles. Th e

F-Cell utilizes a hydrogen fuel cell stack

for generating electricity and a lithium ion

battery for energy storage. Taking only three

minutes to refuel, the B-Class F-Cell emits

water as its only by-product.

Th e Mercedes-Benz smart consists of fi ve

fortwo models, including two that are all-elec-

tric — the passion coupe and passion cab-

riolet. Both the gasoline- and electric-pow-

ered smart vehicles are representative of the

line’s emphasis on sustainability, safety, and

customization. Th e models are classifi ed as

ultra-low emissions vehicles by the State of

California Air Resources Board (CARB).

Th e Nissan LEAF was the fi rst generally

available all-electric vehicle on the market.

Powered by a lithium-ion battery pack com-

posed of 48 compact modules and a high-re-

sponse 80kW AC synchronous motor gen-

erating 107 hp and 207 lb.-ft . of torque, the

LEAF has a 100-mile range on a single charge.

Technology assists the driver with range man-

agement. Th e Nissan LEAF can be charged up

to 80 percent of its full capacity in 30 minutes

when equipped with a quick charge port and

using a DC fast charger. Charging at home

through a 220v outlet is estimated to take ap-

proximately eight hours. Th e lithium-ion bat-

tery pack carries a warranty of eight years or

100,000 miles. Th e quick charge port is stan-

dard on the SL model.

EXTENDED RANGE ELECTRICFor drivers with range anxiety, the Chev-

rolet Volt, now widely available for fl eet use,

is primarily an electric vehicle propelled by

a 111kW electric motor with a secondary

gasoline engine that takes over seamlessly

from the electric engine. Th e Volt off ers a

total driving range of up to 379 miles, based

on EPA estimates. For the fi rst 25 to 50 miles,

the Volt can drive tailpipe emissions-free us-

ing a full charge of electricity. When the Volt’s

battery runs low, the gasoline-powered en-

gine takes over, extending the driving range

up to 340 miles. Designed for today’s infra-

structure, commercial fl eet drivers don’t need

to modify their work schedules to meet their

cars’ charging times. Unlike a pure electric

car limited by EV range, the Volt can be the

only car a driver requires on the job. Th e Volt

uses a GM-designed and built 16kWh lith-

ium-ion battery.

HYBRIDOf all the alt-fuel technologies, the hybrid

is by far the most successful and popular.

Th is year, Toyota is releasing a plug-in

model. Th e Prius Plug-in Hybrid off ers

seating for fi ve and is expected to achieve a

manufacturer-estimated 87 MPGe in com-

ALT FUEL


GRN1111unilube.indd 1 10/12/11 1:55:53 PM

Mitsubishi i-car

Mercedes-Benz smart Nissan LEAF Toyota Prius Plug-in Hybrid

Chevrolet Volt

Ford FocusGMC Savana

Chevrolet ExpressBMW ActiveE

Mercedes-Benz F-Cell


GRN1111unilube.indd 1 10/12/11 1:55:53 PMGFLEET1111_altfuel.indd 9GFLEET1111_altfuel.indd 9 10/14/11 10:58:55 AM10/14/11 10:58:55 AM

www.EcoUltraOil.com

bined driving and 49 mpg in hybrid mode.

Th e plug-in hybrid will allow true EV oper-

ation and performance for up to 15 miles at

speeds up to 62 mph, along with quick home

charging, using a standard AC outlet and

15-amp dedicated circuit. Operating in EV

mode, the Prius Plug-in Hybrid provides the

quick, smooth quiet driving of a pure elec-

tric vehicle. Th e 2012 Toyota Prius Plug-in

Hybrid retains the Hybrid Synergy Drive of

the standard Prius model and will seamlessly

switch into hybrid operation at a pre-deter-

mined state of battery charge. A newly de-

veloped 4.4 kWh lithium-ion battery pack

replaces the standard Prius model’s nickel-

metal hydride battery and fi ts under the rear

cargo fl oor, and the vehicle adds an easy-to-

use external charging cable.

Honda’s family of hybrid vehicles includes

the Civic Hybrid, CR-Z, and Insight.

Th e 2012 Civic Hybrid off ers a higher

fuel economy rating of 44/44/44 mpg city/

highway/combined, up from the 40/43/41 of

the 2011 Civic Hybrid. For 2012, the Hon-

da IMA system uses lithium-ion batteries,

replacing the nickel-metal hydride batter-

ies used in the previous two generations of

Civic Hybrid. Th e 2012 Civic Hybrid fea-

tures a larger 1.5L i-VTEC four-cylinder en-

gine, up from 1.3L for improved mid-range

torque, which incorporates extensive fric-

tion-reducing technologies for greater ef-

fi ciency. It is connected to a lighter, larger,

and more powerful electric motor that pro-

vides up to 23 hp. Th e gasoline engine and

electric motor have a 110 combined hp at

5,500 rpm and torque is rated at 127 lb.-ft .

at 1,000 to 3,500 rpm.

Th e Honda CR-Z features a 1.5L i-VTEC

four-cylinder engine that works with Honda’s

unique, compact, and lightweight IMA sys-

tem to supply both power and effi ciency to

the vehicle. A sport-focused, 6-speed manu-

al transmission is a fi rst for any hybrid. And

an automatic continuously variable transmis-

sion (CVT) is available and includes steering

wheel paddle shift ers for manual-like gear-

ratio control. A new, exclusive 3-mode drive

system allows the driver to confi gure the ve-

hicle’s responsiveness for Sport, Normal, or

Econ (economy) driving modes. Th e Hon-

da Insight includes a 1.3L, four-cylinder i-

VTEC gasoline engine and 10kW electric

motor, positioned inline between the engine

and the continuously variable transmission,

adds power during acceleration and in cer-

tain cruising situations, and recaptures en-

ergy from the vehicle’s forward momentum

during braking.

Ford’s 2012 Fusion Hybrid can operate up

to 47 mph in pure electric mode, and has a

city driving range of more than 700 miles on

a single tank of gas. Th e 2.5L Atkinson-Cycle

Hybrid four-cylinder powertrain combines

with the electric motor to generate a 191 net-

hp rating. During braking in the Fusion Hy-

brid, the regenerative braking system cap-

tures 94 percent of the kinetic energy lost in

conventional vehicles and sends it to the bat-

tery pack to be stored for later use. Not only

is regenerative braking effi cient, but it helps

minimize wear on the brake pads, lowering

the cost of maintenance.

Growing its electrifi ed vehicle off erings,

Ford will be introducing the C-MAX Hy-

brid and C-MAX Energi plug-in vehicles,

building on the company’s sustainability ini-

tiatives. Th e C-MAX Hybrid features a lithi-

um-ion battery and 2.0L Atkinson-cycle I-4

gasoline engine. Th e C-MAX Energi is pow-

ered by an advanced lithium-ion battery sys-

tem developed by Ford and a high-effi ciency

2.0L Atkinson-cycle gasoline engine. Th e C-

MAX delivers a more than 25-percent im-

provement in fuel economy versus today’s

Escape Hybrid. Th e C-MAX Energi targets

more than 500 miles of driving range using

the battery and engine.

Th e Hyundai Sonata Hybrid generates its

electric power through its Hybrid Blue Drive

powertrain, a lithium polymer battery pack

with engine decoupling, which signifi cant-

ly reduces the amount of energy required

to maintain highway speeds, resulting in an

estimated 40 mpg highway fuel rating. Th e

Sonata Hybrid is also equipped with a Th e-

ta II GDI 2.4L four-cylinder engine with a

gasoline direct-injection (GDI) fuel-delivery

system. Th e Th eta II delivers 24 mpg city/35

hwy/28 combined fuel economy rating with

both the 6-speed manual and automatic trans-

mission with SHIFTRONIC. Th e horsepow-

er and torque ratings for the Th eta II are 198

hp and 184 lb.-ft . of torque.

Characterized as a “mild hybrid,” the Mer-

cedes-Benz S400 Hybrid’s gasoline engine

and electric motor work together for respon-

sive performance, and its driveline includes

a specially confi gured seven-speed automat-

ic transmission, a transformer to power the

12v vehicle system, and intelligent operat-

ing electronics. Th e S400 Hybrid features a

lightweight, high-capacity lithium-ion bat-

tery that works with a 20-hp electric motor

and a V-6 gasoline engine for a total of 295

hp and 284 lb.-ft . of torque. Th e S400 Hy-

brid uses a 3.5L V-6 gasoline engine, a mag-

neto-electric motor and sophisticated hybrid

electronics to produce 30-percent better fuel

economy than a comparable S550 model. Not

only does the electric motor make 20 hp, but

it also produces a starting torque of 118 lb.-

ft ., while the gasoline engine develops 275

hp and 258 lb.-ft . of torque.

