City of Ashland Review of current purchasing practices Pros and - - PDF document

1

City of Ashland Fleet

City of Ashland Fleet

• Overview of our city fleet
• Review of current purchasing practices
• Pros and cons of alternative technologies
• Our potential use of these technologies
• Options for future purchasing strategies

City of Ashland - Fleet

• 129 Vehicle in service

– 60 Light duty vehicles – 46 Heavy duty/ Specialized vehicles – 23 Heavy equipment

City of Ashland - Fleet

• Large fleet for a city of this size

– Three departments other cities this size do not usually operate

• Electric Department
• Fire Department- Ambulance service
• AFN
• 60 Vehicles in this class

– 52 Gas Powered

• Including 4 hybrids

– 7 Diesel Powered – 1 Natural Gas

Light Duty Vehicles

Heavy Duty / Special Use Vehicles

• 46 of these vehicles in operation

– 29 Diesel Powered – 17 Gas Powered

2

Heavy Equipment

• 23 Units

– 15 Diesel powered – 5 Gas Powered – 2 Electric Powered – 1 Propane Powered

Vehicle Replacement

• Vehicle use
• Efficiency and safety

– Job efficiency – Fuel economy – Correct vehicle size for the application

• Cost

Vehicle Use

• Department using the vehicle

– Intended use – What type of loads will it carry, and how much do the loads weigh – How many people will the vehicle need to carry – Will the vehicle be used in more than one application

Efficiency & Safety

• Adequate breaking for typical terrain
• Correct engine size for expected load
• Correct weight carrying capacity for

anticipated application

• Vehicle size vs. application

– Go smaller whenever possible – Can a smaller vehicle safely do the required tasks – Will a smaller vehicle be overworked

Vehicle Size

• In a heavy duty application, larger vehicles

will do the job more efficiently

3

Why We Use 1-Ton Trucks

• Needed for weight carrying capacity
• Used for trailer towing
• Used in specialty applications

– Small dump trucks – Ambulances – Snow plow/sanders – Brush fire fighting units – Sewer rodding/cleaning – Electric department bucket truck

Future 2 yard dump truck

4

Vehicle Cost

• Is the replacement vehicle available on a

state contract?

• Will added cost for alternative

technologies be offset by fuel savings?

• What is the priority, cost or “green”?

Light Duty Vehicles

• Alternative technologies available in this

class include-

– Hybrids – Biodiesel – Natural Gas – Electric – Ethanol (Dual fuel or E-85) – Diesel particulate filters – Diesel oxidation catalysts

• Alternative technologies available in this

class include-

– Biodiesel – Diesel particulate filters – Diesel oxidation catalysts

Heavy Duty / Special Use Vehicles

Heavy Equipment

• Alternative technologies available in this

class include-

– Biodiesel – Diesel particulate filters – Diesel oxidation catalysts

Alternative Technologies - Hybrids

• Pros

– Improved fuel economy – Reduced emissions – Similar to standard vehicles in range and

• peration
• Cons

– Limited models available – Significantly more expensive than a non- hybrid equivalent – Only available in light duty and smaller vehicles – Expensive battery that has a life expectancy of 7 to 8 years

• Battery cost $7,000

Alternative Technology – Natural Gas

• Pros

– Reduced emissions – Operation very similar to a standard vehicle – Maintenance very similar to standard vehicles

• Cons

– Very large fuel tanks reduce cargo capacity – Very few models available – Still relies on non- renewable fuel – Only two fueling stations in Jackson County

• Butler Ford
• RVTD

5 Alternative Technologies – Electric Vehicles

• Pros

– Zero emissions – Low operating cost

• Cons

– Limited range of 40 miles per charge – Limited speed of 40 MPH maximum – Currently, only one manufacturer offering all electric vehicles in the USA – Very small and not crash tested

Alternative Technologies- Flex Fuel (Ethanol – Unleaded)

• Pros

– Reduced emissions – Can be used with either Ethanol or Unleaded – Similar operation and maintenance as standard vehicles

• Cons

– Limited number of models available – Reduced power, E85 has roughly 75% the power of unleaded – Of the 171,000 fuel stations in the US, less than 1,000

• ffer Ethanol

– Ethanol currently available at

• nly two stations in Oregon
• Eugene and Portland

Alternative Technology- Biodiesel

• For this discussion, the Biodiesel being

discussed will be the commercially available soy based product.

