Back to Category List

Light Duty Vehicle 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."

Mineta San Jose Airport Expands CNG Service

Last Updated: April 16, 2008
The Mineta San Jose International Airport (SJC) received the 2007 National Natural Gas Vehicle (NGV) Achievement Award from the NGVAmerica for SJC's efforts toward making compressed natural gas (CNG) its primarily alternative fuel of choice. For example, by mid-2008, all of SJC's shuttle buses will be CNG. The airport's Alternative Fuels Program (AFP) has significantly improved air quality and reduced fuel costs of its ground transportation operations.

In 2008, airport management announced two new projects to encourage more public use of the airport's CNG fueling facility. One project involves encouraging more private taxis and shuttles operating at the airport to convert from gasoline and diesel to CNG through SJC's innovative $154,000 Alternative Fuels Grant Program (AFGP). The AFGP provides grants of $4,000 per taxi and $8,000 per shuttle van as incentives for CNG vehicle conversion. Since 2005, the airport has been conducting outreach to encourage taxi and shuttle van owners to convert to CNG via innovative incentives. Taxicab companies operating at SJC have placed 130 CNG taxis into service out of the airport?s permitted fleet of 300 taxicabs, according to airport spokesman David Vossbrink.

The second project will entail the airport to spend an estimated $727,000 to upgrade the airport's CNG fueling station that has been in operation since 2003. The CNG station upgrade project will double the station's capacity to dispense 4 million gallons of CNG per year, enough to service all of the airport's shuttle bus fleet, all City of San Jose CNG vehicles, any new City CNG vehicles, all CNG taxis and door-to-door shuttle vans operating at the airport, as well as other public/private CNG fleets desiring to embrace SJC's AFP.

The projects will be partially funded by a $606,000 grant from the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority and the Bay Area Air Quality Management District. For more information, contact Tom Stoflet, Environmental Manager, Mineta San Jose International Airport.

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.

Hoover Municipal Government Runs on Alternative Fuels

Last Updated: September 24, 2007
With a population of around 65,000, Hoover, Alabama, is the sixth largest city in the state. The City of Hoover currently operates 179 flex-fuel vehicles as well as 21 other light-duty vehicles, 60 medium- and heavy-duty trucks, two buses, two shuttles, and 96 off-road vehicles on B20, a blend of 20% biodiesel and 80% petroleum diesel. The city currently boasts that 80% of the fuel used by its fleet is alternative fuel.

Hoover's police force operates 130 of the flex-fuel vehicles, which are fueled 100% of the time on E85. The remaining 49 flex-fuel vehicles are used by the city's administative personnel. Hoover has also started a test program to use B20 in its fire trucks and plans to forward the results to the National Fire Protection Association.

Hoover may also be the first municipal government in the U.S. to manufacture its own B100 using waste vegetable oil collected from local restaurants. The city also plans to start home collection of waste vegetable oil by providing gallon jugs to homeowners who want to participate.

"The price of the alternative fuels is below the price of petroleum fuel. With our own B100 production, we might even turn a profit," says David Lindon, fleet management director for the City of Hoover. "The mayor and the city council are committed to clean fuel. It's the right thing to do for our energy security and it's cost effective."

For more information about the alternative fuel program in Hoover, Alabama, contact David Lindon, Fleet Management Director, City of Hoover.

Carnegie Mellon University

Last Updated: September 21, 2007
Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) in Pittsburgh, Pa. is an environmentally responsible institution on several levels. A key element in its mission to reduce petroleum consumption on campus is to use alternative fuel vehicles whenever practical. In July 2007, six university shuttle buses began operating on B20 biodiesel fuel. The infrastructure for B20 has been established in the Pittsburgh area and the fuel is conveniently available at a local refueling location.

CMU had originally invested in compressed natural gas (CNG) vehicles but found that the CNG infrastructure did not develop in the region as anticipated. "We found that infrastructure is an essential component for any alternative vehicle program to become sustainable," said Barbara Kviz, environmental coordinator in Facilities Management Services. The university is now in the process of selling its CNG vehicles.

