Posts in 'Fleets'

Last month, I traveled to Atlanta for the 2009 Hybrid Truck Users Forum (HTUF) annual conference. The event brings together truck manufacturers, suppliers, fleets and NGOs to discuss hybrid and high-efficiency vehicle technologies with a focus on reducing emissions. It’s amazing to see how the market has grown in just a few years.  In 2005, there were no hybrid trucks on the market, and now there are at least 37 models on the road, in over 100 fleets.

Hybrid trucks can reduce both greenhouse gas emissions and fuel consumption by 30-50%. Over the 8-15 year lifetime of a truck, those fuel savings add up. Still, in a tough economy, many fleets who want to purchase hybrids don’t have the cash to do it. That’s why we’ve created an incentives guide, to help fleets find funding opportunities for hybrids. Read more »

More and more fleets are looking to their drivers to help reduce emissions. It is well known that how you drive impacts the fuel consumption of a vehicle.  The private sector has clearly taken note of the money that can be saved (and made) in this area. Several firms have launched products to improve the driving habitats of fleet drivers.

Environmental Defense Fund is doing our part to advance this market too. Today, I’m moderating a panel at the Green Fleet Conference in Chicago that is exploring what several leading fleets are doing to improve driving habits.

We are also releasing a suite of tools we have developed to help companies effectively engage with their drivers. These tools include: Read more »

Who’s the largest commercial fleet in the U.S.? If you guessed FedEx, UPS or Coca Cola, you’re wrong. AT&T operates 86,099 vehicles, ranking them first on the Automotive Fleet Top 300 Commercial Fleets list.

Last March, AT&T announced a major initiative to “deploy more than 15,000 alternative-fuel vehicles over the next 10 years.” AT&T’s efforts were recognized with several awards including a NAFA GreenFleet Award and a 2009 National NGV Achievement Award. Now the Center for Automotive Research (CAR) has released a study on the environmental and economic impact of their efforts. Among the key findings are that once AT&T’s program is fully implemented it will reduce emissions by nearly 32,000 metric tons of greenhouse gases per year.

These savings are significant: Read more »

In the recent EDF fleet emissions benchmarking survey, 70% of respondents noted they have programs in place to reduce environmental impact. Yet, only 44% acknowledged that they measure greenhouse gas emissions. This begs the question, how are companies that aren’t measuring their emissions tracking the progress of their efforts?

We, of course, applaud the efforts of all companies that are actively seeking to reduce the environmental impact of their fleets, and we want them all to succeed. Good management, however, requires an objective way to measure progress. Greenhouse gas emissions provide the best metric of environmental impact. Read more »

Benchmarking performance with peers is important for all areas of business, and fleet emissions are no exception. To help corporate fleets with this important task, EDF recently surveyed the largest 300 fleets in the U.S. and members of the Automotive Fleet & Leasing Association (AFLA). The results of the survey were released today and are available at on the EDF website [PDF].

Our overall project objective was to better understand the range of fleet performances along two key indicators: kilograms of greenhouse gases emitted per mile traveled (kg GHG/mile) and the fleet average per vehicle emissions of greenhouse gases (in metric tons- mt GHG vehicle/year). These two metrics, along with the total fleet emissions of greenhouse gases, are an effective way to track fleet environmental performance.

Certainly, the total amount of greenhouse gas emitted is the most important data point. Fleets that seek to lessen their environmental impact need to be reducing their emissions on an absolute basis. The other two indexed metrics tell fleets how well they are improving their efficiency, given changes in fleet size and operations. Kilogram GHG/mile tracks both the efficiency of the vehicles in the fleet, and other factors such as excessive idling. Metric tons GHGs/ vehicle tracks the efficiency and use patterns, such as miles traveled.

Of the eighteen fleets that provided us with the data needed to analyze their emissions along these two metrics, we did see a range of performance. Average emissions varied from over 6 metric tons GHG/ vehicle to over 18 metric tons GHG/ vehicle. Emissions ranged from just under .3 kg GHG/ mile  to over 1 kg GHG/ mile. The function of the fleet explained most of these differences. However, we did notice a difference in performance between those who currently measure their emissions (.47 kg GHG/ mile) and those who do not (.75 kg GHG/mile). We asked participants to provide fuel consumption data in order for us to calculate emissions using the EDF-NAFA fleet emissions calculator.

