I had a chance to visit with Jim Ruby, Manager of Fleet Services, and Greg Nishihira, Business Manager of Fleet Services at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD.) We talked about fleet operations at UCSD that support numerous university functions and the many programs that Jim and Greg are spearheading to achieve sustainable transportation for the school.

UCSD is reducing its reliance on conventional, gas-powered vehicles, and capitalizing on new technology by:

• Replacing older vehicles with hybrid and electric models
• Running its shuttle fleet on 20% biodiesel or compressed natural gas
• Installing diesel particulate traps on shuttle buses to significantly reduce particulates
• Collaborating with students on biofuel research

By changing purchasing and maintenance procedures, UCSD’s Fleet Services has become a California certified Vehicle Service & Repair Model Shop. This is the Model P2 Shop Program (P2 for Pollution Prevention,) California’s implementation program to eliminate or reduce waste generation at automotive repair shops.

Among Fleet Services’ improved maintenance and repair procedures are:

• Recap tires on shuttle fleet, which require 30% less energy and 66% less oil to produce and cost 30% to 60% less than new tires
• Synthetic transmission fluid lengthening shuttle fleet service intervals and decreasing hazardous waste

Below is part 1 of our conversation, with Fleet Services photos showing electric, hybrid and alternative fuel vehicles in action in and around the UCSD campus.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QxnkzFmbc6s

UC San Diego’s Fleet Services – Pushing for Sustainable Solutions in Vehicle Operations is a post from: CleanCarTalk

The Hybrid Cars Compendium is now live.

The automobile industry, particularly in North America and Europe, has always been a very active market with new and better models announced every year. This keeps the car products fresh, competitive and exciting to the buying public. With environmental issues at the forefront of our consciousness, the clean car market for consumers, namely the hybrid, electric, plug-in and clean diesel cars, is especially very active and is expected to continue to make the news.

New models and technology are being announced almost daily, as the competition heats up to see which car manufacturer has the coolest environmentally clean cars coming out in the years ahead. Clean car manufacturers and new clean models are coming out of the woodwork! I don’t know about you but it’s quite hard for me to keep track of who is doing what. This is why I’m creating a series of compendiums starting with the Hybrid Cars Compendium. In the next few weeks I will start 2 more: Electric and Plug-In Cars Compendium, and Clean Diesel Cars Compendium. The compendiums will be updated regularly. After all it is good to see the whole market as a summary in the same table.

Your suggestions and corrections are most welcome. Please use the contact form after each compendium or the form in the Contact page.

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A Hybrid Cars Compendium to Help Track the Hybrid Car Market is a post from: CleanCarTalk

Latest News on Batteries for Hybrid and Electric Cars is a post from: CleanCarTalk

Read the latest news in education and training of hybrid car technology from news feed.

Latest News in Hybrid Car Technology Education and Training Electric Cars is a post from: CleanCarTalk