A campus-wide survey conducted with faculty and staff reinforced CMU's expanded scope of interest in assisting employees with finding alternative transportation to work. Other approaches established to help reduce petroleum consumption include support for public transportation through bus passes provided to students, faculty, and staff and special parking privileges as a carpool incentive for commuters. Facilities Management Services also uses 10 electric vehicles for transportation around the grounds and a new fleet of campus police cars will use E85 ethanol fuel.

For more information, contact Barbara Kviz, Environmental Coordinator, Facilities Management Services, Carnegie Mellon University.

Airport Shuttles Go All Natural in Portland, Oregon

Last Updated: September 21, 2007
The Portland International Airport (PDX) in Oregon uses several alternative fuels, including compressed natural gas (CNG); E85 (85% ethanol, 15% gasoline); propane (LPG); B20 biodiesel (20% biodiesel and 80% conventional diesel); and hybrid electric vehicles, in its fleet. PDX began replacing conventional petroleum diesel buses with CNG-fueled buses in 1997 and currently has 26 shuttle buses, three heavy-duty vehicles (HDVs), three off-road vehicles, and 18 light-duty vehicles (LDVs) that are fueled with CNG. PDX also has five off-road vehicles (OHVs) that are fueled with propane (LPG), two flexible-fuel vehicles fueled with E85, and six hybrid LDVs. PDX has fueled its diesel vehicles with B20 since 2002 and currently operates 18 HDVs, 35 OHVs, and three sweeper vehicles on B20.

PDX installed fueling infrastructure to meet all its alternative fuel needs. The airport currently has CNG, LPG, E85, and B20 fueling stations on property, but cannot sell fuel to other fleets or the public because of access limitations. Larry Medearis, aviation senior manager, Maintenance & Facility Services, points to lower emissions, better relations with the environmental community, and longer operational life, which means more miles between rebuilds, as advantages to the alternative fuel fleet. Last year PDX consumed 276,500 gasoline gallon equivalents of CNG to fuel its fleet of 50 CNG vehicles.

PDX is studying the option to start replacing its CNG shuttle buses with new hybrid diesel-electric buses, and plans to continue using its other current AFVs. For more information, visit the PDX Web site.

Alabama Police Fleet Boasts 100% AFVs

Last Updated: September 21, 2007
The Hoover, Alabama, Police Department (HPD) operates 130 flex-fuel vehicles on E85 at all times. The vehicles are Chevrolet Tahoe police pursuit vehicles, making HPD the largest E85-fueled law enforcement fleet in the nation. The FFVs are fueled onsite at the Hoover Public Safety Facility, which has two dispensers with two hoses each. The facility, which was built in 2004 with a grant from Alabama Clean Fuels Coalition provided by Alabama Partners for Clean Air, is available for use by other public agencies.

Each HPD officer carries an E85 fueling card that is activated by a personal identification number. Information, such as miles between refueling and gallons of ethanol pumped, is collected with each swipe of a card. This information is used for analysis.

HPD serves a population of 65,000 in the sixth largest city in Alabama. The City of Hoover first became interested in FFVs for its police fleet in 2004 when the Central Alabama coalition arranged for the department to demo a Chevrolet Tahoe police vehicle. When considering the switch to the Chevrolet FFVs, the HPD was particularly impressed with the higher-octane levels ethanol offers.

The department didn't have any problems with driver acceptance. "By the time the vehicles arrived, many of the officers had test-driven the demo vehicle and had received training," according to David Lindon, the city's fleet management director.

The HPD estimates that it uses approximately 24,000 gallons of E85 a month. "The use of E85 is reducing air pollution and the city's dependency on foreign oil," says Hoover Mayor Tony Petelos. For more information about the Hoover, Alabama, police fleet, contact David Lindon, Fleet Management Director for the City of Hoover.

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.

Tulsa Public Schools Ride on CNG

Last Updated: August 27, 2007
Several successful bond issues and zero-interest loans from the State of Oklahoma enabled Tulsa Public Schools (TPS) to convert 24 conventional school buses to compressed natural gas (CNG) in 1990. In 1997, TPS was awarded a U.S. Department of Energy State Energy Program Special Projects grant, which also helped TPS fund its alternative fueled fleet program. Oklahoma Natural Gas partnered with TPS and to help add an additional 40 school buses and 30 medium/heavy-duty vehicles (MD/HDVs) to their fleet. "The funding from the government has made implementing CNG vehicles into our fleet a very rewarding process," said Jim Taylor, TPS transportation in-house supervisor.