Th ough offi cially a 2013 vehicle, Chev-

rolet’s Malibu ECO will be available begin-

ning in January 2012 and features the compa-

ny’s eAssist “light electrifi cation” technology,

which is engineered to deliver an estimated 26

mpg city/38 hwy, and is classifi ed as a hybrid

technology by the U.S. government. Th e eAs-

sist system is mated to a 2.4L Ecotec direct-

injection four-cylinder engine that delivers

182 hp. Th e eAssist system uses a 115v lithi-

um-ion battery and a 15kW motor-genera-

tor unit to help increase fuel economy.

Chevrolet’s Tahoe Hybrid is a full-size SUV

that includes eight-passenger seating and a


ALT FUEL

Ford Fusion Hybrid Ford Transit Connect

C-Max Hybrid

Hyundai Sonata Hybrid

Honda Civic Hybrid CR-Z


towing capacity of up to 6,200 lbs. on 2WD

models. Th e electrically variable transmission

(EVT) and 300v nickel-metal hydride energy

storage system (ESS) work in concert with

the standard 6.0L V-8 gasoline engine with

active fuel management (AFM) and late intake

valve closing (LIVC) technology to enable

the Tahoe Hybrid’s effi cient performance.

Like the Tahoe Hybrid, Cadillac’s Escalade

Hybrid is a full-size SUV. Th e luxury model

is powered by an innovative, fuel-saving two-

mode hybrid system. Both are available in

RWD and 4WD confi gurations. Th ey deliver

up to 5,800 lbs. of usable towing capacity on

RWD models and 5,600 lbs. on 4WD models.

Escalade Hybrid’s patented two-mode hybrid

system consists of an advanced, electrically

variable transmission and 300v nickel-metal

hydride energy storage system. Th ese systems

work in concert with the standard 6.0L V-8

Gen IV gasoline engine with Active Fuel

Management and late-intake valve closing

technology.

Th e Chevrolet Silverado Hybrid is a full-

size truck that delivers 33-percent greater city

fuel economy and a 23.5-percent improve-

ment in overall fuel economy — with the ca-

pability expected of a full-size truck, includ-

ing a 6,100-lb. towing capacity. Th e estimated

fuel economy for both the 2WD and 4WD

models is 20 mpg in the city and 23 mpg on

the highway. Combined with a 26-gallon fuel

tank, the Silverado Hybrid delivers a cruising

range of more than 500 miles. Like the Es-

calade, the Silverado Hybrid combines Gen-

eral Motors’ two-mode hybrid system and a

powerful 6.0L gasoline V-8 to deliver highly

effi cient performance, including all-electric

driving up to 30 mph. Th e Silverado Hybrid

is off ered in the Crew Cab body style on both

2WD and 4WD models.


In the next issue of Green Fleet

we will examine the trends in sec-ond-stage manufacturing alt-fuel

and aftermarket solutions, such as propane and CNG conversions.

Mercedes-Benz S400 Hybrid

Chevrolet Malibu ECO

Chevrolet Silverado HybridCadillac Escalade Hybrid

Tahoe Hybrid

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Most studies agree that at least one-third of a fl eet’s overall fuel effi ciency is directly impacted by a

driver’s actions behind the wheel. An effective driver behavior modifi cation program can help tap the

fuel savings of improved driver habits.

MMostt stuuovver

driivbehavior modifi cation program can help tap the

fuel savingsg of imprp oved driver habits.

Imagine a fl eet program that could re-

duce fuel consumption in the neigh-

borhood of 40 percent. Such a program

would target — for many fl eets — the sin-

gle greatest untapped source for fuel sav-

ings: the driver.

According to a recent University of Mich-

igan Transportation Institute study, drivers

who practice good eco-friendly habits can

realize up to a 45-percent reduction in on-

road fuel economy. Other sources, includ-

ing the U.S. Department of Energy and the

American Trucking Associations (ATA),

put the savings at 30-35 percent.

Th e bottom-line value of education and

training to change driver fuel-wasting

habits is gaining adoption as a component

in green fl eet strategies, along with capital

investments in new vehicle and engine

technologies.

For Bob Stanton, CPM,

CPFP, director of fl eet

management for Hills-

borough County, Fla., it’s

about time.

“Our industry has in-

vested billions in vehicle

fuel-saving technologies with mixed and

less-than-stellar results. We’ve addressed

the hardware and, to a certain extent, the

soft ware of this issue while largely ignoring

the largest factor of all: the driver,” Stanton

said. “In retrospect, we probably should have

started there. Had we started with the driv-

ers by improving their habits, it stands to

good reason our technological investments

would have paid off more handsomely be-

cause our drivers were ‘better. ’ ”

Stanton knows the eff ectiveness of driver

behavior modifi cation eff orts. While director

of fl eet management for Polk County, Fla.,

he developed an award-winning fuel-savings

initiative that included an employee incentive

program for eco-driving eff orts.

In addition to cutting fuel consumption,

creating eco-conscious drivers yields oth-

er rewards, including better fl eet safety re-

cords and vehicle maintenance.

As Automotive Resources Internation-

al (ARI)’s manager of client support ser-

vices Ed Iannuzzi noted,

“A driver behavior mod-

ifi cation program is a

proactive step that puts

more accountability in

the hands of the drivers

and helps fl eets run more

effi ciently and eff ectively,

leading to greater control, costs savings,

and compliance while allowing fl eets to

meet strategic objectives.”

A successful driver behavior modifi ca-

tion program, according to Stanton, fl eet

services staff at ARI, and green fl eet experts

at the Environmental Defense Fund (EDF),

requires eight fundamental steps.

Identify & Focus on Needs

Because every fl eet’s needs are diff erent,

every fl eet’s driver modifi cation program

must be organization-specifi c, advised Craig

Neuber, manager of strategic consulting at

ARI. Is the program “more about fi nding

ways to increase vehicle mpg and decrease

idling? Or is the fl eet trying to improve safe-

ty and decrease accidents?” he asked.

It’s important, said Neuber, that fleet

managers understand how a behavior

modification program can help their

fleet operations and pinpoint those ar-

The eight steps to develop and imple-ment a driver behavior modifi cation pro-gram are:

● Identify and focus on needs.● Establish goals.● Secure top-level support.● Develop the program.● Communicate effectively.● Measure and monitor.● Incentivize participation.● Use best practices.

AT A GLANCE

STANTON IANNUZZI


By Cindy Brauer

to Create Fuel-S

GFLEET1111_modification.indd 12GFLEET1111_modification.indd 12 10/14/11 11:00:54 AM10/14/11 11:00:54 AM


eas most in need of improvement.

Th e EDF’s “Fuel-Smart Driving Hand-

book” suggests “a successful driver educa-

tion program should focus on a few factors

that drivers can control and have the most

impact on fuel economy.”

Th e EDF handbook identifi es these

driver-controllable, high-impact factors

as minimizing idling, avoiding aggressive

driving behaviors, and maintaining vehicles

properly. Asking drivers to make a limited

number of straightforward changes is oft en

more eff ective in changing behavior than

“overwhelming them with a large number

of requests,” according to the guide.

Establish Goals

Setting goals helps determine a program’s

direction, required resources, components, and

measures, said Stanton of Hillsborough Coun-

ty. “What’s important is your goals be specifi c,

measurable, and realistic,” advised the EDF.

Initial goals can be modest, then built upon

incrementally as they are achieved.

Secure Top-Level Support

Senior management must clearly accept

and endorse the program, according to Stan-

ton. Gaining this essential backing, he said,

is “all about the money.” Emphasize the pro-

gram’s impact on bottom-line savings in low-

er fuel costs through specifi c actions such as

cutting mpg and reducing vehicle idling, Stan-

ton recommended.

Th e environment-conscious program also

can be linked to corporate responsibility goals

or tied into the company’s participation in

such programs as the Environmental Pro-

tection Agency’s (EPA) SmartWay pro-

gram, Stanton added.

Seek other company or agency depart-

ment buy-in and support, said Neuber of

ARI. “Th is can include human resources,

and an environmental, health, and safe-

ty department if the or-

ganization has one. Get-

ting their support can save

backtracking and help with

launching the program suc-

cessfully,” he explained. “A

successful program needs

ongoing support and attention to keep it

fresh and credible.”

Develop the Program

Th e fi rst step in developing and im-

plementing a driver training program is

outlining a comprehensive fl eet policy,

according to Elisa Durand, assistant man-

ager, strategic consulting − environmental

& fuel strategies at ARI. “A fl eet policy in-

forms drivers of rules and regulations they

need to follow and lays the foundation for

what they will learn in the training pro-

gram,” she said.

A wide range of resources are available

to custom-design a driver behavior mod-

ifi cation program. A number of eff ective

training methods, from online quizzes to

in-person classes, are available, said Du-

rand. “Th ese program tools are most eff ec-

tive when used on an on-going, consistent

basis. Th is repetition will foster a culture

in which good driving habits are encour-

aged,” she added.

