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GREENING YOUR VEHICLE FLEETS


As part of its Greening Government initiative, the State of Colorado has taken significant steps to green the operations of its vehicle fleet.  Many businesses in Colorado may be seeking ways to similarly reduce the environmental impacts of their fleet operations.  The answers to the following questions are designed to share some of the key information gathered during the Greening Fleet Management initiative in order to help you get started with making improvements to your own company’s fleet operations.

Greening Fleet Vehicles FAQ

  1. What are some tips for improving the fuel economy of my fleet without changing vehicles?
  2. What are some things to consider in implementing an organizational plan to reduce petroleum consumption and fuel costs?
  3. Are there any online tools I can use to evaluate and calculate potential petroleum reductions in my fleet?
  4. Where can I quickly obtain fuel consumption information for passenger and light duty vehicles using conventional and alternative fuels?
  5. What are some things to consider if evaluating hybrid vehicles as an option?
  6. Can you give me more information on using blended biodiesel fuels?
  7. Can you give me more information on using ethanol blends in my fleet vehicles?
  8. How can I find alternative fueling stations in my area or along the routes that my fleets drive?
  9. Where can I get more information on specific alternative vehicle technologies?

1. What are some tips for improving the fuel economy of my fleet without changing vehicles?

  • Maintaining your vehicle improves fuel economy.  A dirty air filter can reduce fuel economy by up to 20%.
  • Keep your tires properly inflated to prevent fuel economy loss.
  • If you have flexibility in your commute or delivery times, adjust your schedule to avoid congested periods on area roadways.
  • Consolidate trips to optimize your travel.
  • Lighten the load of your vehicle by offloading items that do not need to be transported.  An extra 250 lbs. in your vehicle can cost you 1 mpg.
  • Reduce drag by removing vehicle racks if not needed.
  • Drive at constant, moderate speeds by accelerating slowly and braking over longer distances.
  • Don’t idle.  If you idle for more than 8 seconds, you are wasting more fuel than if you turned your engine off and restarted it.

2. What are some things to consider in implementing an organizational plan to reduce petroleum consumption and fuel costs?

  • Establish a vehicle miles traveled reduction target in conjunction with an outreach and education program for employees.
  • Institute detailed daily trip log requirements reviewed regularly by the fleet manager.
  • Review established routine routes to optimize or combine, if possible.
  • Mount global position system units in vehicles to enable the analysis of routing for potential optimization.
  • Assign the most fuel-efficient type of vehicle from your fleet possible that will satisfy the needs of a particular job.
  • Institute a tire pressure check program.
  • Implement and enforce an anti-idling policy.
  • Increase the use of ethanol or biodiesel blends in fleet vehicles that can use these fuels by educating drivers to fuel their vehicles with appropriate blends whenever possible.

3. Are there any online tools I can use to evaluate and calculate potential petroleum reductions in my fleet?

  • The Department of Energy’s Alternative Fuels and Advanced Vehicles Data Center has developed a Petroleum Reduction and Planning Tool that can be used to assess potential petroleum reduction strategies related to alternatively fueled vehicles, hybrid electric vehicles, biodiesel blends, fuel economy, vehicle miles traveled reduction, truck stop electrification, idling time reduction and onboard idle reduction.

4. Where can I quickly obtain fuel consumption information for passenger and light duty vehicles using conventional and alternative fuels?

  • The Department of Energy and the Environmental Protection Agency have developed an easy-to-use online tool for determining the rated fuel economy of passenger cars and light-duty vehicles from 1985 to present for gasoline, diesel, compressed natural gas, ethanol, propane and electric vehicles.

5. What are some things to consider if evaluating hybrid vehicles as an option?

  • Hybrid vehicle fuel economy varies significantly by model but is typically 13-45% greater than the comparative standard vehicle.  Tailpipe emission reductions can also be significant.
  • City driving offers the greatest fuel economy benefit potential for hybrid vehicles.
  • Significant initial cost premiums can make hybrid vehicles difficult to justify on a purely economic basis.
  • An impartial life cycle cost analysis using your own fleet data can be conducted to assess the economic impacts including “what if” sensitivity analyses.  Key variables in the analysis include:
    • Initial net purchase price after rebates and incentives
    • Fuel economy estimates
    • Fuel price estimates for the near and long terms
    • Annual miles driven estimates
    • Estimated economic life
    • Estimated resale value
    • Estimated maintenance cost difference

6. Can you give me more information on using blended biodiesel fuels?

  • In general, biodiesel can be used in existing engines and fuel injection equipment with little impact to operating performance.
  • Most original equipment manufacturers have approved the use of 5% biodiesel blends (B5) and some have approved 20% biodiesel blends (B20).
  • In testing, B20 has shown similar fuel consumption, horsepower and torque as diesel fuel.
  • While higher biodiesel blends may show a tendency to gel in very cold temperatures, B5 blends have shown virtually no impact on cold flow.
  • Studies of B20 and lower blends have not shown any long-term effects on engines if the biodiesel is within approved fuel specification ranges.
  • Biodiesel combustion emits fewer unburned hydrocarbons, carbon monoxide and particulate matter emissions than conventional diesel combustion.  Nitrogen oxide emissions can increase or decrease slightly depending on conditions.

7. Can you give me more information on using ethanol blends in my fleet vehicles?

  • Most current gasoline vehicles are designed to run on up to 10% ethanol blends.  Flex-fueled vehicles (FFV) are required to use blends of up to 85% ethanol (E85). 
  • No factory produced cars in the U.S. can currently use 100% ethanol.
  • Using E85 in a non-FFV engine can cause engine components to weaken or fail over time and is not recommended.
  • FFVs have a fuel economy reduction of 20-35% when E85 is compared to gasoline as a result of the lower energy content of the ethanol.

8. How can I find alternative fueling stations in my area or along the routes that my fleets drive?

9. Where can I get more information on specific alternative vehicle technologies?