• Although many types of Biodiesel can be

produced, the soy based product will most suit our needs.

• This is the only type available in large

quantities, and the soy based product is thoroughly tested and meets the most stringent quality control standards.

Alternative Technology- Biodiesel

• Pros

– Reduced CO2 , Co, HC, and Particulate Matter

• The atmosphere net gain of CO2 is zero as the

plant matter used to produce the fuel absorbs as much CO2 as the fuel releases as it burns

– Made in the USA – Most vehicles that can run on Diesel, will run

• n Biodiesel

Alternative Technology- Biodiesel

• Cons

– Will void engine warranty if used at a higher concentration than 5% Biodiesel 95% conventional Diesel – Slight increased NOx emissions

• One of the leading contributor to visible smog

– Cold weather gelling – Reduced power as compared to conventional Diesel – Poor storage due to bacterial growth – Can harm some engine components especially in

• lder vehicles

– Can not be used in 2007 or later vehicles or vehicles equipped with a particulate filter

Alternative Technology- Biodiesel

• A special consideration is that the city operates only
• ne fueling station
• If we switch those tanks to Biodiesel, all City vehicles

will have to operate on Biodiesel

• Or develop a new fuel

point

• Or continue to use the

Grange Co-op

6 Alternative Technology- Biodiesel

• Concern for the yet untested use of biodiesel under

all situations in Ashland has prevented staff from recommending full implementation of the switch to Biodiesel until it has been proven in our fleet.

• Staff has been

unwilling to switch the emergency vehicles to Biodiesel until proven with our use in cold weather and with our terrain.

Diesel Particulate Filters and Oxidation Catalysts

• Installed on existing diesel fleet
• Inline with vehicles exhaust system, will convert harmful

emissions to non-harmful emissions, and trap particulate matter

• Particulate matter can then be cleaned from the filter and

disposed of in a less harmful manner

Alternative Technology- Diesel

Particulate Filters- Oxidation Catalysts

• We have received a CMAQ grant from

ODOT to install these components on our existing Diesel equipment.

• These filters and converters are

completely passive and will reduce the emissions from 10 to 70% depending on the application and the filter used.

• This retrofit will take place during the

2008-09 fiscal year. (CIP FY09)

Our use of Biodiesel

• Options

– Stay with conventional diesel fuel use. – Monitor manufacturer recommendations and use concentrations that will not void vehicle warranties. – Use biodiesel in our entire fleet, and be willing to pay for any warranty issue attributed to that fuel. Engine cost in some of our vehicles can be as high as $30,000. – Fuel our out-of-warranty fleet at the Grange Co-op.

Heavy Truck Emissions Standards

• Emissions of large trucks largely unregulated until 1988
• The emissions standards were very minimal until 2001
• The emissions standards have now become very

stringent

• Particulate matter as of January 1, 2007 is less than 2%
• f what was allowed in 1988
• 2007 and later heavy trucks will be factory equipped with

particulate filters and oxidation catalysts

• NOx emissions now less than 2% of 1988
• Emissions standards become even more strict January

1, 2010

• A general rule for vehicle emissions is the

newer the vehicle, the stricter the emissions standards that vehicle must meet.

The new emissions laws will prevent any truck built after 2004 from polluting like this.

Heavy Truck Emissions Standards

7 Heavy Duty / Specialty Use Vehicle Replacement

• Most expensive of all categories to replace.

