A fleet greening study conducted for the State of Colorado has recommended the state look at fuels outside of just compressed natural gas (CNG) in order to maximize the environmental efficiency of its fleet.
The State of Colorado has some CNG vehicles in its fleet, which are fueled at private stations.
2 min to read
The State of Colorado has some CNG vehicles in its fleet, which are fueled at private stations.
A fleet greening study conducted for the State of Colorado has recommended the state look at fuels outside of just compressed natural gas (CNG) in order to maximize the environmental efficiency of its fleet.
The Colorado Energy Office commissioned Vision Fleet to conduct the study, which was published in March. The study looked at the “white fleet,” which consists of light-duty vehicles operated by various state agencies and the “orange fleet,” which consists of heavy-duty on-road and off-road units owned by the Department of Transportation.
Ad Loading...
Beyond CNG, state agencies should look into other technologies such as plug-in and all-electric vehicles as well as use of propane autogas, said Charlie Bloch, the report’s primary writer. The study also recommended that agencies not wait until the end of vehicles’ lifecycles to consider replacing them with alt-fuel vehicles.
“Many fleets have a mindset that existing vehicles should only be considered for replacement within the confines of whatever their existing replacement cycles are. So this vehicle has to go 10 years or 100,000 miles before we’re even going to look to replace it with an alt-fuel vehicle,” Bloch said. He explained that even if a vehicle is two years old, if its use allows it to be replaced with an alt-fuel vehicle, it should be replaced and that two-year old car can be assigned to another department.
The study also recommended that the state consider hybrid vehicles, reduce the first-cost and technology risk barriers preventing adoption of environmentally friendly fleet technologies, improve collaboration and participation in the state bid process, and consider telematics use.
The DOT already has telematics in its light-duty fleet, and Bloch said the department’s goal is to have all light-duty vehicles equipped by the end of this year and expand to heavy-duty vehicles over the next three years to reduce idling. Other state agencies will be keeping an eye on the DOT’s efforts to show a return on investment with telematics, he said.
The City of Long Beach, California, has unveiled its first two all-electric garbage trucks, marking the start of a pilot program as the city evaluates a broader transition away from compressed natural gas.
Beam Global and HEVO have launched an integrated autonomous wireless charging system that pairs off-grid solar EV infrastructure with wireless charging technology, designed to support autonomous vehicle operations and electric fleet deployments.
Alabama A&M University has added four electric patrol vehicles to its Department of Public Safety fleet, becoming the first university in the state to deploy electric police vehicles.
Sustainability mandates and tight budgets don't have to be in conflict. Hybrids offer a practical, low-risk path to meaningful emissions reductions without new infrastructure spending or operational disruption. Download the eBook for the data and the roadmap to make the case internally and act with confidence.
The pilot will use Cero Global’s technology on city-owned vehicles to evaluate its impact on emissions and fuel consumption, as well as potential savings in municipal operating costs.
Philadelphia is shifting its trash collection fleet toward cleaner operations with a new partnership that will power 35 CNG compactors using renewable natural gas sourced from regional landfills.