The small and diverse sample of respondents cautioned us against drawing any conclusions from this survey. Still, it was a worthwhile exercise to help some fleets see how they rank on emissions compared to their peers.

To add your organization’s fleets to this effort, we’ve set-up an online form where companies can provide the necessary data. In exchange for this information (which will be kept confidential), we will send you an updated report noting how you compare to peer fleets. We look forward to your contributions.

This content is cross-posted on GreenBiz.com

With the height of summer now firmly in the rear-view mirror, the workshop/conference season is getting into high gear. There are several great upcoming opportunities to learn about the latest in reducing fleet emissions.

Among the events that EDF will be participating over the next six weeks are:

AltWheels Fleet Day

When: Monday October 5th

Where: Framingham, MA

The event bills itself as  “an event for leaders in fleet management: If you are a fleet manager or commercial vehicle operator looking for new technologies and practical tips for coping with rising fuel costs, come to Fleet Day to learn how to achieve greater efficiency while making the business case for clean technologies that fuel costs and emissions.” EDF staff will be panelists on three of the afternoon breakout sessions.

For more information: http://www.altwheels.org/fleetday09.html

Fleet Challenge Ontario: Green Fleet Management Breakfast Forum

When: Tuesday October 6^th

Where: Toronto, ON

I will be joining Keith Kerman, from the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation and Recipient of National Association of Fleet Administrators 2008 "Greenest Fleet" Award, and Roger Smith, Director of Fleet Challenge Ontario, to discuss best practices for reducing emissions from fleets.

For more information: http://www.fleetchallenge.ca/breakfast_2009.html

The Green Fleet Conference

When October 19-20

Where: Chicago, IL

This event will convene corporate and government fleet managers from across the nation to discuss successful strategies for reducing emissions and keeping fleet costs in check. EDF staff will participate on the panel covering funding opportunities for greenfleet efforts and lead a discussion about engaging drivers on fuel-smart driving behavior.

For more information: http://www.greenfleetconference.com/

Hybrid Truck Users’ Forum

When: October 27-29

Where: Atlanta, GA

The leading event focused on the medium-to-heavy duty hybrid truck marketplace. EDF staff will attend and participate in several activities throughout this event.

For more information: http://www.calstart.org/projects/hybrid-truck-users-forum.aspx

Look for us at these conferences – and let us know if you’ll be there so we can watch for you as well!

You can always see where we’re going to be – and what conferences we’re watching – on the Innovation Exchange Calendar.

Jason Mathers is a Project Manager for our Corporate Partnerships Program where he works with today's leading companies to identify, develop, and implement innovative environmental practices that make business sense.

Fuel is a major cost for fleets of all types and sizes. Typically, it’s second only to vehicle depreciation in the cost ranking. However, when gas prices head north of $3/gal fuel, it quickly becomes the #1 cost for most fleets.

Fuel use is the determining factor in the environmental footprint of any given fleet, accounting for 90% of a vehicle’s carbon footprint. So it should make sense that a great way for fleets to cut costs and reduce its environmental impact is to use less fuel.

Unfortunately, the misconception is that it is expensive for fleets to reduce their environmental footprint. EDF has been working with fleets Read more »

Back in 2000, EDF and FedEx joined forces to develop a hybrid diesel-electric delivery truck and selected Eaton Corporation to build it. The idea was that the drive train Eaton built – which reduces fuel consumption while cutting pollution – would eventually reach economies of scale and transform the industry.

A recent GreenBiz article about Eaton suggests this market transformation is starting to happen. Read more »

Here at Environmental Defense Fund (EDF), we look for market based solutions to environmental problems. As the guy in charge of managing our partnership pipeline process, I’m constantly on the lookout for new win-win environmental and business solutions we can pioneer with companies. I’m often asked how we identify the companies that we partner with. And increasingly the word I use is LEVERAGE.

Read more »

In the current edition of Automotive Fleet, I’ve suggested several environmental metrics for fleets to track. These are:

• Total greenhouse gas emissions
• Greenhouse gases per miles traveled
• Greenhouse gases per vehicle
• Greenhouse gases per ton of freight moved
• Cost per metric ton of greenhouse gases reduced
• Percentage of vehicles in the fleet that emit less than 15, 10 and 5 tons a year
• Percentage of drivers that match or exceed EPA MPG combined rating

Read more »