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Keeping the air clean goes beyond political boundaries

photo: one of King Co. Fleet's new hybrid trucks

By next summer, King County will have taken delivery on two utility trucks just like this one -- only with a hybrid diesel-electric propulsion system similar to those that run Metro's hybrid buses.

King County has a growing reputation for running a “clean-and-green” government. With a large fleet of hybrid cars and buses, widespread use of biodiesel fuel, innovative waste reduction programs, and preserving vast acreages of open space – King County has become a national role model.

These big ideas often spring from the creative minds of county employees, who develop special projects that spread into countywide initiatives and catch on at the regional and national levels.

Such was the case when King County pulled together more than a dozen government agencies to open up the market for the production of hybrid diesel-electric utility trucks. The purchase of the first 10 trucks by members of the Northwest Hybrid Truck Consortium was announced last week, but the idea began four years ago with Windell Mitchell, the director of the King County Department of Transportation’s Fleet Administration Division.

In 2002, Mitchell was selected to lead a national effort to negotiate the purchase of hybrid vehicles on behalf of all governmental agencies across the United States. The goal was to reduce the procurement price by volume purchase. Because of some manufacturers' constraints, a national contract did not work out. But, Mitchell saw the benefits of group buying and decided to work on a regional consortium that would have the same benefits.

“I realized that the problem of clean air does not recognize political boundaries,” said Mitchell. “In order for us to make a meaningful impact in the Puget Sound region, we needed to have a team effort.”

photo: members of NW Hybrid Truck Consortium

Members of the consortium gathered on Nov. 15 to accept the $250,000 grant from the Environmental Protection Agency.

After attending a conference about the development of hybrid medium and heavy-duty trucks last year, Mitchell reached out to government fleet managers around the region. In November 2005, the Northwest Hybrid Truck Consortium was formed, including: King, Pierce, Snohomish, and Thurston counties; the cities of Bellevue, Renton, Tacoma, Seattle, Kent, Richland, Bremerton, and Everett; Seattle Public Utilities and the Washington State Department of Natural Resources.

The consortium also partners with WestStart-CALSTART, an advanced transportation technologies organization working on a hybrid truck commercialization strategy in conjunction with the U.S. Army. WestStart-CALSTART is the agency that handles the hybrid truck orders nationwide for the Hybrid Truck User Forum.

Mitchell said aside from the benefits of clean air, King County and the other consortium members gain from reducing dependence on fossil fuel, decreasing vehicle maintenance costs, and being involved in developing a cutting-edge technology that can be expanded into the private market. Once the market expands, the purchase price for each truck should begin to decrease.

King County has placed an order for two hybrid lift trucks that will be used to maintain traffic signals and streetlights. Other members of the consortium have ordered a drilling truck, a paramedic truck, general utility trucks, and flatbeds that can haul other vehicles or cranes. All together, consortium members have placed an initial order for nine trucks and one still to come.

Mitchell said the project would never have happened without the support of King County Executive Ron Sims, who has made the fight against global warming a priority for the county.

Under the leadership of Sims, the King County Department of Transportation has become one of the greenest transportation agencies in the nation. Vehicles throughout the department run on a mix of the cleanest diesel fuel available and 20-percent biodiesel. In addition to the purchase of hybrid trucks, the Fleet Division has also led the way for the use of hybrid passenger vehicles in government motor pools. King County Metro Transit already has more than 215 hybrid buses serving its transit passengers. And, the Road Services Division and Fleet use biodegradable or re-refined lubricants on all heavy equipment vehicles.

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Updated: March 07, 2007

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