What Happened?
Indianapolis officials are working with automakers to develop the first plug-in hybrid police vehicle that would meet the unique needs of a police force while still offering environmental and energy efficiency benefits. Plug-in hybrid police vehicles that achieve 40 miles per gallon while protecting officers in the line of duty could save local taxpayers $10 million annually in vehicle and energy costs. At the same time, Chicago recently inked a $13.4 million contract with Motiv, to provide 20 garbage trucks that run on electricity.
So What?
Indianapolis is taking steps to replace city sedans, light-duty vehicles, heavy-duty units and police vehicles with plug-in hybrids or electric cars, which would cost significantly less to operate and leave a lower carbon footprint. The conversion to more fuel-efficient vehicle models is estimated to save the city $12,000 within 10 years. The first plug-in hybrid vehicle is expected to be on the city’s streets within a few months.
Plans are to pay for the new vehicle models with normal replacement funds, swapping out aging cars and trucks with hybrid models as they reach the end of their life cycles.
Chicago’s new trucks will each have ten 20-kilowatt-hour battery packs which will provide at least 60 miles of range. One of the most impressive features of the Motiv system is it can be used in a plug-and-play manner: the company outfits fleets by using the existing chassis, so almost any vehicle can be converted to electric. Estimates are that energy usage will drop by 87%.
What It Means
A recent study from the American Public Transportation Association revealed the percentage of public vehicles powered by alternative energy sources grew from 2 percent in 1992 to 36 percent in 2011, compared to just 3.2 percent of consumer vehicles in the same year. Local governments are working with automakers to advance the use of clean fuel by employing key technologies such as:
- electric vehicles
- regenerative breaking and energy storage
- advances in battery technologies
- diesel electric hybrids
- biofuels
- natural gas vehicles
- hydrogen fuel cell vehicles
In Florida, the Miami-Dade Transit Department expanded its fleet of advanced hybrid technology buses that offer 32 percent more fuel efficiency than standard models, hoping to adopt 817 models by 2018. After deploying 43 eco-friendly buses in the last year, the city has saved 23 percent on overall fuel consumption compared to 2011 costs.
More Electric Cities
NYC recently took the plunge with a major EV purchase including several Chevy Volt police vehicles.