Study: No ‘Material’ Loss of Performance with Most Alternative Fuels
September 2020
Adoption is growing in “record numbers”
By Mark Boada, Executive Editor
A study by a clean energy consulting firm has found that there is no significant loss of performance when surveyed commercial fleets convert from diesel and gasoline to most alternative sources of energy.
The 141-page report, published last month by the California consulting firm of Gladstone, Neandross & Associates, also asserts that the use of alternative fuels by fleets of medium- and heavy-duty vehicles is “at a critical inflection point where…adoption is expanding from the gradual uptake in niche applications over the past several decades to faster and broader adoption within the last few years.
The report, entitled “The State of Sustainable Fleets 2020,” says that although diesel and gasoline are likely to remain as the dominant choice of commercial fleets for some time, “fleets are now testing and purchasing sustainable vehicle technologies in record numbers.”
Wildfires And Weather Extremes: It’s Not Coincidence, It’s Climate Change
While extreme weather is a part of the natural cycle, the recent uptick in the ferocity and frequency of these extremes, scientists say, is evidence of an acceleration of climate impacts, some of which were underestimated by climate computer models.
But many scientists believe that there is more at play contributing to this extreme weather than simply the direct effects of warming and drying. One of those mechanisms is the indirect impacts of global warming on the most influential weather-maker on day-to-day conditions: the jet stream.
"While the extent of the ongoing fire siege is beyond what most have seen in the West, the alignment of ingredients for such fire seasons is becoming more favorable as a result of climate change and land-use practices," Dr. John Abatzoglou, climate professor at the University of California Merced said. "We should expect, adapt, and prepare for similar years moving forward."
Read the article at CBS News.
Tom Johnson Receives NAFA’s Honorary Lifetime Membership Award
By Janice Sutton
Tom Johnson is the recipient of NAFA's prestigious Honorary Lifetime Membership Award, presented at NAFA 2020 Virtual Institute & Expo.
Tom founded the 100 Best Fleets program which recognizes and rewards peak-performing fleet operations in the Americas. Tom told FMW in a brief interview today, "I have been associated with NAFA since 1979 and this is an honor of a lifetime."
In bestowing the award, NAFA president Patti Earley, CAFM, said, "It is my great pleasure to present NAFA’s Honorary Lifetime Membership Award for 2020 to Tom Johnson, someone who has been an evangelist for the best of fleet, promoting pride in and for our industry, amplifying the good work we do to the larger community and to our supervisors.
White Paper: Automating Your Fleet Management Processes
September 2020
New White Paper: Getting Started Guide to Vehicle Sharing
New to car sharing? If you are just starting to plan your motor pool, or just considering starting to share vehicles, don't miss this report written by fleet experts who have implemented money-saving self-service motor pools. Don’t miss this guide and be sure to bypass costly startup mistakes.
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- Where to start when planning your motor pool
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City of Fort Collins Wins 2020 Top Green Fleet Award
September 2020
More than 50 other fleets cited, ranked; innovations seen
By Mark Boada, Executive Editor
The City of Fort Collins, Colorado won first place last week in the 2020 Green Fleet Award for leading efforts to reduce greenhouse gas and noxious emissions by adopting the use of electric vehicles and alternative fuels, including ethanol, biodiesel, hydrogen fuel cells, and natural gas, and other fuel-saving practices.
Fort Collins’ was among the more than 50 government and commercial fleets from all around North America recognized in the contest’s 13th year. It was the sixth consecutive year that the city was included in the winners’ list. In previous years it had ranked as high as third, and placed 16th in 2015 and 2016.
The runner-up this year was Denver International Airport. Rounding out the list of the top five winners were, in descending order, Dublin, Ohio, Riverside, California, and the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. The contest is run by Tom Johnson, founder of the 100 Best Fleets award program. The full list of this year’s Green Fleet Award winners is posted on that program’s website.
