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Hybrid Electric Fleet Experiences

Enterprise Rent-A-Car Responds to Demand for Green Vehicles

Last Updated: April 25, 2008
In an effort to meet consumer demand for environmentally friendly vehicles, Enterprise Rent-A-Car is deploying its first group of "Green" branches in Atlanta and continues to expand its number of "E85/FlexFuel" branches nationally. Enterprise is a part of the Taylor family of companies, which includes National Car Rental and Alamo. The combined companies make up the world's largest vehicle fleet, which currently includes 4,000 hybrids, 73,000 flexible fuel vehicles, and 440,000 fuel-efficient vehicles.

At four Atlanta, Georgia, locations, hybrids and fuel-efficient vehicles will comprise approximately 60% of the company's "Green Branch" fleets. These fleets will offer approximately 30 percent hybrid gas/electric vehicles and 30 percent fuel-efficient vehicles that average a highway fuel efficiency rating of at least 28 mpg. "For the past 50 years, Enterprise Rent-A-Car has steadily grown its business by consistently talking with and listening to its customers," says Dan Miller, vice president and general manager for Enterprise in Atlanta. "With Atlanta ranking among the top cities in average commute times, customers of Enterprise's metro Atlanta branches have expressed great interest in renting environmentally friendly vehicles, and we are responding by concentrating the largest number of hybrid and fuel-efficient vehicles possible at these four area branches."

Enterprise also recently designated one of its Dallas-Fort Worth area rental locations as its first official "E85/FlexFuel Branch" in Texas. The location is at the Classic Chevrolet dealership located in Grapevine, Texas. Classic Chevrolet is also home to the nation's first dealership-owned public E85 pumps. Approximately 25% of the branch's vehicles will be General Motors flexible fuel vehicles (FFVs).

To build consumer awareness and increase the number of cars being fueled with E85, Enterprise is actively deploying the majority of its FFVs near E85 fueling stations. The Grapevine, Texas, E85/FlexFuel Branch joins similar Enterprise branches in Washington, D.C.; St. Louis, Missouri; Charlotte, North Carolina; Sioux Falls, South Dakota; and Cincinnati, Columbus: and Dayton, Ohio.

"Enterprise is committed to supporting new technologies and alternative fuels as they become commercially viable," says Miller. "We'll continue to make them more accessible to our customers."

Alamo Clean Cities Develops Hybrid Taxicab Replacement Program

Last Updated: March 31, 2008
In spring 2007, Alamo Clean Cities Coordinator Andrew Hudgins and representatives from the City of San Antonio sat down with members of the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) and the taxicab industry to discuss the environmental and cost benefits of switching from petroleum-powered vehicles to hybrids.

According to Hudgins, their approach was to tout the "fuel savings, lower emissions, and 'green public image' that would come as a result of switching to hybrid taxis." The meeting eventually led to the passage of a city ordinance establishing the Hybrid Taxicab Replacement Program, a voluntary initiative that offers cab companies additional vehicle permits as an incentive to replace their current combustion-engine vehicles with hybrid taxis. The goal of the program is to swap all of the area's conventional taxis with hybrids.

As of March 2008, 65 hybrid cabs, operated by 16 of the 25 local cab companies, were cruising the streets of San Antonio as part of the program. Petroleum reductions have not yet been measured.

Alamo Clean Cities continues to provide technical assistance to the taxicab program and more recently helped the city become part of the TCEQ's Green and Go Partnership. The program works to increase public awareness of hybrid vehicles and help eliminate roadblocks to getting hybrids incorporated into taxi fleets.

Light-Duty Fleet Brews Up Commitment to Petroleum Reduction

Last Updated: March 10, 2008
New Belgium Brewing, maker of Fat Tire Amber Ale and a host of Belgian inspired beers, was founded in 1991 by an electrical engineer and a social worker. So it's no surprise that the Fort Collins, Colorado, brewer has always looked for ways to be energy efficient and socially responsible. Since its beginning, the company has had an ongoing commitment to participate in developing technologies. Multiple programs within the company focus on reducing greenhouse gas emissions, maintaining healthy watersheds, building green buildings, recycling and reuse programs, and sustainability.

New Belgium Brewing is currently in the market for four new hybrid vehicles. "But we are seeing a shortage of hybrid vehicles in the market and the wait can be long," says New Belgium spokesperson, Christine Biegert. "We also need all-wheel or four-wheel drive capability for mountain driving but hybrid choices are limited. As a light-duty fleet, we have a five-year turnover cycle rather than a 15-year cycle typical of heavy-duty vehicles. So we want to use the most up-to-date transportation technology available."

New Belgium's fleet is 99 percent light-duty vehicles that are used by its sales representatives in 18 states. These vehicles average 1.4 million miles per year. In a fleet of 95 vehicles there are 23 Prius hybrids, three Ford Escape hybrids, and one Nissan Altima hybrid. In addition, there are five Dodge three-quarter ton Ram pickups that run on B20. Four medium duty box trucks also run on B20. The company is a stakeholder in the Northern Colorado Clean Cities Coalition, and transportation is a large part of its commitment to the environment.

