Fleet Services going green
Matt Boone/SPPSFleet Services has procured four hybrid Chevrolet MalibusThe Green Fleet Initiative is Fleet Services' effort to make the Tech fleet not only more fuel efficient, but also more environmentally friendly. It involves new vehicles, new parts and new disposal practices. This is in accordance with the university's desire to make the whole campus more environmentally sustainable.
The new Chevy Malibu cars will be joining one hybrid vehicle that has already had nearly two years' tenure as a test model in the Tech Fleet. The Ford Hybrid Escape has accomplished its mission, achieving an average of 10.3 miles per gallon more than the gasoline-only model.
Last week, Fleet Services invited faculty and staff to test-drive the new vehicles. They were met with enthusiasm.
"They all seemed to like them," said Gene Reed, Director of Fleet Services. "Most of them were not familiar with their operation, so we had to show them that."
Many hybrid vehicles will run solely on their electric power at very low speeds, before the gas engine kicks on. In this electric mode, operators describe the cars as nearly silent.
When the cars' gasoline engines are not running, emissions are not released. This would have the greatest impact in urban areas, where driving speeds are low, with great potential for smog reduction. However, the Malibu, a mild hybrid, is unable to run solely on battery power.
Fuel efficiency is the mission of the fleet. However, several review of the 2008 Malibu note that the hybrid model only adds about 2 mpg in fuel efficiency over the standard model, for 32 mph highway for the hybrid, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency . This raises question as to the usefulness of the hybrid drivetrain in the Malibu.
In addition to the hybrids, Fleet Services is making other acquisitions in keeping with its sustainability mission.
One addition will be flex fuel vehicles, which can run either on gasoline or on a blend of 85 percent ethanol (a corn-based alcohol) and 15 percent gasoline. According to the EPA, many people drive FFVs and don't even know it. Car owners can check to see whether their vehicle is an FFV by looking in the car's fuel filler door or by consulting the owner's manual.
High mileage tires will also be purchased, with treadwear ratings of 45,000 miles to 60,000 miles.
Reed cites the environmental benefits of getting these tires, which "reduces the number of tires going to landfills," and spares the department from greater costs of more frequent tire replacement.
Zinc wheel weights will be substituted for their lead counterparts, in order to reduce lead deposits in water runoff. Also, Fleet Services' used motor oil is sent to the Environmental Health and Safety Department and then refined for use, saving Fleet Services from purchasing 1,500 gallons annually.
Hybrids cost $38 a day, while standard cars run $30. With a more complicated drivetrain system, the upkeep on the hybrids is more expensive than on regular cars.
The availability of more fuel efficient vehicles in the Tech fleet will be a considerable opportunity for those who rent fleet vehicles for long distance trips.
Joe Roggenbuck, a retired professor in the forestry department, has for the last 16 years taken students in his outdoor recreation field studies course across the country in Tech fleet vehicles for their studies in park management.
With travels to Georgia, Florida, New Mexico, Colorado and every place in between, Roggenbuck and his students burned countless gallons of gasoline in the fleet vans and cars they drove.
Using hybrid vehicles offers the possibility of saving significant gas costs incurred by the forestry department and students for the course.
The new vehicles are but a step toward a more sustainably run fleet and campus. Fleet Services will assess their performance and explore other such opportunities in the future.
