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City and State Anti-Environment Purchase Policy |
By Howard W
Penrose, Ph.D., CMRP
In
November, 2008, I was trapped during a snow storm and accident
just south of Ottawa, Ontario returning from Quebec City,
Quebec, for 3.5 hours. I was driving a 2008 4-wheel drive hybrid
Tahoe. If the average vehicle in the long, long line was getting
20 miles/gallon, at an equivalent fuel consumption of 2 min per
equivalent mile, it would use 5.25 gallons of gasoline to remain
on and keep the occupants warm. That would be 102 lbs CO2 per
vehicle. I was able to keep the heat on, plug into a 120V outlet
with my laptop and broadband card, and watch a DVD with a total
usage of less than 1 gallon of gas or <19.4 lbs CO2.
The national average for county vehicles is 7 hours idling per
week, or 364 hours per year. If we assume the same average as
above (generous as most emergency vehicles use larger
powerplants with an average of 14 - 16 mpg) the idle time would
be an equivalent of 546 gallons per vehicle, or 10,600 lbs CO2.
The primary reasons for leaving most emergency vehicles
operating idle is that on-board computerized equipment and
hydraulics (police, ambulance and fire) require power. For
some reason, most state and local governments have not been
purchasing hybrid vehicles causing enormous amounts of
greenhouse gasses emitted and excessive fuel consumption.
In fact, the cost difference between a heavy hybrid and its
equivalent standard powerplant is not that much different.
The heavy hybrid vehicles produced by GM and Ford provide the
ability to power such equipment while cycling the engine only to
recharge the batteries. Using the experience cited above (3.5
hours/gallon), the reduction would be to 104 gallons, or 2,000
lbs CO2, a savings of 442 gallons ($972 in idling
fuel costs at $2.20/gal) and 8,600 lbs of CO2 per
vehicle per year in idling alone. The numbers I am using are
rudimentary, but you get the idea.
Howard W Penrose, Ph.D., CMRP
President, SUCCESS by DESIGN®
Member, National Writers Union (UAW Local 1981)
Editor in Chief, IEEE DEIS Web
howard@motordoc.com
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