Projects
Police and EMS (PEMS) Vehicle Idling
Reduction Project
It is estimated that Ontario’s municipal fleets,
including Police and Emergency Medical Service vehicles, contribute
approximately 0.8 MT of Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions - or about 43% of
Canada’s estimated 1.74 MT of municipal fleet emissions. Fleet operators
are becoming increasingly aware of their fleet’s impact on the environment
and there is a broad and growing interest across Ontario to implement
‘green fleet’ plans that will reduce the output of harmful emissions
in municipalities.
As the cost of fuel steadily increases, Police and
Emergency Medical Services (EMS) fleet operators are finding it difficult to
adequately fund their equipment operating budgets. These fleets are now
amenable to finding new ways of reducing their operating expenses; this with
the provision that service levels and emergency response times must not be
negatively affected in any way.
Fuel costs are one of the largest single operating
expenses (by a wide margin) for today’s vehicle fleets and predictions are
for continuing price volatility.
Worksite air quality is another important issue of
concern. Long-term exposure to harmful exhaust emissions for 1st responders has
the potential to negatively impact the health of these professionals.
...click for full PEMS Project Description
"This is an end of an era.
We no longer need to idle fleet vehicles."
-
Roger Smith
PEMS July 2010 - The PEMS project testing of HIRS
(Hybrid Idling Reduction System) has undergone various types of tests over the
last year. Most recently the FCO technical team spent two weeks in Windsor at
the Chrysler Automotive Research and Design Centre (ARDC) completing severe
weather testing. HIRS was put to the test in weather cells set to extreme
temperatures both hot and cold.
Results were very encouraging however FCO will not
publicly release any test results until all phases of testing are completed and
validated; testing is targeted for completion by December 2010.
PEMS 27 February 09 – FCO hosted an informal
lunch for the PEMS stakeholder advisory group at the Radisson Admiral Hotel in
Toronto.
Ontario Municipal Fleet Review
Program 2009
Thanks to the ongoing support of the Ontario Government,
we are excited to announce the expansion of Fleet Review program over the next
three years. We welcome the following 11 municipalities/organizations selected
to participate in the 2009
Brampton, Halton Hills, Lakeshore, Mississauga,
Ottawa, Owen Sound, Richmond Hill, Sault Ste. Marie, Toronto and Region
Conservation Authority, Uxbridge and Woodstock.
The Fleet Challenge Ontario (FCO) Municipal Fleet Review
Program is a green fleet optimization program designed on similar principles to
LEED© for buildings, and is Canada’s leading initiative in this area.
Through this program, FCO works with each municipality's fleet management team
to evaluate a broad range of management options that encompasses fuel
efficiency, vehicle selection, maintenance techniques, asset management,
through to computer systems and end-of-cycle disposal of surplus vehicles.
At this point, participation in the funded program is
based on previous interest expressed in the 2007-2008 pilot. Upon completion of
the Municipal Fleet Review, participating municipalities will receive a
detailed set of reports and a synopsis providing an objective and comprehensive
roadmap to improved fleet efficiency.
Participation in the Fleet Review Program is the first
step in obtaining an E3 Green Fleet Rating.
FAQs
- What information do I need to provide in order to
participate in the fleet review program?
Ideally you will provide
one year’s worth of fleet data, as outlined by the program, and we will
provide the suggested format for data collection. An example of basic data is:
fuel consumed and kilometres travelled. Expanded reporting is available if
fleets provide above-minimum data, for example: unit age, downtime, repair and
maintenance cost history, etc.
- How many man hours would be required by one of
our staff members to facilitate the implementation of the program?
The man hours around the data collection phase for the fleet review program
is dependent upon your current data set. The man hours will be less for those
who have detailed and organized systems with statistics at the ready, however
this is not always the usual scenario. Most fleets are in varying stages of
data collection and maintenance of their data sets. It can take from a few
hours or days, to a couple of weeks to assemble the required data for the
program depending on the integrity and structure of your fleet information. We
are happy to assist in this process and are available to confer with you via
telephone, site visit, or other.
