Telematics Helps Connecticut State Fleet Reduce Fuel Costs

Newly-installed GPS telematics hardware in 90% of the Connecticut state fleet led to cost savings. That's according to a progress report by Governor Ned Lamont on the state's GreenerGov CT initiative. In 2019, the governor signed an executive order, calling on agencies to reommit to — and expand — the state's "Lead by Example" program to reduce energy use, water, waste, and greenhouse gas emissions.

According to Lamont's report, gasoline use in state vehicles has dropped 18% since 2019, thanks to reduced vehicle miles traveled and the telematics hardware. It was installed to help identify operational fuel savings and candidates for vehicle transition to electric vehicles (EVs).

The report broke down the fuel savings between 2019 and 2021:

• Gasoline use dropped from 4.4 million gallons to 3.6 million gallons. That brought the cost of gasoline use down from $11.8 million to $9.1 million, a 23% drop.
• Diesel use dropped from 1.86 million gallons to 1.83 million gallons, a 2% drop. That brought the cost of diesel use down from $6 million to $5.1 million, a 15% drop.

The Department of Transportation (DOT) used the vast majority of the fuel, followed by the Division of Statewide Emergency Telecommunications.

This year, multiple departments are working to identify facilities for electric vehicle supply equipment (EVSE) installations to support both fleet charging and public charging. The DOT hopes to spur the adoption of EVs and lead by example by enabling employee charging at work and incorporating EVs into the motor pool, according to the report. The department is currently working on the construction and design of additional EV charging infrastructure at its headquarters and district offices around the state. It recently completed the installation of new public charging stations at its headquarters. In total, there are now 29 Level 2 chargers onsite with over 54 outlets/plugs available for EV drivers to charge. The newly installed EV charging units will serve both employees and fleet vehicles.