|
|
Coppell, Texas to Introduce New Hybrid Vehicles September 2004Half a dozen alternative fuel vehicles will soon be used by city staff to cut down on air pollution."They'll be staff vehicles for people to use to go from one part of the community to another," Clay Phillips, deputy city manager, said. Field inspectors that go from job site to job site - like construction inspectors in the engineering department, who inspect streets and roads in city subdivisions - will be placed in the hybrid vehicles. "It makes sense because they don't carry a lot of people, just inspection stuff and equipment," Phillips said. Inspectors' vehicles often sit idle on the job site and these vehicles recognize that. On these particular units, when idling, the gasoline motor actually stops and power is converted to the battery so it's not creating pollution, Phillips said. The city has been examining the hybrid concept for two to three years. Air quality issues as well as efficiency made this year the time to buy the vehicles. "We're trying to help with the air quality," Phillips said. "From an efficiency standpoint, the gas mileage will be better." There has been no word as to when the city will receive the vehicles. The council had originally figured the hybrid vehicles into next year's budget, Phillips said, but realized the supply would be limited then and now was the time to purchase one if they really wanted to secure the vehicles. While the city originally planned to secure 12 vehicles from Philpott Motors, only five Ford Escape Hybrids were purchased for approximately $120,000. Phillips said city staff is checking into other types of alternative fuel vehicles for the other 7 cars. "We're looking at a Honda, Toyota and a Chevy product," he said. "We opened bids on the Honda the other day. We just want to make sure it works for us before we award a bid on those." The city currently owns an alternative fuel vehicle, which is driven by Sheri Moino, facilities manager. "We bought that as a test case to make sure that they would meet our purpose and suit our needs," Phillips said. The Toyota Prius is a four-door sedan gasoline and electric hybrid which seats five people. It has a four-cylinder gasoline engine with an electric motor that assists when driving down the road. The car has a number of benefits. For example, when running in a parking lot, the computer senses the gasoline engine running and it shuts off. Mark Brochtrup, fleet services manager, who drives the car on occasion, said the vehicle runs nicely and has no limitations on speed. He has reached 37 miles per hour on Denton Tap Road by driving cautiously and running on electric. "You can drive it faster than you need to on the highway," he laughed. He added that anytime the car is being driven up a steep grade, it is best to use gasoline. "It's a very comfortable driving car," Brochtrup said. "The transition between gasoline and electric is seamless. It's a real neat concept." However, the cars are not suited for everything the city staff does on a daily basis. For example, regular police cars are not likely to be switched to hybrids anytime soon. Instead, the vehicles will be used by city staff. In the future, the city plans to introduce more alternative fuel vehicles into the fleet. "We think the market will have a lot to offer as the concept grows," Phillips said. SOURCE: Star | ||
|
Hybrid Car Links
|
Partners | Hybrid Cars | Automotive Repair | directory - add your link | sample resumes & cover letters