"We have no policy or goal expressed in a percentage of alternative vehicles and alternative fuel," says Biegert. "But we are forward thinking in our use of vehicles."

To further support biofuels development, New Belgium has offered its land, CO2 derived from fermentation, and treated process waste water to Solix Biofuels for a research project to grow algae that can be used as a biodiesel feedstock. The treatment plant's anaerobic digestor is already producing methane as bacteria consume the organic waste material left after brewing. The methane gas is piped back into the building where it fires a combined heat and power engine that can provide up to 15 percent of the brewery's electricity. Solix's algae-to-biodiesel project is one more way to enhance New Belgium's support of sustainability through innovation.

For more information about this fleet on the move, contact Fleet Manager Christine Biegert.

Limo Company Goes Green

Last Updated: September 19, 2007
Michael Fadis had been running limo company Kalacor Executive Service for about seven years when, in 2004, a client asked for a ride to a Toyota dealership to see the Prius. The visit got Fadis thinking about a new business venture: green limos.

After conducting an informal survey of his customers, he found that about three-quarters of them wanted to make "green" choices. That was enough for him. Less than a year later, Fadis launched a second company: Green Car Limo, a driver service that transports clients in one of its dozen hybrid electric vehicles (mostly Priuses).

Since starting his new company, Fadis thinks of himself as a "green evangelist" because he's converting his customers to be believers in the high-fuel-efficiency, low-pollution hybrids. He spends about $6,000 per car to outfit them with custom leather, extra soundproofing, and quieter tires and uses professional chauffeurs to drive them. The cars are proving popular with his regular customers, and he's attracting new customers all the time. In fact, Fadis says Green Car Limo is hired for Berkeley-area weddings about once every two weeks.

Fadis credits the "chauffeur-style" driving of his highly trained, largely European drivers with helping reach the high fuel economy the hybrids are capable of, as well as helping make the customers feel like they are still in a limo. His hybrid fleet averages about 47 miles per gallon (mpg), compared to about 18 mpg for his conventional Lincoln and Mercedes sedans and 15 mpg for his stretch limos. The original vehicles have logged 50,000 to 60,000 miles in a year and a half, and Fadis provides regular feedback on their performance to Toyota.

The Green Car Limo fleet is mostly comprised of Priuses but also includes a hybrid Toyota Camry and Lexus sport utility vehicle.

Fadis is currently thinking about expanding Green Car Limo to service New York, Los Angeles, and Shanghai.

Contact: Michael Fadis, 650-593-6323.

Redwood National and State Parks

Last Updated: August 22, 2007
Located near Eureka, California, the Redwood National and State Parks are currently using a variety of alternative fuels in its fleet. They are using biodiesel (B20) to operate 32 heavy-duty vehicles (HDVs) used for park maintenance. The park also uses five light-duty electric vehicles and two Toyota Prius hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs) for light maintenance and park transportation. In addition, the park has an electric tractor vehicle used to haul cleaning supplies to the restrooms, pick up and transport garbage, and to perform routine maintenance work. "The electric tractor is quieter than a conventional vehicle, and it does not disturb the wildlife as much," says Roads and Trails Supervisor Richard Mayle.Redwood National and State Parks currently has an onsite biodiesel (B20) refueling station. "Biodiesel is inconsistent because it usually takes a few weeks to get a shipment to our remote location. Sometimes the fuel arrives in a few days and other times it takes a couple of weeks," says Mayle. "Biodiesel also costs a little bit more than conventional fossil fuel diesel, but we have noticed that biodiesel is cleaner and seems better for the environment."

For additional information, visit the Redwood National and State Parks Web site or contact Richard Mayle at richard_mayle@nps.gov.

Seattle Tacoma International Airport

Last Updated: August 22, 2007
In 2001, the Port of Seattle Aviation Division adopted a fleet vehicle purchase policy that required the purchase of alternative fuel vehicles (AFVs), whenever feasible and practical, to replace conventional petroleum vehicles. The Seattle Tacoma (Sea-Tac) International Airport's fleet is currently composed of 60 compressed natural gas (CNG) vehicles, including 16 buses and 41 light-duty vehicles (LDVs)--all of which display the slogan "Doing our share for cleaner air naturally." Sea-Tac's fleet also includes seven propane LDVs, nine hybrid LDVs and 91 ground support units that operate on electricity. In 2005, the Sea-Tac Airport received the Environmental Protection Agency's Clean Air Excellence Award in recognition of the implementation of air quality programs such as the fleet vehicle purchase policy.

The Port required airport taxi and shuttle services to switch to CNG vehicles. Shuttle Express currently has 27 CNG shuttle vans serving the airport. Shuttle Express operates more than 33% of its total trip mileage using the CNG vans. The Seattle-Tacoma International Taxi Association operates all of its 166 taxi cab fleet with CNG-fueled Ford Crown Victorias. The Port of Seattle's Air Quality Web site reports that the CNG fleet is expected to produce 149 fewer tons of carbon monoxide and 24 fewer tons of oxides of nitrogen each year compared to conventional vehicles.