Many vehicle manufacturers off er eco-

driving tips, suggestions, and facts in their

company materials and online. Most fl eet

suppliers, including fl eet management com-

panies and equipment producers, also pro-

vide online resources.

Bridgestone Tires, for example, off ers

a free video entitled, “What Drivers Can

Do to Save Fuel.” Th e DVD explores fuel-

saving benefi ts for drivers, tips to cut fuel

use before a trip starts, the importance of

idle control, time management infl uence

on fuel consumption, and the cost of ex-

cessive speed.

d-

a-

rs

st

e

s

e

s

d

n

n

r

m’s

on

fr

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ou

acc

ag

&

for

ne

wh

gra

to

ifi c

tra

NEUBER

The Environmental Defense Fund’s (EDF) “Fuel-Smart Driving” handbook identifi es driver-controllable, high-impact factors, such as avoiding aggressive driving, minimizing idling, and maintaining vehicles properly.

-Saving Eco-Drivers

➞


Driver program suggestions and tips

also can be found on websites including,

but not limited to:

● www.fueleconomy.gov

● www.eco-drivingusa.com

● www.cartalk.com

● www.epa.gov/smartway

● www.edf.org

Avoid “canned” programs, said Stanton.

“Canned versions have a generic logo, a ge-

neric message, etc.,” he pointed out. “Drivers

can brush it off as not necessarily germane

to what they do or their job. If the program

is presented with a personalized message re-

garding the specifi c fl eet, that makes a dif-

ference. Th e message is then ‘Th is is about

my fl eet, my company,’ ”

He collaborated with Ford Motor Com-

pany to adapt and customize the automak-

er’s “Driving Skills for Life” program with

his fl eet’s data on mpg, idling, etc. “When

the program talks about stats ‘from your

vehicle,’ it makes the eff ort personal and

relevant to drivers,” he said.

Stanton also advised, “Program elements

should be simple, easy to explain and adopt,

and understandable. Th e more complex, the

less likely [the program] will succeed.”

Communicate Effectively

“It’s important all parties involved un-

derstand the value and benefi ts of a driver

behavior modifi cation program. Th at in-

cludes everyone from senior level manage-

ment to drivers,” said ARI’s Iannuzzi.

He encouraged fl eet managers “to use

every channel available to engage key stake

holders at every level, including meetings,

discussions, e-mails, and newsletters.”

Th e EDF handbook also recommends

communicating with drivers through chan-

nels they already utilize. Th e guide sug-

gests fl eet managers launch the program

in a group setting, e.g., an annual meeting,

safety seminar, or regional sales meeting,

to convey the program’s importance and

the entire company’s support.

“At a minimum,” the handbook states,

“Launch your program via a special an-

nouncement from senior management

or other credible leaders within your or-

ganization.”

Use the company or agency Intranet site

to deliver driver education messages, includ-

ing regularly posted tips, reminders, and in-

teresting, relevant facts. Other tips suggest-

ed in the EDF handbook include:

● Post blogs or e-mail messages by su-

pervisors and peer-respected drivers re-

porting on changes in their driving habits

and the impact of those changes.

● Leverage existing or phone-based fl eet

management tools to communicate mes-

sages or “tip-of-the day.”

● Display visual reminders of key pro-

gram messages in vehicles, e.g., on sun

visors or in cargo areas.

Measure & Monitor

Measuring and tracking the program’s

progress and success is essential to allow set-

ting goals, demonstrating results, and main-

taining driver interest and attention.

Measure quantifi able elements, such as

mpg, idling times, and preventable accident

rates. Start with an initial measure and track

it quarterly, bi-annually, or annually.

“Actual company or agency history is a

better measure,” said Stanton of Hillsborough

County. “Th ere must be a way to measure

individual driver results. Benchmark each

driver — where they are today and against

the goal, then track progress.”

Durand of ARI recom-

mended monitoring results

of more than one mea-

sure and avoiding track-

ing one driver against an-

other. “Rather,” she said,

“the best benchmark is the

driver’s own previous re-

sults and the improvements he or she has

been able to make post-training.”

She also cautions reporting data results

“in a proper context.”

“Are some drivers continually under-

performing or having trouble? If so, those

individuals may need additional train-

ing to maximize the fl eet’s overall per-

formance. Conversely, if the fl eet is out-

performing its goals on a consistent basis,

the expectations may need to be raised,”

she explained.

According to the EDF, drivers should

be clear on what is measured and how of-

ten, with opportunities to provide feed-


DURAND

In the chart above, idling, vehicle maintenance, acceleration, and use of air conditioning are factors that drivers have the most control over and have the highest impact on fuel usage. These factors are fairly representative of a typical vehicle fl eet; however, your organization may position the same factors somewhat differently and may introduce other unique factors.

DDDRRRIVVVEERRR BBEEHHHAAVVIOORR

SOU

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DEF

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FU

ND


http://www.fueleconomy.gov

http://www.eco-drivingusa.com

http://www.cartalk.com

http://www.epa.gov/smartway

http://www.edf.org

be “meaningful enough to infl uence driv-

ers, but not so substantial as to incite gam-

ing.” Suggested rewards include cash, retail

and restaurant gift certifi cates, or items that

help improve “life on the road,” such as a

free oil change for personal vehicles.

Reward all drivers who achieve and

sustain signifi cant results, rather than

a few star performers, according to the

EDF. Consider off ering special recogni-

tion or small prizes for a few standouts

every quarter.

Use Best Practices

Some best practices fl eet managers can

use include:

• Integrate the driver program with-

in overall company activities. Th e clos-

er a driver modifi cation program mirrors

other company programs and eff orts, said

Iannuzzi of ARI, the easier it will be for

drivers to adopt the behavior modifi ca-

tion initiative.

• Be persistent. “Too oft en new initia-

tives start out strong and lose momentum

aft er the initial push. Make sure drivers are

aware that results will be monitored on the

originally announced pre-determined ba-

sis. Th at will ensure they take the program

seriously,” said Neuber of ARI.

• Motivate drivers. “While education

and communication are critical, fl eet man-

agers must also make sure drivers under-

stand how it will aff ect them,” empha-

sized Iannuzzi.

• Be consistent. Don’t change the rules

too soon or too oft en, warned Stanton. “Per-

haps aft er a year, the program can be eval-

uated and tweaks made. Don’t add or take

away, tighten or relax program elements

aft er only six months or so. Drivers don’t

like that. Consistency is important.”

• Be clear. “Be sure drivers know what’s

expected of them,” said Stanton. He has

used a one-page contract, with a copy

to the driver, to clearly outline program

expectations.


back. “It is important drivers believe that

program metrics and reporting intervals

are fundamentally fair,” notes the EDF

handbook.

Stanton advised against agency peer

benchmarking among public sector fl eets.

“In government fl eets, it’s diffi cult to mea-

sure against one another. Th ere are too

many variables — customers served, geo-

graphic boundaries, terrain, etc.”

Likewise, he noted, commercial fl eets

should benchmark their program prog-

ress and results only against fl eets very

similar in type and function.

Incentivize Participation

Incentives are critical to driver buy-

in, according to Stanton of Hillsborough

County. “Peer pressure is a powerful weap-

on. Include rewards and penalties in the

program. Some drivers won’t ever be con-

cerned, but most are,” he observed.

Th e EDF advises that incentives should

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The City of Kansas City, Mo., once had a pilot program of just 12 CNG-powered fl eet

units. Today, through dedicated grant seeking, the

CNG fl eet now nears 300 units — roughly 8 percent of

its total fl eet.

T he geography of Kansas City, Mo.,

presents a duality of demands on its

fl eet. As a metropolitan center, it requires

the mobile resources needed to maintain a

bustling city. But, the sheer size of its met-

ro area also requires heavy travel, as some

units see cross-town use.

Th ese are just a few of the reasons Sam

Swearngin, fl eet administrator for the City,

keeps a careful eye on the fuel budget, and

looks to alternative fuels to improve effi -

ciency and reduce vehicle emissions.

However, what really began the fl eet’s

compressed natural gas (CNG) program

were environmental concerns, both at the

federal and local levels.

Environmental MotivationsIn 1990 and 1992 respectively, the Clean

Air Act and the Energy Policy Acts orig-

inally mandated that government fl eets

would be required to use alternative fuels.

As such, Kansas City began studying the

costs and benefi ts of CNG, ethanol, meth-

anol, and propane autogas. CNG emerged

as the cheapest and cleanest choice.

Bolstering the City’s faith in CNG as a smart

option was an American Medical Association

presentation Swearngin and his colleagues

attended, which depicted graphic views of

the eff ects low level ozone has on children’s

lungs. Knowing the switch to CNG could help

Kansas City’s own problem with low levels of

ozone in the summer, they decided to pursue

CNG because of the benefi ts to the environ-

ment and, in turn, their public.

