Hillsborough County continues its commitment to green practices with its recent vehicle purchases. The two diesel hybrid electric trucks, equipped with an aerial platform, will be used to repair traffic signals and other traffic control devices maintained by the County.
The electric hybrid system allows the man-lift to operate without running the diesel engine. In addition, the electric motor provides a reduction in noise, making it ideal for early morning or late evening operations.
These trucks are estimated to use up to 60 percent less fuel for utility type applications and 30 – 40 percent less fuel while driving. They also will require up to 87 percent less idle time and their regenerative braking feature captures energy to charge the battery that would normally be converted to heat and waste. In summary, more than $5,000 annually will be saved per vehicle.
One of these vehicles will be on display at the E3: Energy, Environment and Economics Regional Forum held tomorrow (Jan. 29) at the St. Pete Times Forum in downtown Tampa.
While these are Hillsborough County’s first heavy duty hybrid-electric vehicles, they are not the first alternative fuel vehicles in the fleet. Hillsborough County Fleet Management Department’s 18 existing alternative hybrid vehicles include one Honda NGV, 10 Toyota Prius hybrids, and seven Ford Escape hybrid SUV’s. In addition, Hillsborough County has a large number of flex fuel vehicles that are capable of operating on either gasoline or E85 Ethanol.
Hillsborough County Fleet Management continues to implement green initiatives that have already earned them national recognitions over the past two years. The County’s fleet has been reduced by more than 380 vehicles and pieces of equipment, and this fiscal year, fuel usage is expected to reach its lowest since 2002. A reduction of 264,000-gallons in fuel was realized in FY09 with a recently implemented utilization and fuel conservation program.
The installation of on-board oil filtration technology systems eliminates the need for oil changes on certain pieces of heavy duty vehicles and equipment used in Fire Rescue, Solid Waste Management and the Sunshine Line. Among its many benefits, this system, allows for a longer engine life, improved fuel economy, reduced consumption of petroleum based products, reduced downtime, and a 90 percent reduction in waste oil generation, handling and storage. Fully implemented, this project is projected to save up to $1.5 million over the useful life of the participating vehicles, which does not include the cost and ongoing liability associated with handling up to 1 million quarts of waste engine oil over the lifecycle of these vehicles. In addition, preventive maintenance service intervals have been extended on light and medium duty vehicles to maximize oil usage and minimize waste oil generation, resulting in $235,000 in annual savings.
Hillsborough County Fleet Management maintains more than 3,800 vehicles and pieces of equipment used by more than 25 departments. It has been named the No. 1 public sector fleet department in North America by Government Fleet Magazine for the past two years, and has earned the Environmental Protection Commission’s Green Star Certification for implementing best management practices and pollution prevention strategies.
For more information on Hillsborough County’s Fleet Management Department visit www.hillsboroughcounty.org/fleet
