In This Issue...
Alternative Vehicles | Fuel Saving Guidelines | Vehicle Repair Staff | Others Are Watching | 15-passenger van training
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2008 Issue (pdf)
Alternative vehicles offer Increased Fuel Economy, Environmental Benefits
As part of the University’s commitment to a greener campus, focus over the past year has been on ways to increase the number of more energy efficient and cleaner running vehicles on campus. Of the 955 vehicles OSU owns or leases, 73 (or 7.6%) can be classified as cleaner running or more energy efficient either through their use of fuel (E85 or Bio Diesel) or their construction (hybrid). The goal is to steadily increase this percent as vehicles are replaced. Below are some options for you to consider as you look to replace a vehicle.
Hybrid Vehicles utilize an electric motor to supplement the internal combustion engine to increase efficiency. The power is generated by storing kinetic energy as electricity in batteries during normal braking rather than dissipating the energy as heat through the friction brake system. The stored energy is then used to power the vehicle during initial acceleration and when additional power is needed such as climbing a steep hill. Transportation and Parking has had a positive experience with using the Ford Escape hybrid, and in most cases our fuel economy has worked out to be nearly double that of the non-hybrid Escape. Hybrid vehicles are in high demand now and are getting difficult to purchase. If you plan on purchasing a hybrid, plan ahead and order early as there could be a delay in delivery of your vehicle
Flex Fuel Vehicles are capable of running on 100% gasoline, E85 (mixture of 15% gasoline and 85% ethanol), or any combination of the two. E85 fuel can be purchased at any participating fuel station by using a Voyager card. A complete list of participating stations as well as an up to date list of Flex Fuel Vehicles can be found at the National Ethanol Vehicle Coalition’s website (http://www.e85refueling.com/).
Plug-in Hybrid (coming soon!) manufacturers have put the development for these vehicles on the fast track with initial public availability in 2010. While there is little information available on the new line of vehicles, there is potential for substantial savings in the amount of fuel consumed. General Motors has calculated that anyone driving 40 miles or less per day would use 0 gallons of gasoline and average a savings of nearly 500 gallons per vehicle per year. Stay tuned as this technology becomes available!
T&P can assist with finding the right vehicle to meet your needs. Contact us early in your selection process and we will be happy to assist.
Fuel Saving Guidelines
The price of fuel has been steadily climbing in recent weeks and the University is by no means immune from it. Below are a few tips to help save some gas and money.
• Don’t idle (idling burns between .3 and 1.0 gallons per hour depending on engine size)
• No jack rabbit starts or sudden braking
• Try and plan trips to avoid doubling back
• Obey the speed limit (peak highway fuel economy occurs between 55 and 62 mph)
• Check tires for proper inflation
• Service your vehicle(s) regularly
• Remove unnecessary items from your vehicle(s)
Vehicle Repair Staff Expanding
We apologize to all our customers who have had excessive delays in getting their vehicles serviced due to the lack of mechanics in our vehicle repair unit.
We now want to let you know that help has finally arrived! Two mechanics will be joining our team in July, and will be fully oriented and able to expedite your service needs.
Also, effective September 1, 2008, we will begin to offer second shift preventive maintenance services and safety inspections to help reduce down time during your peak working hours. Items noted during the services that need attention can be authorized the following day, or if appropriate, rescheduled for a later date.
To take advantage of our after hours repair services, all you need to do is call 614-292-6195 and schedule an appointment.
When you are done using your vehicle on the day of the appointment, simply bring it to the Vehicle Repair garage on Kenny Road by 5 PM and one of our staff members will be there to assist you. We’ll give you a call the next business morning to discuss any needed repairs or to let you know your vehicle is ready.
Others Are Watching
During the past 6 months, the University has received an increase in the number of complaints received by the State of Ohio regarding state vehicle use that is perceived as inappropriate. These complaints are now averaging about 2 per month, where in the past we had around 2 per year. This is likely a symptom of the tight economy and people are watching for perceived waste of their tax dollars, but it is a good idea to frequently remind all staff who operate state vehicles to be careful with how they use them.
The complaints range from inappropriate use (“it appears this vehicle is being used for personal errands…”) to allegations of inappropriate behavior of the person driving the vehicle. Transportation & Parking Services will follow up with the appropriate OSU department and is obligated to report back to the State of Ohio with information justifying the use or a statement that the problem is being addressed.
A good business practice for departments is to retain a log of off campus activities that occur in a state vehicle. This log can help provide any necessary documentation of legitimate use.
15-passenger van training
Training and assessments are now completed for all existing drivers of 15-passenger vans owned by OSU. A total of 169 employees have been through the program and are approved to continue driving these vans until March of 2010 when they must be replaced with a 12-passenger van or mini van. Only staff who have been through the 15-passenger van assessment or training are able to drive a 15-passenger van for OSU.
New staff hired between now and March 2010 can complete an assessment or complete the 8 hour training course by contacting Larry Smallwood 614-247-0014 at Transportation & Parking. The assessment is $75.50 per driver and the 8 hour training is $255.30 per driver.
If you have questions, concerns or need additional information, please refer to our
Contact page or you can e-mail tpinfo@osu.edu
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