– Costs range from $30,000 to $450,000 – Life expectancy is 12 to 20 years

• Some vehicles in this category date back to the era of

unrestricted emissions. – Very little alternative technology available in this category so the newer we keep our fleet, the cleaner it will be. – Biodiesel is the only alternative technology available in this class of vehicle, and it will not be compatible with new trucks.

• Proposal: Increase the frequency of vehicle replacement to

reduce the cities combined net emissions.

Increased Frequency of Heavy Truck Replacement

• Proposal: Increase replacement frequency

from 12 to 20 years to 10 to 15 years

– Cost increase of equipment 20 to 33% per year ($150,000 to $200,000 per year) – Reduced emissions in some cases by as much as 90% – Overall emissions from city heavy trucks could be reduced by 25 to 40% over the next 5 years

Future Light Duty Purchasing Practices

• Consider low emissions alternatives whenever

possible – Allow up to a 40% increase in the purchase price for low emissions alternatives

• Go with a smaller vehicle in any application it

can safely be accomplished.

• Over the next 8 years, increase the light duty

fleet to 25% alternative technology

• Annual cost increase to this portion of the fleet

should be 10 to 15% per year to accomplish this goal

New Initiatives for Consideration

• Each vehicle replaced will be cleaner than its predecessor

by an average of 20% or more

• Replace up to 25% of light duty fleet with alternative

technologies

• “Right Size” the fleet by going to smaller vehicles whenever

possible

• Use bio-diesel as much as possible, and as manufacturer

recommendation allows

• Evaluate the use of fuel additives to reduce vehicle

emissions

• Keep vehicle idle time to a minimum. When possible set the

vehicle computer to allow idle time of 10 minutes maximum.

• Create an equipment acquisition committee to evaluate

planned equipment purchases

Heavy Equipment Future Purchase Strategy

• Unfortunately alternative technology is very

limited in the heavy equipment category

• Emissions standards are also not very regulated
• n this equipment

– Emissions standards are starting to catch up to the heavy duty trucks, but they are not there yet. – It is expected that in the next few years emissions standards for off road equipment will be comparable with on road vehicles. – When this happens, a strategy similar to the heavy trucks will do the most to reduce our heavy equipment emissions.

Heavy Equipment Future Purchase Strategy

• At this time our only alternative for this

equipment will be the installation of the diesel particulate filters, and oxidation catalysts.

– This will take place during fiscal year 2008-09 through the CMAQ grant from ODOT

• Biodiesel will also be used in this

equipment to help reduce emissions.

8 City Fleet Future Purchasing Proposal

• Light Duty

– Consider alternative technology whenever possible – Allow 40% cost increase per vehicle to purchase low emission alternatives – Go smaller whenever safely possible

• Heavy truck / Specialty use

– Increase frequency of replacement to bring all our vehicle into the current emissions standards as quickly as possible

• Heavy Equipment

– Monitor standards and develop a similar strategy to the heavy trucks when the emissions standards are increased.

City Fleet Future Purchasing Proposal

• This proposal would increase our equipment

cost approximately 20% per year.

– This 20% would cost between $150,000 and $200,000 per year.

• Emissions would be greatly reduced in our

heavy truck fleet. In individual instances, emissions would be reduced as much as 90%. Our overall reduction should be 25 to 40% over the next 5 years

• Light duty emissions should be reduced by 15 to

20%, during the same time line, with currently available alternatives, and even more as alternatives are improved.

Summary

• The purchasing strategy of the city fleet will

reflect an increasing awareness of our environmental impact.

• The proposal brought forth in this presentation is

an aggressive effort to improve our overall efficiency, and reduce our environmental impact.

• This is not a low cost proposal, and would take a

large commitment from our city.

• With Council’s direction, this is the strategy we

will use from this point forward.

Summary

• If the cost of this proposal is greater than

expected, any portion of the plan can be implemented with an improvement to

• verall combined fleet emissions.
• Reduced environmental impact is the goal
• f our fleet.
• Staff will continue to work to the best of
• ur ability to accomplish this goal.

Please let us know if you have any questions

Thank you