This content is cross-posted on Environmental Defense Fund’s Innovation Exchange.

Today, Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) joins with Donlen, a leading fleet management company, and GreenDriver™ in a commitment towards reducing greenhouse gas emissions from the commercial fleet sector by 20% over the next five years. This pledge is being made at the annual Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) meeting, attended by Gary Rappeport, Donlen CEO; and Fred Krupp, President, EDF. We invite others to join this effort too, including commercial fleets, fleet management companies and environmental organizations. Together, we can make a difference.

Stabilizing the Earth's climate is the critical environmental challenge of our time. Many effects of global warming are already being felt and will only grow worse with inaction.  Vehicles in corporate fleets release 45 million metrics tons of emissions each year. Reducing the emissions from commercial fleet vehicles can be part of the solution to tackling this challenge.

Opportunities for reducing emissions are plentiful.  Right-sizing vehicles to match the job at hand, reducing miles through improved routing, moving to more efficient models, adopting “fuel-smart” driving behaviors [PDF], cutting idling, and deploying advanced technology vehicles are a few of the tactics available. All of these offer significant payback on investment. A few require no upfront investment at all. Each of these tactics is delivering emissions reductions today.

Good emissions management is not unlike good business management. For any company to get the most out of these or other tactics, it needs a long-term vision and a strategic plan formulated for its unique needs and circumstances. Our joint commitment through the Clinton Global Initiative provides joining companies a vision: reduce emissions 20% between now and the end of 2016. Because it is performance-based, the commitment is agnostic on the pathway accompany uses to meet the goal. It remains incumbent on the company to undertake the planning process on how to meet the goal.

The goal is in reach for many companies already. Consider that 80 of the 300 companies with 1,000 or more vehicles have a publicly announced greenhouse gas emissions reduction target. Many companies have already achieved reductions of this magnitude in fleet emissions. The next five years will also see the availability of more efficient vehicles through increases CAFE standards, while electric and other advanced technology vehicles will become more widely available too.  Together, the fleet industry can meet this challenge.

Of course, a few companies will face greater challenges given the specific requirements for their vehicles. We welcome these companies into the fold too. Every ton reduced matters.

During the past five years, the commercial fleet industry has created infrastructure to track emissions and developed a deep understanding of how to successfully deploy many emission reducing tactics. EDF believes that the industry is ready to take the next step and start to collectively act towards this aggressive, yet achievable emissions reduction goal.

We applaud Donlen and GreenDriver™ for taking a central role in coordinating this commitment. We look forward to working with both companies and the entire fleet industry to meet this challenge. Together, we can make a difference.

For information about how your company can join this effort, visit http://www.donlen.com/clinton-global-initiative.aspx.

The Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 is an energy policy law designed to increase energy efficiency and the availability of renewable energy.¹ One of the major provisions included in the policy was the Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) Standards, which sets a target of 35 miles per gallon for the combined fleet of cars and light trucks by 2020.

In response to the policy, the Department of Transportation (DOT) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently proposed two variations to the fuel economy labels which appear on windows of new vehicles. The proposed modifications mark the biggest change to the labels in more than 30 years and are targeted to be displayed on model year 2012 vehicles. Currently, the labels inform prospective buyers of fuel economy ratings for both city and highway driving; the proposed labels would include information on fuel economy, greenhouse gases, and smog-forming pollutants. (Click here to see enlarged images of the proposed labels.) 

While both variations give an updated visual appeal to the sticker itself, the pertinent and/or prominent information varies greatly. The first variation proposes that the new window sticker keep the focus on fuel economy and add additional information on cost and vehicle emissions. The second variation takes a step further and proposes that each vehicle get assigned a letter grade rating – from A+ to D – depending on the vehicle’s combined fuel economy and emissions.

Although the focus of the designs is different, both proposed labels will include:

• Expected fuel savings for a five-year period comparing the new vehicle to an average gasoline vehicle of the same model year
• Smog-related emissions
• Estimated annual fuel costs
• Comparable fuel economy estimates for similar vehicles
• Information specific to alternative fuel vehicles and advance technologies i.e. driving range, available modes of driving (electric, blended,etc), and energy consumption estimate

As demand for instant information increases, both proposed labels also include a smart phone interactive code to allow users to access additional and more in-depth information regarding the vehicle’s performance via the web.

