Updated:
7/22/2009 7:00:00 AM
E&MU: Financial Aid Offsets Hybrid Costs
By Mindy Long, Contributing Writer
This story appears in the July/August 2009 issue of Equipment & Maintenance Update, a supplement to the July 6 print edition of Transport Topics. Click here to subscribe today.
The streets surrounding the U.S. Capitol were lined with hybrid-powered trucks as manufacturers pitched lawmakers on the vehicles’ fuel-saving potential, and lobbied for tax breaks to encourage potential buyers who may flinch at the models’ price premiums.
Transport carriers are under pressure to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, but the long-term fuel savings a hybrid truck could deliver are out of sync with fiscal reality for companies forced by the recessionary economy to pinch every penny.
Major players such as Wal-Mart, UPS and FedEx have invested in aerodynamic devices and alternative-powered trucks, but smaller fleets often lack the resources that enable the big boys to add numerous “green” vehicles to their fleets all at once.
However, suppliers whose own customers are voicing concerns about ecological responsibility are turning up the heat on carriers of all sizes, leaving fleets to scramble for affordable ways to go green.
Manufacturers of hybrid vehicles and systems descended on Washington June 11 for an event designed to showcase hybrid truck technology, and encourage Congress to pass legislation to help get more hybrids on the road. Lawmakers say that help is on the way.
In 2008, the Environmental Protection Agency awarded $50 million in grants for deploying hybrids, and more funding will become available, EPA spokeswoman Enesta Jones said. The money comes from the Diesel Emission Reduction Act.
The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act — the February stimulus plan — added another $156 million for cleaner diesel technology. The application window for almost $90 million through state programs closed at the end of April, but EPA said assistance from a new $60 million appropriation is on the way.
Under DERA, private and public fleets may apply for funding in partnership with regional, state or local agencies with jurisdiction over transportation or air quality, such as a department of natural resources or air pollution control. Fleets also may partner with nonprofit organizations that provide pollution-reduction programs or education, such as the Environmental Defense Fund.
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