Cleaner City Vehicles
The Fleet Division of Public Works is committed to being energy efficient, using renewable energy sources, lowering emissions and increasing the use of cleaner transportation modes, technologies and fuels.
Bio-Diesel
In fall 2005, Peoria introduced bio-diesel to its fleet. Most large city vehicles use bio-diesel including garbage trucks and fire engines.
Ethanol (E-85)
Peoria became the first municipal government in Arizona with onsite fueling capability for flex-fuel vehicles when it installed an E-85 tank at the city municipal operations center in Spring 2007. Peoria has nearly 100 vehicles that can run on the mix, including most of its police vehicles. The city will continue purchasing E-85 capable vehicles when replacing older models – with a goal of having bio-fuel capability (E-85 or bio-diesel) in 75 percent of its fleet in five years. There is no additional cost to purchase an E-85 vehicle versus a vehicle that cannot take the fuel.
Adding ethanol capability to the city’s fleet has an annual greenhouse-gas impact equal to removing nearly 20 vehicles from the road. In the course of a year, a vehicle burning E-85 uses about one-third the petroleum products and produces 20 percent fewer greenhouse gases (including carbon dioxide and methane) than the same vehicle burning standard gasoline, according to the Environmental Protection Agency.
Hybrid Vehicles
The city currently has nine light duty hybrid cars in its fleet. New production mid-size trucks are now coming off the production lines and will be considered for different applications within the city.
New hybrid/diesel for heavy duty vehicles is emerging technology. While not yet mainstream, the technology shows promise with respect to higher fuel efficiency (30% fuel savings) and lower maintenance costs due to hybrid braking systems. The City of Peoria may have an opportunity to be involved in some of the later testing as production ramps up. Fleet will continue to gather and evaluate information as it becomes available.
Future Vehicle Acquisitions
As older city vehicles are retired from the fleet, they will be replaced with the best available, practical, low-emission technology in consideration of the availability of alternative fuels.