“Starting out, diesel prices dropped,

so CNG wasn’t any more aff ordable of an

option. Th rough the ’90s and early 2000s,

we really did it for purely environmental

reasons,” Swearngin said. “We wanted to

do everything we could to improve the air

quality for our City.”

By Shelley Mika

The City of Kansas City, Mo., has a more

than 14-year history with CNG units:

● 1997: Began CNG pilot program with

just 12 vehicles and a partnership with

Missouri Gas and Energy to fuel up at

its stations.

● 2001: A large Congestion Mitigation

and Air Quality grant expanded the

program to 40 CNG-powered vehicles

and its own fueling station.

● 2006-2008: CMAQ grants followed

at roughly $500,000 a piece, for a total of

$3.4 million over seven years.

● 2010: Awarded an American Recovery

and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) grant

of $4.03 million.

AT A GLANCE

Kansas City Gets Motivated forNatural Gas

Today, the City of Kansas City, Mo., fl eet’s CNG units total about 8 percent of its roughly 3,000 vehiclses, including 209 light-duty, 10 medium-duty, and 56 heavy-duty vehicles.

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Grants Grow the ProgramTh e CNG pilot program began in 1997,

with just 12 vehicles and a partnership with

Missouri Gas Energy to fuel up at its sta-

tions. Th en, in 2001, a large Congestion

Mitigation and Air Quality (CMAQ) grant

allowed the program to expand to 40 CNG-

powered vehicles and its very own fueling

station. CMAQ grants in 2006, 2007, and

2008 followed at roughly $500,000 a piece,

for a total of $3.4 million over the course

of seven years.

While these grants kept the program up

and running, and grew it to some 80 vehi-

cles, the City had a hard time expanding it

in a more profound way. First, CNG units

have high up-front costs and second, Kan-

sas City’s sprawling metro area requires fu-

eling stations be located near where units

are nested. Both individual units and new

stations were needed to expand the pro-

gram, but neither was a possibility until

more grant funding could be garnered.

In 2010, an opportunity came when the

fl eet landed its largest single source of fund-

ing ever through a partnership with Kansas

City Regional Clean Cities: an American

Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA)

grant for $4.03 million — more than the

sum total of all CMAQ grants since 2001.

Since then, the program has expanded to

some 275 CNG units, with four fast-fi ll sta-

tions and one slow-fi ll station. “We’re now

able to buy more heavy-duty vehicles, which

is a great investment, as they save the most

money in fuel costs,” Swearngin said.

Today the fl eet’s CNG units total about

8 percent of its roughly 3,000 vehicle fl eet,

including 209 light-duty, 10 medium-duty,

and 56 heavy-duty vehicles.

Oil Shortage Ushers in Benefi tsWhere once the major benefi t of us-

ing CNG was the lessened environmental

impact, Swearngin said the global oil sit-

uation has made the price — and the re-

duced dependence on oil — the defi ning

benefi ts of CNG today.

“The oil shortage has forced us to drill

in more expensive places, so the price

of diesel has gone up while production

has remained flat. On top of that, we’re

competing against other countries for

oil,” Swearngin said. “Energy securi-

ty has become a big topic, and now ri-

vals the environmental benefits of the

program. That’s what’s driving the pro-

gram now — it’s way cheaper than die-

sel and is domestically produced. Of

course, the environmental benefits re-

main important, too.”

Swearngin said, on average, in the month

of August 2011, the City’s CNG gasoline

gallon equivalent (GGE) was dramatically

lower than both diesel and unleaded, with

diesel at $3.74 per gallon, unleaded at $3.62

per gallon, and CNG at $1.55 GGE.

Th ere are other benefi ts, too. Th e City’s

CNG program is paving the way for private

citizens to use the alternative fuel. And,

the more natural gas units there are on

the road, the more likely prices will drop

overall. Th e program also garners good-

will among the public. “In our City, very

few people think our alternative-fuel pro-

gram is a bad thing,” Swearngin said. “It’s

good PR that we use cleaner, domestical-

ly produced fuel.”

The Future of the ProgramTh e next step for the City will be to out-

source its alternative-fuel stations to a CNG

provider. Th is will allow the City to grow

its capacity faster, and some stations will

even provide public pumps.

“Outsourcing our stations will let us fo-

cus our attention on writing grants to get

more CNG units,” Swearngin comment-

ed. “I’m not saying that’s the answer for all

fl eets, but for us it’s the smart thing to do

Thanks to a $4 million-plus grant from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) in 2010, the City’s CNG program was able to ex-pand to its current total of approximately 275 CNG units. The grant was the largest single source of funding the fl eet ever received.


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to keep growing the program.”

With plans already in the works to add a

fueling station near its trash truck and snow

plow fl eets, the City will also be able to tar-

get those units for CNG replacements. Re-

placing gas guzzlers could mean big savings

for the City — with average August prices

alone, saving roughly $2 per gallon for a

unit that uses about 500 gallons a month

means $12,000 in savings per year for each

and every unit, for a total annual savings

of approximately $3.3 million.

While growing its alternative-fuel pro-

gram remains one of the fl eet’s prima-

ry goals, one major change is how it will

grow: Swearngin believes that in the fu-

ture, expanding the CNG fl eet could be

done without the need for grants.

“Assuming the price diff erential between

diesel and CNG stays the same, lifecycle

cost analyses we’ve performed justify the

costs of natural-gas fueled trucks,” he said.

“Because we won’t have to come up with

the capital for stations, it makes it easier

to expand the program to virtually every

heavy truck we have.”

So far, Kansas City has seen major envi-

ronmental and fi nancial benefi ts of CNG

— benefi ts that directly aff ect the pub-

lic. But, Swearngin still says there is more

work to be done.

“I’m not saying natural gas is a magic

bullet. We should do everything to con-

serve energy and take steps to change

how cities are laid out so that they oper-

ate more effi ciently,” he said. “CNG isn’t

going to do it alone — it’s just one small

piece in a large picture of energy. But it

defi nitely helps.”


Expanded Web ContentVisit www.greenfl eetmagazine.

com/magazine to see a photo gal-lery of Kansas City’s CNG vehicles.

Fuel savings is among several ben-efi ts the City of Kansas City fl eet re-alized as a result of using CNG. Ac-cording to the City, recent prices of the alternative fuel were less than half the cost of both diesel and un-leaded gasoline.


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Internet giant Google pioneered its Gfl eet car-share program in 2007 with a fl eet of Prius vehicles. It recently traded those in for

Chevrolet’s Volt and Nissan’s LEAF.

The reason for Google’s Gfl eet car-

share program is simple — it’s a

natural part of the Internet giant’s “cor-

porate DNA,” according to Transporta-

tion Manager Kevin Mathy. Wildly pop-

ular among the 15,000 “googlers” — as

the search engine’s employees are known

— at the company’s Mountain View, Ca-

lif., headquarters, the car-share program

is building morale and saving money. It

is set to expand in 2012.

Th e company’s Gfl eet car-share program

was launched in 2007 as a result of the ef-

forts of the company’s philanthropic arm,

Google.org and its RechargeIt Initiative.

Th e car-share program was a natural

demonstration of the initiative’s goals. “Th e

purpose of the RechargeIt Initiative was to

show the viability of plug-in vehicles, and

that they could be a real game changer in

terms of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions

and just sort of changing the whole paradigm

of driving,” explained Rolf Schreiber, techni-

cal program manager in charge of Google’s

electric transportation initiatives.

Electrifying Start According to Mathy, the idea of the car-

share program was wholeheartedly sup-

ported by senior management from the be-

ginning. So, with the executive green light,

all he and Schreiber had to do was buy the

plug-in vehicles to get the program rolling.

Simple as that.

However, that wasn’t as easy as it sound-

ed. In 2007, there wasn’t a plug-in vehicle

available for ready purchase. So, using some

Google ingenuity, they purchased a fl eet of

Toyota Prius vehicles and a few Ford Escape

hybrids with plug-in modules installed by

Hymotion, which is owned by A123 Systems,

a company that specializes in equipping hy-

brid vehicles with plug-in technology.

While it could have turned out to be a

less-than-ideal stop-gap measure until the

market caught up to Google’s program, the

results were better than Schreiber could

have hoped for.

“It turned out to be a great fi rst step,” he

said. “Hymotion had, by far, the most fully

thought out product. It was crash tested and

California Air Resources Board (CARB)-

certifi ed. Th e cars basically ran fl awlessly for

the four years we had them in service.”

However, aft er four years of service the

Prius vehicles were retired due to their age,

and because, explained

Mathy, “We wanted to

advance and promote sus-

tainable transportation, and

so it just made sense to go to the

next level and use an electric vehi-

cle (EV) with a range extender such as

the Chevrolet Volt and a pure EV with the

Nissan LEAF.”