TPS currently operates 40 CNG school buses, 30 MD/HDVs, and 12 light-duty vehicles (LDVs) on CNG and consumes more than 200,000 gasoline gallon equivalents of CNG every year. TPS has a CNG fueling station on site, which is equipped with four large compressors that can fuel 380 CNG vehicles (slow fill); four fast-fill stations are also integrated into the infrastructure. CNG vehicles have lower emissions and lower operating costs because the fuel is significantly cheaper than diesel. The school district also uses other alternative fuels. It operates all 285 of its conventional petroleum diesel buses with biodiesel (B20), and would like to add an electric bus for testing.

For more information, visit the TPS Transportation Web page.

Iowa State Patrol Fuels with E85

Last Updated: August 27, 2007
In 2007, the Iowa State Patrol accepted delivery of the first 10 E85-compatible Ford Crown Victoria vehicles outfitted as patrol cars. An additional 119 E85 flexible-fuel vehicles are on order, and from this point forward, all Ford Crown Victorias ordered for the State Patrol will be E85 compatible. That means in just three years, the entire Iowa State Patrol will be able to run on the 85% corn-based fuel.

"Iowa is America's biofuels leader, producing more ethanol and biodiesel than any other state," says Governor Chester J. Culver. "We are the leaders in biofuels production and it is only fitting that our Iowa State Patrol cars run on clean-burning, Iowa-grown ethanol."

Department of Public Safety Commissioner Eugene T. Meyer agrees. "The addition of E85 compatible cars to our fleet and the use of Iowa grown ethanol demonstrate the department's commitment to a greater use of renewable energy."

For more information contact James J. Saunders at the Iowa Dept. of Public Safety.

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.

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.

Unitrans Moves Passengers With CNG

Last Updated: August 22, 2007
Unitrans, a student-run transit system that serves the University of California at Davis and the City of Davis, currently operates 27 compressed natural gas (CNG) transit buses, five CNG shuttle buses, two electric light-duty vehicles, 11 medium- and heavy-duty CNG vehicles, and four light-duty CNG-powered vehicles. Unitrans is among the first fleets in the nation to develop a transit bus that will operate on a hydrogen/CNG mixture; the company plans to begin testing by the end of 2007. Two hundred student employees and 14 career employees run the system, which transports 20,000 passengers each weekday (more than 3 million annually). About 95% of Unitrans' mileage is driven by alternative fuel buses.

Unitrans currently has its own CNG fueling station and plans to complete a new hydrogen/CNG refueling station, as well. "CNG compressors and related equipment are best protected from the elements within an enclosed structure. Completing the planned blended hydrogen/CNG fueling station has been very difficult because local safety personnel have required a wide array of safety elements that were not anticipated during the planning phase," explains General Manager Geoff Straw. "It seems that we're establishing new protocols due to the unique nature of the project. For this reason, the hydrogen compressor had to be located outside the existing CNG compressor/equipment building, which has delayed completion of the project for the past two years."

In addition to the CNG/hydrogen start up challenges, Straw indicated that "the technological learning curve was steep for our technicians. In fact, many of my peers in the transit industry and I are having difficulty finding trained compressed-fuel technicians." Two additional factors have surfaced in the process of operating a CNG fleet. Planning has had to include the increased capital costs of operating CNG vehicles due to the 15-year life of the vehicle's CNG fueling tanks. "We have two options when the CNG tanks have reached their maximum operational life. We can replace the tanks (about $75K per vehicle) or replace the vehicle entirely, both of which require large amounts of funds. With a conventional diesel vehicle, we can replace old/dirty engines with newer/cleaner diesel engines and the bus can operate for a much longer time with little financial investment." Another important factor is the limited number of CNG engine manufacturers in the transit market. Straw indicates that "some of us who have invested in CNG infrastructure are concerned about future pricing and support."