Following the collection and
submission of data, the analysis and review of your fleet information is
conducted by Fleet Challenge. Upon completion of the analysis you will receive
a comprehensive report followed by a meeting with you and your staff to discuss
the analysis and address any questions. Throughout the project, Fleet Challenge
will be pleased to offer advice and expertise on any questions you may have.
- Our fleet of vehicles are mostly used for
“on call” situations. For the most part, they don’t follow
predetermined routes and don’t haul cargo. Is the Fleet Review Program
effective for this type of fleet?
Yes. There are many instances
where fleet review has identified "outlier" vehicles; patterns where duty
cycles or vehicles sizes could be optimized; older or out of date vehicles that
should be retired; the optimal fleet average age based on capital acquisition
and use, etc..
Essentially, the benefit of the fleet review is that it
provides a detailed overview of a fleet’s business practices and thereby
provides a fleet manager with a platform of facts and figures from which to
evaluate and articulate business decisions. The report shows the
cost-effectiveness of current fleet management decisions and identifies options
for improvement.
The tasks associated with day to day fleet management
can be urgent and high priority, which can prevent attention to how the fleet
is really operating in practice and over time. The fleet review assists in this
regard, and further enables the assessment and validation of fleet management
and actions that have been undertaken.
FCO Networking Breakfasts
Over the next three years FCO will be hosting a series
of breakfasts that target the information needs of private and public fleet
managers. Each annual series will begin with an introductory "Greening Fleets
101" session, ending with a "Masters Level" for advanced practitioners. These
sessions will include presentations from industry leaders about current topics
of interest and relevance, as well as provide an opportunity for networking and
stakeholder dialogue.
For more about the Breakfast Series click
here.
Ontario Municipal Fleet Review
Program 2008 - Pilot Project
In the 2008 pilot project, Fleet Challenge Ontario
worked with each municipality's fleet management team to evaluate a broad range
of specifications ranging from fuel efficiency, vehicle selection, maintenance
techniques, asset management, through to computer systems and end-of-cycle
disposal of surplus vehicles. FCO completed Fleet Reviews for 12 Ontario
municipalities identifying plans that would collectively reduce greenhouse
gases by over 2500 tonnes and savings of almost $4 million.
Congratulations to the following municipalities for
their commitment to green fleet practices and their participation in the 2008
pilot project:
Frontenac County, Greater Sudbury, Grey County,
Guelph, Halliburton County, Kingsville, Niagara Region, Simcoe County, Thunder
Bay, Timmins, Toronto and Windsor.
During the months of January and February, 2008, Fleet
Challenge Ontario convened workshops in Sudbury, Ottawa and London to
representatives of Ontario municipalities holding some level of responsibility
and interest in fleet management. The workshops included important training and
information on state of the art green fleet management concepts and provide an
excellent idea-sharing and networking opportunity.
Below is the agenda for the workshops:
Developed by fleet managers for fleet managers, E3
Fleet provides services and resources to assist trucking, utility, urban
delivery, courier, government and other fleets that want to increase fuel
efficiency reduce emissions and reduce the costs associated with a fleet of
vehicles. For more information, visit
www.e3fleet.com.
Workshop Presentations
FCCGI Green Commercial
Vehicle Project
In 2008, FCCGI was contracted by the Ontario Ministry
of Transportation to undertake and develop a design framework for green
commercial vehicle technology pilot program deployment for Ontario. This
four-year, $15M pilot program will incent the use of greener technologies for
the commercial sector.
For more details click
here
Ontario Green Fleet program – are you taking
advantage?
The province of Ontario is encouraging Ontario
companies to switch to greener commercial vehicles and technologies that will
help improve fuel efficiency and reduce green house gas emissions