According to Mark Perry, director of

product planning for Nissan, the LEAF is

particularly suited to a company car-share

program such as Google’s. “You look at the

utility of the vehicle — it’s a fi ve-door hatch-

back with room for fi ve adults. Th e fact

that it uses no gas and no oil and has suffi -

cient range, whether its ride-sharing, car-

pooling, or an employee shuttle between

campus locations, makes the LEAF a per-

fect choice.”

Th e LEAF and Volt aren’t the only green

commuting option open to googlers. Th e

company also operates several biodiesel

GBuses, which are used by a about a third

of the headquarter employees fi ve days per

week. Th e 5-percent biodiesel shuttles are

an additional way to reduce the company’s

carbon footprint.

Alt Commute = EV AccessTh e Gfl eet vehicles are available to any

googler who takes public transportation, bi-

cycles, carpools, or vanpools to work. Th e

G oooCorporate DNA

By Chris Wolski

Google’s use of LEAF and Volt vehicles for its car-share program offer the com-pany and its employees several benefi ts, including:

● A “safety net” to use alternative transportation.

● A smaller carbon footprint.

● Low total cost of ownership.

AT A GLANCE

GFLEET1111_google.indd 20GFLEET1111_google.indd 20 10/14/11 6:17:27 AM10/14/11 6:17:27 AM


vehicles are meant for

employees to run errands

throughout the day.

“Th is is an incentive to take al-

ternative transportaion and a safety net

for people to leave their own personal car

at home and take an alternative commute

to Google,” Schreiber said.

Th is “safety net” has resonated with the

googlers. According to Mathy, the vehicles

are used “extensively,” being regularly re-

served at the rate of 100 percent almost ev-

ery day during the mid-day peak.

Considering that 30 to 40 percent — or

up to 6,000 googlers — are eligible to use

the alt-fuel vehicles, demand could foresee-

ably outstrip supply. “In fact, this is why Rolf

and I are looking at next year, because we

need to increase the car-share fl eet to meet

demand,” Mathy said.

Keeping up With DemandA key component of the success of the

Gfl eet car-share program is having a suffi -

cient and accessible number of electrifi ed

parking spots.

In addition to parking spots for the 35

Gfl eet vehicles, Google has installed, through

Coulomb Technologies, more than 200 level

1 and level 2 chargers, with the ultimate aim

of electrifying 5 percent of the spots.

Th e plethora of electrifi ed parking spots

refl ects the growing number of googlers who

are investing — on their own — in electric

vehicles, such as the Volt and LEAF. Off er-

ing electrifi ed parking spaces is a way to help

encourage individual sustainability.

Th e frequency of use of the charging sta-

tions has been an unexpected and pleasant

surprise for Mathy.

“We were concerned that we would have a

lot of charging stations available that weren’t

being used, but it has been contrary to that.

We almost need a waiting list because de-

mand is so high,” he said.

‘Please, Plug Me In’While there have been no negatives with

the Gfl eet program, there have been chal-

lenges. Chief among them, according to

Schreiber, is that drivers have a tendency not

to plug the cars in when they return them.

“Ever since we’ve had the Prius vehicles, this

has been a constant battle,” he added.

To solve it, Google is working with its fl eet

management company (FMC), Enterprise

Rent-a-Car, looking at a number of solutions,

including keeping the car from locking

if it hasn’t been plugged in, an auditory

reminder such as “please, plug me in,” or

using text messages to communicate with

drivers. Perry of Nissan said that there is a

smartphone app that’s already available for

the LEAF that allows the FMC to monitor if

the vehicle has been plugged in. “It’s really

about driver education,” Perry said.

Th e other challenge has been related to

the parking spaces, said Schreiber. “On the

EV infrastructure side, we’ve been deal-

ing with Americans with Disabilities Act

of 1990 (ADA) requirements for provid-

ing accessible parking spaces for charging,”

he said. “We completely embrace the stan-

dards, but are eagerly hoping that they will

soon become completely uniform, which

will help us serve those who are in need of

electrifi ed spots.”

Next Green StepsGoogle is not the kind of organization that

sits on its laurels. So, it’s a matter of course

that Mathy and Schreiber are already con-

templating the next steps for the Gfl eet,

which includes expanding the program to

other Google sites along with an EV infra-

structure. Th e company will be adding new

makes and models to the EV roster as they

are released for sale, providing feedback

about the vehicle and how it was received

by the googlers.

Schreiber said that the latter has been

a benefi t for the OEMs. “We’ve tried to

position Gfl eet all along as sort of a test

bed for new and emerging technologies

in terms of plug-in vehicles,” he observed.

“I think Toyota gained an awful lot from

the experiences we had with the Prius ve-

hicles. We now have an agreement with

Honda as well to have a demonstration

vehicle of its upcoming Fit electric vehi-

cle and we’re working with some other

automakers in similar ways.”

Expanding the QuiverWith a corporate culture oriented toward

sustainability, the morale boost that the

Gfl eet has provided is unsurprising.

“People love the fact that they can have

the zero-emissions vehicle to go do their

errands or go do whatever they need to do,”

Schreiber said.

Beyond the employee morale boost,

Schreiber noted that there are several tan-

gible off sets, such as the fl eet’s smaller car-

bon footprint and monthly savings in gas-

oline costs.

Th e company is also seeing additional sav-

ings in the lower maintenance needs of the

Volt and LEAF. “On the Volt, the oil change

interval is every 25,000 miles,” Schreiber said.

“Th ere is essentially no maintenance on the

LEAF other than rotating the tires and add-

ing windshield wiper fl uid and changing the

cabin air fi lter every 50,000 miles, or every

four years. In terms of total cost of owner-

ship, between getting the federal rebate and

the California rebate for the pure EVs, plus

the lower cost of maintenance overall, it will

defi nitely make up the price premium in a

couple of years.”

While Google’s corporate culture is ideally

suited to pursuing a green fl eet option, Perry

of Nissan noted that the LEAF and other EVs

are a good fi t for any corporate culture inter-

ested in improving its bottom line.

In addition, the Gfl eet program has be-

come another arrow in Google’s benefi ts

“quiver,” Mathy said. “Google, as a com-

pany, off ers a wide range of incentives and

benefi ts to our employees, and all those in

combination are used in recruiting the best

and the brightest talent. Th is is just another

menu item to do that,” he said.

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GFLEET1111_google.indd 21GFLEET1111_google.indd 21 10/14/11 6:17:30 AM10/14/11 6:17:30 AM


Traveling up to 475 miles and utilizing around 80 gallons of fuel per day during its peak season, the national park depends

on propane autogas to help reduce its carbon footprint.

Mammoth Cave National Park’s

commitment to incorporate sus-

tainable initiatives into all aspects of its op-

eration has made it the fi rst of 394 Nation-

al Park Service sites to run all light- and

medium-duty vehicles on alternative fuels,

including biodiesel, ethanol, and propane

autogas. Th e Kentucky park converted its

entire fl eet of six buses from gasoline to

propane autogas more than a decade ago

to transport over 200,000 visitors to en-

trances of the world’s longest known cave

system each year.

Th e buses, fueled by propane autogas, pro-

vide such a high-performing and sustainable

solution for the park that it is replacing four

buses with new Blue Bird Vision propane-

autogas-fueled buses later this year.

Domestic, Sustainable Alternative Fuel

In the mid-1990s, Mammoth Cave Na-

tional Park received a grant from the Ken-

tucky Clean Fuels Coalition (KCFC) — a

Clean Cities coalition member — to con-

vert buses to run on propane autogas. Th e

buses make continuous routes from visitor

parking lots to four cave entrances across

the park and travel a combined 475 miles

a day during the park’s busy season.

Propane autogas is the leading alter-

native fuel in the United States and the

nation’s third most common vehicle fuel

aft er gasoline and diesel, fueling more

than 270,000 vehicles across the coun-

try, according to the Propane Education

and Research Council (PERC). Propane

autogas is a domestic resource, as 90 per-

cent of propane autogas supplies are pro-

duced in the U.S. Fueling with propane

autogas helps reduce the country’s depen-

dence on foreign oil.

Vehicles fueled by propane autogas emit

25-percent less greenhouse gas emissions,

12-percent less carbon dioxide, 20-percent

less nitrogen oxide, and up to 60-percent

less carbon monoxide than gasoline-fueled

vehicles. Th e conversion to propane autogas

not only contributes to cleaner air but also

extends the life of the buses’ engines because

propane autogas burns cleaner than gasoline

or diesel and reduces engine wear.

“Fueling our buses with propane autogas

matches Mammoth Cave’s mission to be an

environmental leader and employ sustain-

able practices,” said Mammoth Cave Na-

tional Park Superintendent Pat Reed. “Th e

buses allow us to transport visitors while

reducing our carbon footprint.”