The Port partnered with Clean Energy to install, operate, and maintain a full-service CNG fueling station at Sea-Tac, which is open to the public and operates 24 hours a day. Sea-Tac currently has plans to add an additional public CNG fueling station, as well as increase the number of CNG buses in its fleet.

For more information, contact Russ Simonson, senior environmental program manager, Port of Seattle, Aviation Division, at simonson.r@portseattle.org.

Congregation of the Sisters of St. Joseph

Last Updated: August 22, 2007
In 1999, the Congregation of the Sisters of St. Joseph in Cleveland, Ohio, purchased a Honda Civic GX, a sedan fueled by compressed natural gas (CNG). The sisters later expanded their alternative fuel vehicle (AFV) fleet by purchasing an additional 11 Honda Civic GXs. "Some benefits of using CNG include creating a cleaner environment and ensuring more stability in the price of fuel compared to gasoline," according to Sister Mary Schrader. "The AFVs have also served as an effective educational tool." The congregation is active in several community organizations and uses the vehicles to promote alternative forms of transportation to its members and local residents.

The congregation received assistance from the U.S. Department of Energy to install a slow-fill FuelMaker to fuel the vehicles. The FuelMaker system allows four vehicles to simultaneously fuel overnight using the congregation's current CNG infrastructure. The sisters estimate that the fuel costs around $1.10 per gasoline gallon equivalent of CNG. "The FuelMaker is convenient because it allows us to fuel the vehicles overnight when they are not needed, and every morning we have a full tank of fuel. It did not require any modifications to our current natural gas system, which significantly lowered the cost of installation," Schrader says.

The congregation recently added 16 Toyota Prius hybrid vehicles to its fleet. "We continue to use the CNG vehicles on a regular basis," says Schrader. "We purchased the hybrids because they fit some of our congregation's driving patterns better than the Civics. We also wanted to continue purchasing environmentally responsible vehicles, and we decided it would be more beneficial for us to experiment with the new hybrid technology," explained Schrader. The congregation currently has plans to purchase more hybrid vehicles as well as continuing to use the CNG Civic GXs.

For more information about the environmental efforts of the Sisters of St. Joseph, visit their Web site at http://www.csjcleveland.org or contact Sister Jan Henniger at jhenniger@csjoseph.org.

Greater Long Island Coalition Celebrates a Decade of Making a Difference

Last Updated: December 19, 2006
Ten years ago a small group of committed stakeholders formed the Greater Long Island Clean Cities Coalition (GLICCC) to address the ozone non-attainment status of New York's Nassau and Suffolk counties. Back then, there were 265,000 alternative fuel vehicles (AFVs) on the road nationwide, the United States imported 3.5 billion barrels of oil per year, and the average gasoline price was $1.25 per gallon.

Today, GLICCC is celebrating a decade of making a difference and looking forward to the challenges ahead. The coalition has secured almost $10 million in Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality grants to support AFV and alternative fuel infrastructure projects. It has directly funded the deployment of more than 250 AFVs, and the total number of AFVs in the coalition service area has increased 700%.

Another achievement has been public outreach. GLICCC hosts an Advancing the Choice event each fall, drawing fleet operators from across the region to learn about the latest advances in vehicle technologies. Two years ago it initiated a seminar series, with each seminar focusing on a single topic such as biodiesel, alternative fuel school buses, and the municipal AFV market. The coalition participates in other outreach events, such as Earth Day, as well.

"Clean Cities is proud of the Greater Long Island Coalition's 10 years of accomplishments," says Marcy Rood, Deputy Director, Clean Cities. "When I attended its designation in 1996 there was so much enthusiasm among stakeholders. I had a strong feeling it would succeed--and Greater Long Island has proven me right."

One key to GLICCC's success has been its collaborative structure. "We have an active board of directors and executive committee along with committees for specific projects," says GLICCC coordinator Andria Adler. "Because many people are involved, things get done more effectively than if one person was doing everything."

Choosing the right host organization is also important. "A good host can support the organization in between funding cycles," says Adler. In 2000, GLICCC became a clean air program at the Long Island Forum for Technology (LIFT), a state-funded economic development organization.

GLICCC is not resting on its laurels. It is creating a new five-year plan that includes a focus on penetrating specific vehicle markets such as refuse trucks. It is also funding and promoting Long Island's first publicly accessible E85 station and supporting the continuation of single-passenger AFV use of the Long Island Expressway's high-occupancy vehicle lane.

Today, there are more than 550,000 AFVs on the road, and hybrid vehicles are selling in large numbers. The United States imports 5 billion barrels of oil per year. The average gasoline price is $2.30 per gallon, with recent New York prices topping $3.25 per gallon. "In the past, it was a challenge to get people to listen and think about vehicle options, but the situation today has made AFVs much more visible," says Adler. "It was important for us to stick with our message during the harder times. Now we're looking forward to even bigger successes."