The Prince George's County, Md., Fleet Management division is adding a second motor pool location and introducing plug-in hybrid vehicles (PHEVs) as two right-sizing initiatives for 2015.

The centerpiece of the plan involves adding the second motor pool in Largo that the county's fleet unit plans to automate with Agile Access Control's FleetCommander software platform. The set-up will be modeled on the automation plan implemented with the first motor pool, according to a company release.

"We are very proud of the more sustainable, effective and efficient management that our Fleet Management division has achieved with the assistance of FleetCommander," said County Executive Rushern L. Baker, III.

As part of the plan, the county will eliminate 12 vehicles and add the plug-in hybrids. The county's fleet unit can manage the second motor pool location from the first location without the need to hire additional staff.

"One of the best things about the new motor pool is that we can reduce the number of vehicles without impacting the level of service we provide to the citizens of the county," said Rick Hilmer, the county's fleet manager. "And, we don't have to hire any more staff to manage it because the solution is automated. Our existing motor pool coordinator can manage it from his location in Upper Marlboro while he handles his other duties."

In planning for the new motor pool site, Hilmer says they used data collected by FleetCommander to analyze average mileage and other data from daily rentals to determine the size and composition of the new motor pool. The mileage data showed that the majority of trips taken by daily rentals could be more efficiently conducted using PHEVs. As a result, the county purchased six PHEVs and three dual-head electric vehicle charging stations.

The county will save as much as $5,000 a year per reduced vehicle in maintenance, depreciation, insurance, and other costs associated with keeping unneeded vehicles in a fleet.

The Prince George's County fleet is made up of more than 3,200 vehicles and 4,000 drivers. The Fleet Management division is responsible for the overall management of a fleet of vehicles used by 18 agencies of the county government, 12 municipalities, 40 volunteer fire departments and two non-profit organizations.