High Performance with Reduced Maintenance

Th e buses’ high performance —

combined with reduced emissions, cost,

and maintenance — led Mammoth Cave

to invest in new propane-autogas-fueled

technology. Th e park recently purchased

four new Blue Bird Vision propane-powered

school buses to replace aging buses in its

fl eet through a grant from the Energy

Department that was facilitated by the

Balancing Sustainability

By Roy Willis

Mammoth National

GFLEET1111_mammoth.indd 22GFLEET1111_mammoth.indd 22 10/14/11 6:18:00 AM10/14/11 6:18:00 AM


KCFC. Th e park’s concessionaire, Forever

Resorts, oversees maintenance, refueling,

and operation of the buses.

“Our engines are getting more years of

service with propane autogas,” said Greg

Davis, general manager of Forever Re-

sorts. “We haven’t had any problems as far

as maintenance is concerned.”

Th e buses climb the park’s hills with no

trouble, and drivers and passengers have not

noticed a diff erence in performance.

“Th e performance is exactly the same

as a gasoline- or diesel-fueled bus; there is

immediate acceleration and lots of pow-

er,” Davis said.

Th e park owns a 1,000-gallon onsite re-

fueling dispenser, while Forever Resorts

negotiates an annual fuel contract and

manages weekly fuel delivery with a local

propane autogas provider. Th e speed and

ease of refueling is comparable to that of

gasoline or diesel, and government in-

centives are available for infrastructure

installation.

During busy summer months, the

buses use around 80 gallons of fuel daily.

All drivers are trained on proper refueling

procedures. Even aft er the delivery of the

new Blue Bird Vision propane-autogas-

powered buses, the park doesn’t rule out

adding more buses in the future.

“We want to continue to provide exam-

ples of how to interact in a sustainable way

with our environment,” Reed said.

About the AuthorRoy Willis is the president & CEO of the Pro-pane Education & Research Council (PERC). He can be reached at roy.willis@propane council.org.

The Propane Education & Research Coun-cil was authorized by the U.S. Congress with the passage of Public Law 104-284, the Pro-pane Education and Research Act (PERA), signed into law on October 11, 1996. The mis-sion of the Propane Education & Research Council is to promote the safe, effi cient use of odorized pro-pane gas as a preferred ener-gy source through research and development, training, and safety initiatives.

& Functionality

Cave Park:

Mammoth Cave’s buses, fueled by propane autogas, transport more than 200,000 visitors each year to par-ticipate in tours. Visitors say they appreciate the park’s use of an environmentally friendly fuel.

Buses are refueled onsite via a 1,000-gallon propane autogas tank, which makes fueling effi cient and easy.

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AF1011vw.indd 1 9/14/11 8:39:48 AM


The telecommunications company purchased its 4,000th al-ternative-fuel vehicle and its 3,000th compressed-natural-gas-fueled vehicle this year. AT&T is now well on its way toward

meeting its 15,000 alt-fuel vehicle goal by 2018.

I n 2009, AT&T made a commitment to

fl eet sustainability by announcing that

it would commit up to $565 million over

a 10-year period to purchase alternative-

fuel vehicles (AFVs) for its fl eet. AT&T

reached several milestones on its way to its

15,000 alt-fuel vehicle goal this year, hav-

ing purchased its 4,000th alternative-fu-

el vehicle (now totalling 4,661 units) and

its 3,000th compressed natural gas (CNG)

vehicle (now totalling 3,196 units). Th e

company’s total fl eet size is currently more

than 71,500.

Early during this initiative, AT&T’s

Chief Sustainability Offi cer Charlene Lake

reached out to the Center for Automotive

Research to discover the impact of its in-

vestment in AFVs. AT&T learned that its

AT&T Reaches Milestones

in 10-Year Alt-Fuel Fleet Program

By Greg Basich

In 2009, AT&T announced it was ded-icating up to $565 million toward pur-chasing alternative-fuel vehicles for its fl eet. Some of the company’s recent pro-gram highlights and future goals include:

● The saving of 49 million gallons of gasoline by 2018.

● Greenhouse-gas reduction equivalent to removing 38,600 passenger vehicles from the road for one year.

● Have up to 8,000 CNG-fueled vehicles in its fl eet, by the end of 2013

AT A GLANCE

AT&T has made an investment of $565 million in clean vehicles since 2009. These vehicles include both passenger vehicles and commercial vehicles that fulfi ll a number of roles. The telecommunications giant has both electric vehicles (pictured) and compressed natural gas (CNG) vehicles as part of its alternative-fuel fl eet of 4,000 vehicles. The company operates a fl eet of 71,500 vehicles in total.

GFLEET1111_att.indd 24GFLEET1111_att.indd 24 10/13/11 2:03:41 PM10/13/11 2:03:41 PM

When two things go well together, it can be a thing of beauty.

Peanut butter and jelly, milk and cookies, and when it comes

to vehicles, space and efficiency. The 2012 Volkswagen

Jetta SportWagen gives you the best of both worlds with

its cavernous 66.9 cubic feet of space and available TDI®

Clean Diesel engine that sips fuel at a wallet-friendly rate

of 42 highway mpg.* And if your fleet drivers need even

more space, the 60/40 split-folding rear seats up the ante on

interior flexibility. While enjoying all that space and passing

up fuel station after fuel station, you can rest easy knowing

the Jetta SportWagen was named a 2011 Top Safety Pick**

by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) and comes

with Volkswagen’s Carefree Maintenance® Program.†

Learn more at vwcorporatefleet.com.

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*66.9 cubic feet with rear seats folded. 42 highway mpg (2011 Jetta SportWagen 2.0L TDI Clean Diesel with manual transmission). EPA estimate. Your mileage will vary.

**“Top Safety Pick” based on 31 mph side-impact crash test, 40 mph frontal-offset crash test, 20 mph rear-impact test, roof strength testing, and the availability of ESC. Test performed by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. For details, visit iihs.org. See vw.com for more information on safety features.

The 2012 Jetta SportWagen TDI Clean Diesel.

The space you need. The efficiency you want.

Compliments of TDI.

†The Volkswagen Carefree Maintenance Program covers the vehicle’s scheduled maintenance for three years or 36,000 miles, whichever occurs first on all 2009 or newer models. Coverage during the term of the new vehicle limited warranty at no additional charge. Some limitations apply. See dealer or vehicle maintenance program booklet for details. Learn more about Carefree Maintenance at vw.com/myvw/carefree.

AF1011vw.indd 1 9/14/11 8:39:48 AMGFLEET1111_att.indd 25GFLEET1111_att.indd 25 10/13/11 2:03:47 PM10/13/11 2:03:47 PM

CORPORATE SUSTAINABILITY


plan will save a total of 49-million gallons

of gasoline over the course of the 10-year

deployment period. In addition, the plan

will reduce carbon emissions by 211,000

metric tons. Th e company said this is the

greenhouse gas equivalent of removing

38,600 passenger vehicles from the road

for one year.

Th e natural gas vehicles in the fl eet are

Ford E-250 and E-350 vans, Honda Civic

GXs, Ford F-250s, Ford F-450s with LEEP

aerial technology, Ford Transit Connects,

and Chevrolet Express Vans. Th e compa-

ny said its recent deployments are the lat-

est in its planned 10-year investment of up

to $565 million to replace 15,000 fl eet ve-

hicles with AFVs by 2018.

AT&T said it estimates it will have up to

8,000 CNG-fueled vehicles in its fl eet by

2013, at an estimated cost of $350 million.

Th e company said it expects to invest an

additional $215 million through 2018 to

replace approximately 7,100 fl eet passen-

ger cars with AFVs.

To fi nd out AT&T’s strategy for its fl eet,

and the benefi ts it has seen from this initia-

tive, Green Fleet interviewed Jerome Web-

ber, vice president of fl eet.

“AT&T has a pretty large fl eet of over

71,500 vehicles,” Webber said. “Our strategy

of applying a more sustainable approach to

our fl eet came as part of an overall AT&T-

wide initiative to embrace sustainability

across all areas of the business.”

Webber said the $565-million invest-

ment is a shift in the company’s capital

spend, rather than additional funds be-

ing dedicated to fl eet. Th is shift will have

a major impact on AT&T’s business,

though, and help spur development and

interest in AFVs.

“We truly believe that we’re driving the

market for cleaner vehicle types,” Web-

ber said. “As a large fl eet, we believe that

when we make commitments to invest

up to $565 million in clean vehicles, the

announcement we made back in 2009, it

sends a strong signal that this is not a pass-

ing trend or a company that just wants to

‘green’ a couple of vehicles. We’re serious

about this commitment.”

AFV ApplicationsTh e type of fl eet application is a key fac-

tor infl uencing the AFV models AT&T

is purchasing. Th ere isn’t necessarily an

AFV available to meet all of the compa-

ny’s fl eet needs, but overall AT&T is mak-

ing signifi cant progress in fi nding vehicles

that will work.