Advocates for the change, including environmental groups and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, expressed the need for additional information to educate consumers on their purchases. The new window stickers would allow the buyer to not only understand how their vehicle would impact the environment, but also give them an estimate of what it will cost to fuel the vehicle in comparison to similar vehicles. The smog-related information helps them to understand how their vehicle would affect public health, which is an area of concern for some new-car buyers.

While both proposed window stickers would allow a greater base of knowledge about the vehicle, some groups in the auto industry find the rating system to be less than ideal due to the confusion it may ultimately cause. If a car receives a rating of a B- does it mean that it isn’t a good solution for a fleet? For example, a fleet’s business application may demand the use of light duty trucks or vans and yet based on the logic for the rating system, it would be impossible for any truck or van to get higher than a C rating. Does the rating system need to be separated into ratings by vehicle segment? If so, does that make it too complicated?

Given that the ratings only take into consideration vehicle tail pipe emission, those opposed to the change in information displayed feel as though electric vehicle and hybrids may have an unfair advantage by consistently being rated higher than comparable vehicles. Although electric vehicles do not have tailpipe emissions, the upstream emissions from consuming electricity could potentially be more harmful than standard vehicle tailpipe carbon emissions, especially depending whether the electricity is coal produced vs. nuclear.

The EPA and DOT are accepting comments about the changes for a 60-day period from the time the labels were proposed, allowing the public to express their concern or interest in the changes. While a great source of additional information, it may be too complicated to simply rate vehicles. Based on feedback, perhaps a modified or combined version of the label will emerge as the final “winner.”

Donlen GreenKey consultants will be watching this story closely to see what affect this may have on future vehicle selection.

About the Author

GreenKey
DonlenGreenKey.com was established to help you get the latest information about greening your fleet. We invite you to explore our online resource and community, and share your best practices with others.

There are many tips for eco-friendly driving while behind the wheel such as avoiding excessive breaking, opening the windows instead of using the air conditioning while driving at low speeds, and using cruise control to maintain a constant speed. However, do you know the best way to improve your driving while the vehicle is not in motion? Proper maintenance of your vehicle is one of the best ways to help reduce carbon emissions and fuel consumption.

The following maintenance tips should help reduce your CO2 and increase MPG:*

• Schedule regular tune-ups to have wheels aligned and tires rotated, check for worn spark plugs or low transmission fluid, and replace the air filter if needed. A tune-up increases fuel economy for your vehicle, and recommended schedules are listed in the owner’s manual guidelines.
• Changing your oil on your vehicle’s recommended schedule will help increase fuel economy and make your vehicle perform better. As a bonus, choosing a vendor who recycles used oil is also environmentally friendly.
• Keep tires properly inflated. This information is located inside the door frame or in your owner’s manual. Poorly inflated tires decrease your fuel economy; for every three pounds below the recommended pressure, fuel economy is reduced by about 1%¹.
• If possible, replace tires with low-rolling resistance tires which are designed to improve fuel economy. The use of low-rolling resistance tires could save 1.5-4.5% of all gasoline consumption².
• Take your vehicle in for service if a warning light comes on.  An improperly functioning vehicle part can reduce fuel economy and create unnecessary wear on the vehicle.
• Refuel your vehicle with regular gasoline unless your owner’s manual says otherwise. Do not top off your gas tank beyond where the automatic nozzle clicks off to avoid any gas spills.

By following these simple maintenance procedures, you can positively impact your emissions output and fuel consumption. There are many other simple changes you can make to be eco-friendly such as parking in the shade during the summer whenever possible or using windshield shades to reduce summer heat and winter frost, but just a few changes to your behavior and maintenance routines could make a significant impact.

* These are suggested ways to help reduce CO2 emissions and increase MPG. Always stay in compliance with your company’s set maintenance parameters as they have been determined to be the most beneficial for your organization.

¹ Green Driving Tips”. American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy. www.greencars.org/driving tips.htm

² California State Fuel-Efficient Tire Report: Volume I California Energy Commission, July 2003.

