Fleet Industry News 
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Fleet Division

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. Biodiesel 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 the official site of the National Biodiesel Board.  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. These vehicles typically get much better gas mileage than a regular gasoline-powered vehicle.