“We are making sure the vehicles fi t

into our fl eet,” Webber said. “Our strat-

egy has always been to take a mixed ap-

proach to alternative fuels, leveraging not

just one but a combination of diff erent

technologies.”

Th ese diff erent fl eet needs stem from

the company’s diverse operations, from

sales to servicing the systems that allow

the company to provide its telecommu-

nications services.

“Our fl eet, and the us-

age of vehicles in our fl eet,

is diverse,” Webber said.

“Th is gives us the oppor-

tunity to look at our fl eet

in a diverse way and se-

lect vehicles that will be

successful in the areas

where they make the most sense. One

size does not fi t all, and one technology

might not be applicable to every aspect of

our business.”

One of the major changes that’s part of

AT&T’s strategy is its commitment to us-

ing alternative-fuel passenger vehicles, but

commercial vehicles are a somewhat dif-

ferent story.

“Many of our managers drive passenger

vehicles to do their daily work, and we de-

cided back in 2009 that we would only pur-

chase alternative-fuel models going for-

ward,” Webber said. “Th is has been a very

manageable focus for us. Now, the [auto-

motive] industry has plenty of vehicles to

select from in the passenger vehicle cate-

gory. For the commercial service fl eet cat-

egory, it’s a diff erent challenge. In some

cases there are no alternative-fuel vehicle

choices for the work we do. Th rough care-

ful selection and thorough trialing, howev-

er, we’ve been able to hit the mark in sev-

eral applications and exceed our planned

expectations in a positive way.”

With natural gas running at 30- to 40-

percent less than unleaded gasoline or

diesel, the company is seeing savings in

fuel costs.

Lower Maintenance CostsBeyond fuel savings, one pleasant sur-

prise for AT&T is reduced maintenance

costs for its AFV fl eet. Webber said the

company looked at the conventional vehi-

cles it purchased within the last three years

and the AFVs purchased in that time pe-

riod to ensure the comparison was accu-

rate. Based on this comparison, Webber

said he’s seen signifi cant results.

“We do track the performance of our

alternative-fuel vehicles compared to our

conventional-fuel vehicles, and we are see-

ing much better performance and fewer re-

pair opportunities,” Webber said. “We have

been pleased to see that the repair rate for

our alternative-fuel vehicles is running sig-

nifi cantly lower than that for our conven-

tionally fueled vehicles.”

WEBBER

By 2013, AT&T expects to have up to 8,000 CNG-vehicles in its fl eet. The CNG van (pictured above) is one of the communications company’s 3,196 CNG units in operation today.


Running a Pilot ProgramAT&T didn’t make the decision to fo-

cus on AFVs without doing its research.

Webber said the company tests vehicles in

diff erent environments to ensure they can

run in all types of weather and road con-

ditions without issues. When asked about

specifi c examples, Webber off ered the all-

electric Ford Transit Connect and how the

company decided to test it in the U-Verse

segment of AT&T’s operations.

“For example, we bought several gas-

oline versions of the Transit Connect,”

Webber said. “We deployed them to the

segment of our business that would be

using them to make sure we understood

that the fit and function made sense.

Once we were sure that was the case, we

decided having an all-electric version

also made sense. In the area of the busi-

ness to which they’re deployed, there

aren’t any issues with regard to disaster

recovery or first responder responsibil-

ities, and this helps overcome the ini-

tial range anxiety that often comes with

driving an electric vehicle.”

For AT&T, Webber said focusing on lo-

cal sources of energy for its fl eet will ul-

timately give the company better control

over its fl eet operations.

“At the end of the day, as we continue to

look at our fl eet, we’re constantly remind-

ed that whatever we can do to increase our

focus on domestic sources of energy will

give us a better chance of securing how

we’re able to move our fl eet and our busi-

ness forward,” Webber said. “We’ve got a

ways to go, but we’re getting there.”


President Barack Obama inspects an AT&T all-electric vehicle on display during a tour of a UPS facility in Landover, Md., April 1, 2011.

(Offi ce White House Photo by Pete Souza)

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Southeast Louisiana Clean Fuel Partnership (SLCFP)

brings biodiesel and ethanol to local fi lm productions.

Greenhouse gas reductions are get-

ting the Hollywood star treatment in

New Orleans with help from the Southeast

Louisiana Clean Fuel Partnership (SLCFP)

— one of the state’s two Clean Cities co-

alitions. SLCFP is partnering with inde-

pendent fi lm studio Second Line Stages

to power fi lm productions with biodie-

sel and ethanol.

“Film companies are pushing to incor-

porate sustainability into the production

process wherever they can,” SLCFP Coor-

dinator Rebecca Otte said. “Transportation

can be a fairly easy place to do that.”

Production for a single fi lm can involve

the use of dozens of generators, hundreds

of light- and heavy-duty vehicles, and thou-

sands of gallons of fuel each day. In 2010,

Second Line Stages Sustainability Direc-

tor Diane Wheeler reached out to Otte to

explore renewable fuel options with Hol-

lywood Trucks, the largest fi lm fl eet in the

South, and Golden Leaf Energy, a fuel pro-

ducer and SLCFP stakeholder.

Otte worked with the fl eet owners to re-

search vehicle specs, warranties, ASTM fuel

standards, and fuel properties, while Wheel-

er brought productions on board.

In September, Golden Leaf installed a

biodiesel tank onsite at the studio, ready

to dispense B-5. And, Second Line Stages

is providing on-demand mobile fueling to

keep the biodiesel fl owing when produc-

tions move around the region. Second Line

Stages and Golden Leaf will also be able

to supply ethanol to any fl ex-fuel vehicles

used during fi lm productions.

Th e biodiesel will be cheaper than tra-

ditional diesel fuel, as it’s made from recy-

cled vegetable oil by an organization that

serves at-risk youth.

With support from SLCFP, Second Line

Stages is keeping the renewables rolling by

reaching out to other productions in the

New Orleans area.

‘BIG EASY’Rolls Out Red Carpet for

Renewable Fuels

By Julie Sutor

GET INVOLVED WITH CLEAN CITIES

Through the work of nearly 100 local coalitions, Clean Cities works to

reduce petroleum use in U.S. transpor-tation. Clean Cities is an initiative of the U.S. Department of Energy.

www.cleancities.energy.gov.For more information about SLCFP,

e-mail Rebecca Otte at [email protected] or visit www.cleanfuelpartnership.org.

loca

(Above, L-R) Rebecca Otte of SLCFP, Debbie Trim-ble of Hollywood Trucks, and Diane Wheeler of Golden Leaf Energy pose near a biodiesel vehi-cle and a portable refueling station. (Bottom, right) Ross Montalbano, fl eet personnel with Hollywood Trucks, fi lls a truck with biodiesel. The three orga-nizations worked together to make fi lm production in the Bayou State greener.

PHOTOS: BOBBY DEVAY

GFLEET1111_otte.indd 28GFLEET1111_otte.indd 28 10/13/11 2:02:46 PM10/13/11 2:02:46 PM

http://www.cleancities.energy.gov


http://www.cleanfuelpartnership.org

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FF0909leaseplan.indd 1 9/1/09 8:30:53 AM

SHOWCASE TRANSIT


PROTERRA ECORIDEProterra’s EcoRide is a full-size (35-foot,

64-passenger) fast-charge battery electric bus capable of fully charging in under 10 minutes. The EcoRide is up to 600-percent more effi cient than a typical diesel or com-pressed natural gas (CNG) bus — resulting in tremendous operating cost savings, the elimination of liquid fuels, and the reduc-tion of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The EcoRide achieves 21-plus miles MPGe, resulting in $750,000 in fuel savings versus diesel over a 16-year lifecycle and 44-percent less carbon annually versus CNG, according to the company.

With the ability to run 300-plus miles per day and 30-plus miles per charge, the EcoRide can replace existing diesel or CNG buses on a one-to-one basis with no loss in performance or service limitations. It empowers transit agencies by creating a predictable operating environment utilizing electricity — offering

FREIGHTLINER MB-HEV COMMERCIAL BUS CHASSIS

The Freightliner Custom Chassis Corpora-tion (FCCC) MB-HEV hybrid-electric com-mercial bus chassis combines the benefi ts and convenience of a traditional drivetrain with the fuel economy of a regenerative brake-charged transmission.

Built on FCCC’s popular MB-65 platform, the MB-HEV is equipped with a 2010 Cummins ISB 6.7L diesel engine and a hybrid-electric Eaton automated manual 6-speed transmis-sion, which delivers as much as a 40-percent reduction in fuel consumption.

