Making the Most of Your Fleet Budget: Alternative Fuel Vehicles & Other Savings

It’s budget time. Fleet managers are focused on their fleets and identifying savings to optimize operations for 2016 and beyond.

Here are some tips to facilitate the budgeting process and uncover opportunities to contain costs:

Leverage Volume & Vehicle Service

Fleet managers may be able to negotiate rebates from their vehicle maintenance providers based on volume. By developing a list of maintenance services each vehicle will need during its service life, fleet managers can ask their fleet management company to forecast prices for vehicle services in the next year and negotiate pricing based on the number of fleet vehicles.

Introducing Ford F-150 with Liquid Propane Alternative Fuel for Fleets

Alternative Fuel Provider Adds Diversity and Stability to Fleet Customers’ Supply Chain Plus the Convenience of an Underbody Tank

For fleet managers considering the popular Ford F-150 pickup truck, Westport now offers two alternative fuel options. Introducing a new dedicated, liquid propane system, along with Westport’s compressed natural gas (CNG) package for 2016 Ford 5.0L  F-150 trucks. Both fuel options are part of the Westport WiNG™ Power System and are expected to be certified to EPA and CARB standards.

“We understand that many fleets use different types of alternative fuels based on availability and business needs,” said Paul Shaffer, vice president and managing director of Westport’s Dallas operations. “By offering dedicated liquid propane in addition to bi-fuel and dedicated CNG vehicles, we are evolving to a full-service alternative fuel provider for fleets operating the popular Ford F-150 pickup truck. We are putting the needs of fleets first and delivering stability to our customers’ supply chain by offering diverse alternative fuel options.”

Westport aftermarket systems show Autopromotec visitors high performance capabilities

Offering high performance solutions for drivers are an Emer diesel duel fuel for heavy-duty and Prins LPG system for direct injection light-duty petrol engines

In Italy in May, Westport attended Autopromotec, a leading aftermarket event, showcasing its Prins and Emer brands.

Both Westport brands offer systems for liquefied petroleum gas (LPG, or autogas) and compressed natural gas (CNG) for a wide range of engines. By using alternative fuels like CNG or LPG, drivers can immediately save fuel costs and reduce emissions such as CO2 and particulate matter. 

Colorado keeps alternative fuel vehicles on the road with grant program

Are you considering natural gas or other alternative fuel for your fleet in Colorado? There’s only one 

week left to apply for this cycle of Alt Fuels Colorado program funding.

With applications due March 3, 2015, funding of up to 80 percent of the incremental cost of a Class 2 to Class 8 alternative fuel vehicle is available in 11 Colorado counties.

The grant covers light-, medium-, and heavy-duty vehicles – from pickups to refuse trucks – operated by public, private or non-profit fleets. Alternative fuel vehicles must be new, original equipment manufacturer (OEM) models powered by compressed natural gas (CNG), liquefied petroleum gas (LPG or propane autogas), electricity (EV), or CNG bi-fuel.

Eligible fleets include those based, “in or near the Colorado ozone non-attainment and/or carbon monoxide maintenance areas” and operating at least 60 percent of the time in those areas.[1]

Utah Forges Ahead with Natural Gas Vehicles

From school bus to state fleet conversions, Utah is rapidly pursuing the adoption of natural gas vehicles (NGVs) through proposed state-level legislation.

One prominent initiative currently underway is House Bill (HB) 41. It would allocate $20 million towards Utah’s Board of Education for school district grants to replace buses manufactured before 2002 with alternative fuel-powered buses, including those that run on compressed natural gas (CNG).

Grant monies would also support infrastructure development for natural gas school bus fleets by installing alternative fuel stations or retrofitting existing maintenance facilities to service or maintain alternative-fuel school buses.