About the Author

Debbie Witczak
As a Business Analyst in Donlen’s Strategic Consulting Services group, Debbie Witczak analyzes business problems and makes recommendations based on in-depth analyses of each customer’s unique fleet requirements. Utilizing Donlen’s proprietary analytical tools, she partners with Donlen’s Client Consultants to develop and execute cost- and time-saving strategies for Donlen customers. Debbie earned her Master’s Degree in Mathematics from Illinois State University and her Bachelor’s Degree in Mathematics from Benedictine University.

As federal, state, and local governments look to establish environmental guidelines and regulations, environmental issues have become a large focus within organizations. Fleet selection and management stand out as an influential piece of a company’s overall plan for potential change and/or compliance.

Corporate vehicles are a highly visible symbol of a company’s environmental impact, and one where there are various opportunities to make real reductions in greenhouse gas emissions. Significant long-term strategies are not as simple to achieve as they may appear, however, and ad hoc changes and short-term solutions quickly become difficult to implement, manage, and assess. Affecting environmental change within a fleet is a planning process with formal policy creation at the center. But the question on the minds of fleet managers is how to create a viable fleet environmental policy. Carefully laying out the steps can make this process manageable.

• Organizational Assessment: What are the overall corporate goals and priorities regarding environmental initiatives, and how does fleet fit in?
• Identification of Key Stakeholders: Who are the key players outside of fleet that need to be engaged in the process?
• Fleet Assessment & Environmental Baseline: How will the structure, composition, and application requirements of the fleet determine what is achievable? What is the current carbon footprint of the fleet so success can be measured?
• Defining Goals: Establishing a timeline for long-term goals, and determining how to meaningfully measure achievement.
• Developing Strategy: Defining short-term goals and strategies to continually move toward long-term objectives.
• Ongoing Management: Defined process for tracking emissions and measuring performance toward goals.
• Communication Strategy: Developing an internal and external communication plan to explain initiatives and promote successes.
• Assessing Achievements: Evaluating performance toward established milestones and setting new targets for emissions reductions.

Conclusion:

Once you have a mandate to create a green fleet policy, it’s important to follow a carefully planned process so that implementation is successful. Strong leadership buy-in and a comprehensive communication plan are key components in the process. For more information about creating a green fleet policy, you can contact Donlen’s Strategic Consulting Services group at 847-412-4965.

About the Author

GreenKey
DonlenGreenKey.com was established to help you get the latest information about greening your fleet. We invite you to explore our online resource and community, and share your best practices with others.

Today’s fleet industry is focused on leveraging vehicle telematics to help lower operating costs, save fuel and lower emissions, improve driver efficiency, and improve safety. While each of these objectives by themselves may provide some benefit, how can you ensure that you are managing all of them with your telematics solution to provide maximum returns?

There are many telematic products in the marketplace today that offer what seem to be robust solutions simply by leveraging traditional GPS functionality. But is that enough? The challenge is that many organizations require more than just a simple technology solution; they require a more robust, end-to-end program to help them achieve their goals.

There are several key things that a company must understand before choosing a telematics solution.

• Many telematic products offer an overwhelming number of features and/or functionality — most often at a premium price — that may not be leveraged within a given organization. It’s critical to fit the solution to your particular needs.
• A standalone telematic product fails to address the driver education requirements. A robust training and communication effort needs to be implemented to ensure drivers understand their impact on efficiency and overall cost. Without this, an organization may not fully maximize their returns.
• While some reports may be available in the short term, the need for ongoing, easy to understand scorecards at both the fleet and the driver level is needed to drive change and hold long-term gains.

Finding the right technology solution that fits an organization’s needs is the key to providing a strong ROI. Whether it’s the fleet, IT, or sustainability group in your organization that is driving the business need for a telematics solution, finding the most comprehensive solution of measurement, training, and reporting is the key to cost effective success.

About the Author

Nicholas Ehrhart
Nick Ehrhart, Donlen’s Telematics and Driver Behavior Analyst, manages the Donlen Telematics® program. Nick is a Certified Automotive Fleet Manager (CAFM) and uses his experience as a fleet manager to help customers maximize the benefits of Donlen’s GPS/Telematics program. Nick earned his B.S. from the Kelley School of Business at Indiana University in Business Process and Operations Management.