The MB-HEV system is comprised of a Hybrid Drive Unit — the clutch, motor/generator, and transmission — linked by a high-voltage DC-to-AC power inverter to the batteries and electronics in the power electronics carrier. The lithium-ion batter-ies capture and store energy during the regenerative braking phase of the vehicle’s operation, eliminating the need for plug-in

more price stability than fossil fuels.Proterra sets the bar for U.S.-made con-

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recharging, making the chassis ideal for transportation services that feature short runs and frequent stops.

Both the engine and the Hybrid Drive Unit’s electric motor can provide power to the drivetrain, with the hybrid’s supervisory controller automatically selecting the most effi cient mode of operation, based on operat-

ing conditions and driver demand.The MB-HEV offers a smooth ride thanks to

front and rear Hendrickson SofTek parabolic leaf suspension, while its industry-best 55-degree wheel cut provides superior maneuverability. It can accommodate a gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) of up to 32,000 lbs.

www.freightlinerchassis.com

The Proterra EcoRide is a full-size, fast-charging battery electric bus. With a range of 30 miles per charge, it is ideal for fi xed routes and can replace diesel or CNG buses on a one-to-one basis.

The Freightliner MB-HEV hybrid-electric commercial bus chassis can accommodate a GVWR of up to 32,000 lbs.

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www.greenfleetcoalition.com

Certify Your Green Fleet Operation

GRN0911coalition.indd 1 9/8/11 1:56:54 PM

There’s a direct correlation between

vehicle weight, fuel economy, and

greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. To fi nd

the right equilibrium, you need to right-size

the vehicles in your fl eet. One form of right-

sizing is transitioning to smaller-displace-

ment engines. Th e cyclical volatility of gas-

oline prices during the past decade has been

the catalyst for many companies to switch

to four-cylinder engines. Another reason

to downsize engines has been to achieve

goals established in corporate-wide sus-

tainability programs requiring GHG emis-

sions reductions. One example is Merck,

which established a corporate-wide initia-

tive to reduce GHG emissions of its global

fl eet by 12 percent in 2012 from base-year

2005. One prong of this multipronged strat-

egy is to increase the number of four-cylin-

der models in the U.S. fl eet.

Switching to four-cylinder engines al-

lows fl eets (that are primarily automo-

biles) to maintain the same-size vehicles

necessary to meet fl eet applications with-

out downsizing to smaller classes of vehi-

cles. Helping to facilitate the migration to

smaller engines has been the incremental

horsepower improvements in smaller dis-

placement, fuel-effi cient engines. Nowa-

days, some high-volume fl eet models are

only equipped with four-cylinder engines,

without a V-6 option.

Growing Number of Fleets Right-Sizing

In addition to ballooning fuel budgets

and meeting sustainability objectives, an-

other reason for right-sizing is changing

business practices. “Our business practic-

es have evolved over the years to the point

where we can use smaller and lighter ve-

hicles for our fi eld service technicians,”

said Frank Felicetta, director − fl eet op-

erations for Cablevision, headquartered

in Bethpage, N.Y.

Another fl eet in the midst of a multiyear

right-sizing initiative is OTIS. “We started

the vehicle downsizing process two years

ago. Th is process will continue and no op-

portunity will be ignored to downsize ve-

hicles,” said Phil Schreiber, fl eet manager,

North America for OTIS Service Center

in Bloomfi eld, Conn.

Similarly, Brown-Forman is implement-

ing an initiative to downsize its fl eet ve-

hicles. “Two years ago, the SUV was the

major vehicle in our fl eet. Last year, we

started to downsize to the crossover —

large, mid, and small size,” said Mary Pat

Crabtree, fl eet & relocation manager for

Brown-Forman in Louisville, Ky. “Aft er

months of discussion with management,

it was concluded a mid-size sedan is the

most appropriate vehicle.”

Likewise, Carrier Corp. is reducing fuel

and global GHG emissions through alter-

ations and upgrades to its 3,000-vehicle

fl eet. Since 2006, Carrier reduced emis-

sions by more than 30 percent through a

variety of techniques, such as right-sizing

and eliminating unnecessary weight dur-

ing transport.

Other fl eets have adopted a minimum

fuel economy target for new models entering

their fl eets, such as Red Bull North Amer-

ica, Inc. “We have downsized our vehicles

and put a minimum 23 mpg combined re-

striction,” said David McCauley, fl eet man-

ager for Red Bull North America.

Spec’ing Lighter Weight Vehicles

Ultimately, fl eet application dictates ve-

hicle size. However, it is possible to spec

a lighter vehicle without going down a

class. When spec’ing vehicles, compare

the weight of major components. For ex-

ample, some engines weigh several hun-

dred pounds less than others with the same

horsepower and torque. Some pumps are

much lighter than others for similar fl ow

and pressure ratings. Aluminum wheels

can save hundreds of pounds over steel

wheels, especially for trucks, depending

on the number of axles.

Individual weight savings start adding up,

and proper specifi cations can eliminate a lot

of weight before a vehicle goes into service.

For instance, an oversized fuel tank adds un-

necessary weight. Unless the vehicle will be

used in an area where fuel isn’t easily acces-

sible, why carry around three or four days’

worth of fuel? A gallon of gasoline weighs 6

lbs. and a gallon of diesel fuel weighs 7 lbs.

Factor in the weight of the fuel tank, and

carrying 50 extra gallons of fuel could mean

needlessly hauling up to 400 lbs. Similarly,

look closely at upfi t equipment and consid-

er alternative, lighter versions to get the job

done, such as lighter weight bodies using

high-tensile steel or composites.

Every pound of extra weight requires

an engine to work harder, decreasing fuel

economy. Similarly, every pound deleted

from curb weight not only reduces emis-

sions, but can be directly converted into

revenue-generating payload. Vehicles get

better fuel mileage when not loaded with

unnecessary weight. An extra 100 lbs. in a

vehicle could reduce mpg up to 2 percent.

Th e reduction is based on the percentage

of extra weight relative to a vehicle’s weight

and aff ects smaller vehicles more than larg-

er ones. However, right-sizing a payload-

carrying truck to improve fuel economy

requires caution. Some fl eets, for example,

have sought better fuel economy (and lower

acquisition cost) by replacing larger trucks

with lower GVW trucks. However, this in-

creases the risk of overloading, which will

create an unsafe vehicle and result in need-

less liability exposure in the event of an acci-

dent. Th is risk can be easily avoided by sim-

ply following OEM specifi cations.

In the fi nal analysis, right-sizing the vehi-

cles in your fl eet reduces fuel consumption,

which will reduce GHG emissions. When it

comes to greening your fl eet, right-sizing is

the right thing to do.

Let me know what you think.

[email protected]

Right-Sizing is an Easy Way to Green Your Fleet

GREEN TALK

MIKE ANTICH

GFLEET1111edit.indd 32GFLEET1111edit.indd 32 10/14/11 6:17:01 AM10/14/11 6:17:01 AM


www.greenfleetcoalition.comwww.greenfleetcoalition.com

Certify Your Certify Your GreenGreen Fleet Operation Fleet Operation

Coalition Members

GR

F09-

08.1

1

GRN0911coalition.indd 1 9/8/11 1:56:54 PMGFLEET1111edit.indd 993GFLEET1111edit.indd 993 10/14/11 6:17:03 AM10/14/11 6:17:03 AM

http://www.greenfleetcoalition.com

THE CHALLENGE: IMPROVING THE BOTTOM LINE

OUR SOLUTION: MANY FUEL EFFICIENT VEHICLES

| 2012 GMC TERRAIN

| 2012 BUICK LACROSSE WITH eASSIST

We know that fuel costs aff ect your bottom line. That’s why our 2012 lineup

includes 12 models with an EPA-estimated 30 MPG hwy. or greater when running

on gasoline. We continue to develop new ways to improve fuel economy

without compromising performance—many of our powertrains are equipped

with features such as Active Fuel Management, Clean Diesel Technology and

Spark Ignition Direct Injection. For more solutions, visit gmfl eet.com.

1 Available to order at participating dealers. Quantities limited.©2011 General Motors LLC

2012 30+ MPG HWY. VEHICLES

Chevrolet Cruze ECO 42 MPG hwy.

Chevrolet Volt1 40 MPG hwy.

Chevrolet Cruze 38 MPG hwy.

Buick LaCrosse with eAssist 36 MPG hwy.

Buick Regal with eAssist 36 MPG hwy.

Chevrolet Sonic 35 MPG hwy.

Chevrolet Malibu 33 MPG hwy.

Buick Regal 32 MPG hwy.

Chevrolet Equinox 32 MPG hwy.

GMC Terrain 32 MPG hwy.

Chevrolet Camaro 30 MPG hwy.

Chevrolet Impala 30 MPG hwy.

| 2012 CHEVROLET CRUZE ECO

GFLEET1111cover.indd 994GFLEET1111cover.indd 994 10/14/11 11:31:26 AM10/14/11 11:31:26 AM

green fleet magazine november/december 2011

Documents

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