Bobit Green Fleet Conference Wrap-up

October 28, 2010

Recommended by 2 People

Sarah Mallonga, from PHH’s Strategic Consulting team, shares her insights from the Green Fleet Conference, sponsored by Bobit Media, held in San Diego, October 18^th and 19^th.

Selecting the alternate fuel that is best for your fleet can be an overwhelming undertaking.  At last week's Green Fleet Conference in San Diego, I moderated a panel discussion to address the most common questions and uncover potential pitfalls. Five panelists representing a variety of fleet applications described how their fleets have incorporated different alt-fuels, including compressed natural gas (CNG), hybrid technologies, electric vehicles, biodiesel and E85 flex-fuel vehicles. Some key takeaways were:

Consider your fleet application to determine the right solution for the right vehicle. A lot will depend on the vehicle/engine offerings and fueling infrastructure available to meet fleet requirements.

Some key factors to consider are:

• Vehicle interior packages
• Safety
• Payload
• Ergonomics
• Fuel capacity and range
• Vehicle hours of operation

Do not underestimate "operator acceptance." Be clear on why you are pursuing alt-fuels and get your drivers onboard.  At the end of the day, your drivers must be comfortable with the alt-fuel vehicles they are operating.  Get your drivers acclimated as early as possible, and make sure they receive the appropriate technical training.

Understand the possible tax credits, tax incentives, and grant funding available for different alt-fuel vehicles.  In some cases, large portions of your incremental costs are recoverable.

Start with a pilot program. After doing your research, test an alt-fuel for a small portion of your fleet and monitor its success.

Share your experiences with alternate fuel vehicles in the comments section below.

Name

EMAIL
(not published)

Comment

Enter the letters you see in the image.

Click to get a new image.