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News from the Industry

There are always changes and new innovations taking place in the automotive industry.  Recently, we have learned more about several things.  Bio-diesel and Alternative Fueled Vehicles are two hot topics right now.  To learn more about these topics, read below!

BIODIESEL

Biodiesel is a relatively new fuel source.  It is environmentally friendly as well as made from a renewable resource.  It is generally used as an 80% diesel fuel and 20% biodiesel fuel blend to maximize the environmental benefits and keep any performance related issues to a minimum. 

In a nutshell, here are the benefits to biodiesel:

  • Biodiesel is a clean burning alternative fuel source for diesel powered engines
  • It contains NO petroleum and can be blended at any level with diesel fuel
  • It can be used in compression-ignition (diesel) engines with no modification
  • Simple to use
  • Biodegradable
  • Nontoxic
  • Lower emissions- it reduces the particulates released into the air
  • Made from oil seed crops such as soybeans, which are a renewable resource

     

We are hoping to begin using an 80/20 biodiesel blend in our fleet soon.  We are testing it in a few pieces of equipment and hope to be up and running with it this year. 

To get more detailed information, check out www.biodiesel.org.  They have a great FAQ section!

ALTERNATIVE FUELED VEHICLES

Alternative Fueled Vehicles (AFV's) are another hot topic in the automotive industry right now.  AFV's are vehicles that are powered by a source other than regular gasoline or diesel fuel.  This can include Natural Gas, Propane or Electricity.  The City & County of Broomfield's fleet includes one car that is entirely fueled by Natural Gas.  While we do not have a Natural Gas fueling site here on our premises, we use the nearby City of Westminster site.  We also have several pickups that are bi-fuel equipped.  This means they can use unleaded gasoline or natural gas. 

Several automobile manufacturers are now producing hybrid vehicles.  These are cars and trucks that use a combination of two power sources, typically gasoline and electricity.  Honda, Toyota, Ford, Chrysler & GMC are all producing hybrid vehicles at this time for their 2003 models of vehicles.  These vehicles typically get much better gas mileage than a regular gasoline powered vehicle.  For example, recently displayed at an Rocky Mountain Fleet Managers Association meeting was a Honda Civic that gets 52 miles per gallon.  Most of these cars are eligible for a tax break if you are buying one for personal use.  To learn more about these new vehicles, go to the manufacturer's website.