Dozens of state and local governments in North America have signed the ZEV Pledge for zero emissions. Many of them aim to overhaul their existing fleets and adopt ZEV vehicles by 2050.
While a commitment at this level is admirable and inspirational, the timeline may not be feasible for every organization. Due to budgetary or procurement obstacles, your agency may not feel ready to set such an ambitious date.
Fortunately, fleet managers can still use multiple emission reduction strategies to offset carbon production and make progress toward a ZEV future. Essential to this solution is a fleet management ecosystem that is cost-effective and holistically sustainable.
The definition of sustainable fleet management
Sustainable fleet management is the process of optimizing your fleet to ensure better outcomes for the environment and your organization and the people that it serves. Integrating with the right sustainable fleet solutions can also cut your budget while improving regulatory compliance.
There are three major goals in any sustainable fleet management program.
1. To improve fuel efficiency
Inefficient fuel use releases thousands of pounds of CO2 and creates unnecessary expenditures for public fleet managers. Driving the most efficient vehicles in your fleet could shave 10% off your annual fuel consumption, reducing both emissions and excess budget.
2. To meet emission reduction targets
Many organizations, including the U.S. federal government, are aiming for net-zero emissions by 2050. Although state and local governments aren’t currently subject to this policy, it may be wise to get ahead of the curve and prepare for changing expectations.
3. To reduce operational costs
The less it costs to run your fleet, the more sustainable it can be for the long haul. This also provides more budgetary margin to spend on other greening initiatives.
With these goals in mind, let’s look at sustainable fleet management solutions so you can implement new strategies within your public fleet.
Sustainable fleet management solutions for public fleets
With the right sustainable management solutions, fleets can positively impact the environment and improve their own efficiency by meeting emission reduction targets.
Here are three sustainable management techniques used by agencies in North America:
Fleet rightsizing
Rightsizing your fleet can help you identify less-efficient vehicles and introduce EVs or ZEVs with lower carbon emissions. A single ZEV could reduce your carbon output by 4.6 metric tons per year, significantly lowering Scope 1 liabilities.
Rightsizing can also help you save money on fuel, eliminate unnecessary fleet vehicles, and reduce exorbitant maintenance costs.
Fleet maintenance
Fleet maintenance tracking software can help you make informed decisions about inspections, upgrades, and preventative maintenance. This ensures that you spend less per vehicle and cause less environmental damage over time.
For example, properly inflated tires could save 700,000 metric tons of GHG emissions in California alone. Some fleet maintenance solutions even cut carbon emissions by 99.5% compared to traditional approaches.
Fleet fuel consumption
The less fuel your fleet vehicles use, the fewer emissions your agency produces. Adopting electric vehicles is crucial for this strategy, along with installing charging stations or upgrading existing units.
Fortunately, you don’t need to replace your entire fleet at once. Full-battery EVs produce 200 grams of CO2 per mile, followed by hybrid vehicles at 260 grams per mile and traditional vehicles at 350 grams per mile. Assuming that someone drives the North American average of 14,263 miles per year, replacing a single traditional vehicle with a full-battery EV could cut emissions by 2,139,450 grams per year (approximately 4,716 annual pounds of CO2).
If your organization cannot afford to replace existing traditional vehicles at this time, you can use tracking software and GPS solutions to chart more efficient routes. Studies show that you can reduce fleet idle time and improve productivity by simply installing a tracking system on your vehicles.
Resources for sustainable fleet management in the U.S. and Canada
For many state and local fleets across North America, sustainable fleet management is a journey rather than a destination. As you work to stay abreast of ZEV objectives, you can rely on third-party resources to get the support that you need.
These resources include:
- The Climate Group: You can investigate the ZEV Pledge and explore how other agencies are cutting emissions.
- Drive EV Fleets: A partnership between Climate Mayors and Sourcewell, Drive EV Fleets can help you acquire the right solutions for your unique needs.
- Climate Mayors: A leadership organization of over 750 mayors provides new initiatives, news, updates, and information from their districts.
- Sourcewell: You can browse cooperative contracts from hundreds of vendors and select a supplier that makes sense for your needs.
You can explore our competitively sourced contracts today by registering your agency online.
By leveraging data and telematics, a fleet manager can identify areas for sustainability improvement by reducing a fleet's energy consumption and carbon emissions. Sourcewell contracts ensure that government entities can take the first step in supporting these initiatives. See how Sourcewell can help with your cooperative purchasing.