Despite these challenges, Unitrans is committed to clean technology and has selected CNG as its fuel of choice. "The low per-mile fuel cost of natural gas is attractive. It's a proven technology and we've had 12 years of experience with it." says Straw.

Contact Unitrans at http://unitrans.ucdavis.edu/ or Geoff Straw at gdstraw@ucdavis.edu.

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.

Biofuels Help Green the Department of Defense

Last Updated: April 26, 2006
The Fort Leonard Wood (FLW) U.S. Army base in Waynesville, Missouri, has used biofuels to displace more than 205,000 gallons of petroleum.

In March 2003, FLW's Directorate of Logistics Transportation Division installed onsite E85 and B20 infrastructure in an effort to meet the petroleum reduction goal of Executive Order 13149, which challenges Federal agency fleets to reduce conventional fuel use by 20% compared to their 1999 level.

Today, FLW boasts one E85 station with a 10,000-gallon storage tank and four B20 pumps that run off two 12,000-gallon storage tanks. Annual reporting numbers show that FLW has used more than 154,000 gallons of E85 and 255,000 gallons of B20.

Of the Fort's 1,113 vehicles, 734--or 66% of the fleet--run on alternative fuels. E85 powers the fleet's more than 300 light-duty flexible fuel vehicles (FFVs), while B20 is used in roughly 425 tactical vehicles, which include cargo trucks, wreckers, and armament carriers.

Fuel keys ensure the drivers use alternative fuel, says Keith Bax, FLW Motor Transport Officer. Each vehicle is assigned a fuel key that will work only at the E85 and B20 pumps. Bax monitors the Fort's alternative fuel use using a computerized tracking system in the pumps. According to Bax, FLW now averages about 6,000 gallons of E85 and 19,000 gallons of B20 a month.

For more information, contact Keith Bax, FLW Motor Transport Officer.

USPS Delivers Alternative Fuel Success

Last Updated: April 21, 2005
The Northland District of the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) believes in using E85. Considering its home base of Minnesota, this attitude is not surprising. The state has more than 125 ethanol fueling sites--the highest concentration in the country.

The Northland District provides mail service for most of Minnesota and part of Wisconsin and is a valuable partner of the Twin Cities Clean Cities Coalition (TC4). Its alternative fuel vehicles (AFVs) of choice are flexible fuel vehicles (FFVs), which are capable of using gasoline or gasoline-ethanol mixtures up to E85. "We have the opportunity to use E85 because so many stations offer E85 in Minnesota," says Robert Kunowski, the Northland District's Manager of Vehicle Maintenance. "We should be leaders because we have the opportunity."

The USPS Northland District is covered under Executive Order 13149, which requires federal fleets to reduce petroleum consumption by 20% by the end of fiscal year (FY) 2005, compared to their FY 1999 consumption levels. The district is also covered under the Energy Policy Act of 1992, which requires federal fleets to acquire AFVs as 75% of their light-duty vehicle acquisitions each year.

Of the district's 3,594 light-duty vehicles, 525 are FFVs. These include 324 light delivery trucks, 167 minivans, and 34 administrative vehicles. The district tracks fuel use for the light delivery trucks, which mainly fuel at commercial stations. In 2004, the trucks used 214,000 gallons of E85, up 29% from the year before. Kunowski estimates that the FFV delivery trucks use E85 85% to 90% of the time.

How has the Northland District achieved such high E85 use? "We position our FFVs so they are near stations that offer E85," says Kunowski. "And if FFV drivers don't use E85, we take the vehicles away from them and assign them to drivers who will use E85." This is a big incentive to use E85 because the district's non-FFV delivery trucks are 10 to 20 years old, and drivers much prefer the model year 2000-2001 FFVs. The district's 2005 goal is 95% E85 use among its FFV delivery trucks.

Asked to give advice on establishing a successful alternative fuel program, Kunowski emphasizes the importance of an accurate fuel use tracking system. "You have to have good facts and data to make good decisions," he says. He also stresses educating managers and staff on E85 goals and procedures and designing the program to be cost effective. "You need to balance the cost with the environmental benefits of alternative fuels," says Kunowski. "And remember, we only get one environment."